Harvest, Jim Crace

Read in hardback, the second from the Man Booker Prize short list I had for my birthday.

I have enjoyed many of Jim Crace's books, including most recently Being Dead.

Set in an unnamed English country hamlet, in an unspecified year, this is the story of Walter Thirsk.  He has come to the village as manservant to the gentleman who marries the daughter of the local Manor house keeper.  Walter falls in love with one of the local girls and with the land, and so marries and settles in the village.  His former master, now lord of the manor himself, is recently widowed, and finds out that his position is now not secure.

Three strangers come into the village, and trigger a series of events that will lead to death and destruction.  One of the strengths of the book is a descent into chaos so rapid and yet believable that it made me dizzy.

There's no knocking Jim Crace off my list of favourite authors any time soon.