PENGUIN A Month in the Country

Being assigned this book as a college assignment, I wouldn't lie if I said I was a little wary of this book in the beginning--after all, assigned books can really be a hit or miss, with even the instructor's readings playing an important part in the enjoyment of such books. To my pleasant surprise, this small book from the hands of J.L. Carr (an author who I now regret not having known before) was a joy to read. Short enough to allow for a quick reading, this economical work doesn't lack depth in any way; the characters are really funny and serious, being very easy to empathize with them in their joy and their sadness. Not falling behind the human characters, the village of the novel, Oxgodby (and the church in it) is full of life and characterization, with enough romantic overtones to paint a good time, without falling to caricatures. One last caveat for anyone that may need it: this novel has a romantic sub-plot, but this is not Madame Bovary--take this however you want, for me it was another feature that I am grateful for, but I know some people will get disappointed because of that.Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that longs for a break from nihilistic books, without wanting to sacrifice literary quality in the process. I am sure everyone can get something from this novel, if they give it time to grow on them.

Novela brilhante!

Mi è piaciuta la storia, ben scritta, la psicologia del protagonista e il ritratto di un'epoca, quella successiva alla prima guerra mondiale, completamente scomparsa.

Perhaps I am biased here, it's an area set about 3 km from where I grew up........but I'm being impartial here.For Germans, read the German translation, in some ways it's better than the original, but don't tell the English!The question arises not long into the book: " Does he or doesn't he?"I'll leave the rest up to you, but do not stop, read it to the end.The film, as usual, is not as good as the books- I have all three!!!!!!

Un jeune artisan, survivant de la Première Guerre Mondiale, est engagé pour restaurer une vieille peinture murale (recouverte de plâtre depuis des siècles) dans l'église d'un petit village. Le charme du village, l'hospitalité des villageois, la beauté naturelle des lieux vont faire de cet été un moment inoubliable.Le lecteur passe un excellent moment à la lecture de ce court roman qui dégage un charme bien particulier. C'est sobre, élégant, touchant, nostalgique.