A Modern Classics Month in the Country (Penguin Modern Classics) Paperback – International Edition, July 1, 2014

A quiet yet deeply moving story about the calming effects of a peaceful environment and power of art to heal ones suffering.BRIEF REVIEW: In the summer of 1920 Tom Birkin is a WWI veteran suffering the after effects of war. He has taken a job in the country, in the Yorkshire village of Oxgodby, restoring a medieval wall mural of Judgment Day, that had long been covered up in a rural church. The project is funded by a deceased benefactor yet, the Vicar Keach is not very happy to have Birkin there.Tom spends long days up on the scaffolding and quiet nights sleeping on his thick woolen coat up in the belfry. The work and atmosphere are calming , helpful in the recovery process having seen the horrors of war. There is also another veteran, Charles Moon who had been hired to work on locating a grave of an excommunicated member of the church. As Tom's work extends longer than planned, the vicar is not too happy and anxious for him to move on. His lovely wife Alice, unhappy in what appears to be a loveless marriage enjoys spending time talking with Tom. There is also the Ellerbeck family who welcomes Tom into their home and brings him food offerings. So it isn't a surprise that the job seems to be taking more of the summer than anticipated.Told in the first person this is a short, stunning literary piece, as the author looks back nearly six decades after his "month in the country." I loved the writing and all of the intricate details whether it was of the rural landscape, details of church, the belfry or even the people Tom interacts with. The setting was so tranquil, I felt calm and peaceful myself reading this one and I wanted it to last longer. I thought the ending was bittersweet.

Simple prose in a rural setting contrasted to the energetic and truculent city life. Neighbors knowing neighbors and a great awareness of what each other is doing. Men retreating from the trenches and finding peace by focusing on the task at hand. Everyone deserves respect and compassion

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.

I gave this lovely read to a friend. It’s beautifully written with details of the English countryside, art restoration in a village church, and highly memorable characters.

it arrived in excellent condition, but i didn’t expect it to be so small , the font size is small too .

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The main character is so loveable that I wish to meet him in real life, even though he will still be married to his chronically unfaithful runaway bride so no hope there.All the characters are so delightfully unique that you can't stand for the book to end.Summary of premise: A shell-shocked WWI veteran takes up restoration of church murals as a way of scraping a living back at home. He encounters an array of village dwellers who take various types of interest in him, including one hopelessly romantic, one bossy 13-year old girl, the cheapskate vicar, and his "secret sharer", another wounded veteran who has been employed to seek out a corpse.The action spans longer than a month - it's really an entire perfect English summer which is so beautifully described you need to cry sometimes. Over it all there hangs a sense of impending loss, which is fragile and not foreboding but wistful almost. Here's an example, from the day of the Sunday School picnic:"And then they came, the morning sun gleaming on their chestnut and black backs, glinting from martingales medaled like generals. Their manes were plaited with patriotic ribbons, their harness glowed - those great magical creatures soon to disappear from highways and turning furrow. Did I know it even then?"And one more explicit:"We can ask and ask but we can't have again what once seemed ours forever - the way things looked, that church alone in the field, a bed on a belfry floor, a remembered voice, the touch of a hand, a loved face. They are gone and you can only wait for the pain to pass."But overall it is such a cheerful and affirming book that these flavors of resignation and loss hang like grace notes; this author has really pulled it off. Highly recommend! Unforgettably beautiful in 138 short pages.