Country People by Daniel Mason: In which the hero is a dog

Daniel Mason is probably best known for the much acclaimed North Woods which has been recommended by several bloggers whose opinions I trust but I still haven’t got around to reading it. Country People is also set in New England this time in Vermont where a Californian family are spending a year, Miles ostensibly to finish his thesis, Kate as a visiting professor in the creative writing department of a liberal arts college.

The family offered the teacher a fig bar, the teacher offered the family rabbit jerky, and, in a model for the divided nation, all parties accepted the respective offerings and sat down for a snack.

Miles has been working on his thesis for twelve years, chopping and changing its subject, while looking after Olive and Wesley. Kate is a rising star, her new colleagues thrilled by her acceptance of their invitation. The family sets off on a cross-country odyssey, along with Giuseppe, their dog, who no one could face condemning to an aircraft hold. When Kate takes up her post and the children start school, Miles is left to his own devices, exploring his new surroundings, flitting from enthusiasm to enthusiasm, anything but sitting down to write. Kate prods Miles towards making friends while patiently inquiring about his ‘work’. Meanwhile Giuseppe becomes increasingly interested in what’s under the carpet of the house they’ve rented. A skiing accident lands Miles in the ER where he meets Bentley, a sceptical cataloguer of conspiracy theories who appears to think he’s possessed by the spirit of a renowned nineteenth-century photographer. An invitation from the Wylkes Society opens up a world Miles could never have dreamt of, feeding into his children’s bedtime stories with near catastrophic results but Giuseppe comes to the rescue.

Not surprisingly, the story of a dog and a cave that leads into a hidden world, though of questionable historic or scientific validity, made for ripping bedtime content. 

Mason pokes gentle fun at both rural small town life and academia, unfolding events from Miles’s perspective. He’s an engaging if exasperating character, constantly curious about the world to the detriment of his thesis as he takes up all sorts of interests, dipping down into a depression when none of them come to anything. Conspiracy theories come in for a welcome bashing: the contents of Bentley’s card index become increasingly outlandish if horribly familiar although not quite as bonkers as the obsessions of the Wylkes Society. Lots of eccentric characters, which Mason manages to steer clear of becoming caricatures, contribute to the comedy. Not what I expected but I enjoyed this entertaining piece of fiction whose acknowledgements include a long list of dogs. Not only does Giuseppe not meet a horrible end in the way that so many dogs in fiction do, he becomes the star of the show, much more handsome, I’m sure, than the dogs on that cover.

Cathy at What Cathy Read Next has also reviewed this one in a much more inventive way that I have. You can read her review here.

John Murray: London 9781399835015 320 pages Hardback (NetGalley)