Harvest

by Jim Crace

"Happy the man, whose wish andd care
A few paternal acres bound.
Content to breathe his native air
In his own ground"
Alexander Pope "Ode on Solitude"

This is one of the books shortlisted for the Mann Booker this year.  I found it a fascinating book.  Quote from bookjacket "On the mornign after harvest, the inhabitants of a remote English village awaken looking forward to a hardearned day of rest and feasting at their landlord's table.  but the sky is marred by two conspicuous columns of smoke, replacing pleasurable anticipation with alarm and suspicion".

The story is told by one character, a person who is not from the area but had settled there.  He describes life in detailed and affectionate terms.  Life is tough but there is tenderness among the hardship.  The Master is kind to his serfs and they seem to be content with their lot.

The main character is not from here.  He has worked as an Assistant to the Master but is now one of the regular workers on the property.  Idon't recall if he says why he is no longer working for the master, is it because the Master's wife died and his services were no longer needed?  Or, was it because he fell in love with and married one of the local girls and gave up his position in the  master's house.?

His wife has died, he has an occasional night with one of the local widows but does not think about marrying her.

I found the characters description of life at this time very interesting.  He talks about everyday things including the fact that few if any people have access to mirrors so no one knows what they really look like.  The people lead simple lives and seem contented with there lot, working hard to eke out a living, looking forward to the harvest celebration.  I enjoyed the author's use of language:

"So she and I make love again. And I'm sure we're not alone in that. The dark is stifling its cries in other cottages than hers. Their beds are creaking.  There is whispering... On niights like this, when there's anxiety about, there is a glut of lovemaing.   Then the moon is our dance master.  He has us move in unison.  He has us trill and carol in each ohers' ears until the strars themselves have swollen and have ripened to our cries.  As ever, we find our consolations sowing seed."

Initially the narrator seems to describe himself as one with the others, but as the tension builds he seems to start to separate himself from the others.

Two fires, one in the master's barn and one lit by three strangers indicating their intention to squat on the land are what precipitates the start of the destruction of the village life.  The interlopers are blamed for the fire in the barn and the two males are pilloried.  Another stranger has come to draw a map of the lands because it turns out the Master's wife was the owner of the property and since she is dead it now reverts to a male relative.  This relative wants to switch from farming to sheep and graciously agrees to let the master stay on the land.  The Narrator has heard of the plans for the property and starts to think he should become invaluable to the surveyor to get out of the place, he can see the future will not be good for the locals.

Then more trouble occurs, one of the men in the pillories dies while locked up, the Master's horse is killed an the surveyor disappears. Then the new master imprisons and beats some local women.  The villagers decide that is time for them all to get away because they fear what will happen to them.

As the story ends the new and old master have set off with the women prisoners to another town leaving the narrator in charge of the property.  He is torn between doing a good job and then having an ongoing position with the old master or sabotaging the property.  He gets the assistance of the remaining interlopers to plant seeds in the fields again.  He toys with the idea of burning the remaining masters property but the interlopers make the decision for him, they steal what valuable furniture and food they can from the manor and other houses and then set fire to the old masters house.

The Narrator has no choice but to leave for if he stays he will be punished for not guarding things.
This was a very powerful, well written story.  You knew from the beginning that things would not end well but you never really knew what would occur along the way.