The world can be a scary place. Stressful, confusing, complex, chaotic, violent, anger-inducing. It may sound a tad melodramatic, but the older I get, the more I doubt whether humans are really fit for purpose, when it comes to being the dominating species on Earth.

In the midst of all the chaos, I sometimes long for the simple life. Imagine, if you could slow down the insane speed of modern life, reduce complexity and focus on the essentials. That is exactly what A Month in the Country is about.

1. Synopsis

As a veteran of World War I, whose wife has recently left him, Tom Birkin could certainly use a dose of the simple life. That he finds in the remote Yorkshire village of Oxgodby, where he has been hired to restore a medieval wall painting in the local church. Living in the bell tower, spending his days uncovering a medieval masterpiece and making friends in the local community, Birkin experiences a summer, which he will later look back at as one of the happiest times of his life.

2. Thoughts and Observations

I read A Month in the Country in one sitting and really enjoyed the vibes. There is more to it than just vibes, though.

2.1 Themes

Healing is an overarching theme. Our protagonist is suffering from PTSD, but his short stay in the country facilitates the beginning of his healing process, The fleeting nature of happiness is another theme; we need to grab it while we’ve got the chance.

The author offers a few elements, which are essential for Tom Birkin’s mental journey:

Back to Basis
In theory, it sounds romantic to sleep in the clock tower on the floor with barely any possessions. In my experience from rough camping, the reality is rather less glorious. Nevertheless, I believe that living with only the bare necessities allows you to focus on the simple pleasures in life and may have a soothing effect on body and soul.

Working with art
During the day, Tom Birkin is occupied with the delicate work of uncovering an artwork – a fine balance between cleaning out as many layers of plaster and lime as possible without actually ruining the painting. The joy of uncovering a piece of art contributes positively to the mental state of our protagonist, who also experiences an almost transcendental experience of communicating with the artist across centuries via his painting. Simultaneously, the work also stimulates Tom to reflect on his own life.

Being part of a community
Coming into a small tight-knit community might be difficult, but Tom quickly connects with some of the villagers who look after him and integrate him in local activities. One of the joys of A Month In the Country is seeing our protagonist interact with the locals.

2.2 Characters

Secondary characters include Moon (who has been hired to do work on the church grounds), the beautiful Alice (the vicar’s wife) and Kathy (a teenager who likes to talk to Tom while he is working).

The novella format allows limited pages to get to know the side characters, but they all come across as fully fledged personalities. For some of them, the author hints of further depths and complexity. Whilst it might have been interesting to explore this, I feel the story perfectly reflects reality. We cross paths with lots of people, some of them briefly, and we’ll only get to know certain aspects of them. That doesn’t prevent these people from having an impact on our lives.

2.3 Mood

“There was so much time that marvelous summer. Day after day, mist rose from the meadow as the sky lightened and hedges, barns and woods took shape until, at last, the long curving back of the hills lifted away from the Plain“

A Month in the Country oozes summer from every page. Beautiful nature descriptions, atmospheric summer days and a slow, lingering pace. However, the author’s choice of telling the story retrospectively decades after it takes place, induces a poignant feeling throughout. Happiness is fleeting, summer must come to an end. The retrospectiveness also adds a degree of uncertainty; we may remember certain events in our youth in a somewhat rosy light.

3. My Verdict

Is there such a thing as a perfect August read? A Month in the Country could be a candidate. It portrays the essence of summer as an idea beautifully and is gently showered with the poignancy I tend to connect with summer coming to an end.

One criticism is, it didn’t feel very substantial. Maybe because of its brevity, maybe because of its quietness. Still, I wouldn’t hesitate recommending and surprisingly I’ve found myself reflecting back on it from time to time.

“But one thing is sure -I had a feeling of immense content and, if I thought at all, it was that I’d like this to go on, no-one going, no-one coming, autumn and winter always loitering around the corner, summer’s ripeness lasting for ever, nothing disturbing the even tenor of my way (as I think someone may have said before me)“

Title: A Month in the Country [1980] 
Author: J.L. Carr
Format: Audiobook, narrated by Alex Jennings 
Genre: Fiction

A Month in the Country was short-listed for the Booker Prize in 1980. The 1987 film adaptation features a very young Colin Firth and Kenneth Branagh.