Key Facts
- Author
- Daniel Mason
- Setting
- Vermont forest
- Protagonists
- Kate (Blake/Milton scholar) and Miles (Russian folklore grad student)
- Inspiration
- Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
- Themes
- Academic farce, tall tales, flat/hollow Earth theories, Super-Rat-Lines
- Review verdict
- Silly, satisfying midsummer romp
Background
In 'Country People,' author Daniel Mason offers a playful spin on Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' a play that itself was crafted for lighter summer entertainment. The novel follows a family who, like the rustics, royals, and fairies of the Bard's comedy, wander into a Vermont forest, setting the stage for a season of whimsical misadventures.
The protagonists are Kate, a distinguished scholar of Blake and Milton teaching in California, and her husband Miles, an eternal graduate student working on a dissertation about Russian folklore. They move with their two young children and their truffle-hunting dog, Giuseppe, to a rent-free house in Vermont, owned by a faculty member on sabbatical.
Current Situation
Once settled in Vermont, the novel's humor shifts from dry wit to the wacky excess of tall tales. Miles, eager to meet rural folk for his dissertation on peasants, encounters locals who espouse flat-Earth and hollow-Earth theories, along with beliefs in massive subterranean 'Super-Rat-Lines'—a vermin expressway said to run beneath the family's house.
The plot thickens with seductive fairies in the form of a children's ski coach and an erotically-charged drama teacher who entices Miles to stage an un-bowdlerized version of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' The novel even ends with an elementary school performance of the play, a nod to its Shakespearean inspiration.
| Novel Element | Shakespearean Parallel |
|---|---|
| Kate and Miles | Royals |
| Vermont locals | Rustics |
| Ski coach and drama teacher | Fairies |
| Elementary school play | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
Impacts
For readers, 'Country People' offers a satisfying blend of academic farce and midsummer silliness. The novel's humor, from contrasting student evaluations to sprawling footnotes, aims to charm rather than condescend, though some jokes may overstay their welcome.
The novel's lack of a solid core, akin to the hollow Earth theories it mocks, might leave some readers wanting more substance. Yet, as the review notes, silliness for its own sake is an underrated virtue, and 'Country People' delivers plenty of it to keep readers entertained.
Future Outlook
Scenario analysis: The possibilities below are not certain predictions.
If readers appreciate whimsical, self-aware humor, 'Country People' could become a beloved summer read, much like the Shakespeare play it riffs on. Its blend of academic satire and rural tall tales may appeal to those seeking lighthearted entertainment.
However, if the novel's digressive plot and lack of a strong central narrative fail to resonate, it may be seen as a minor work in Mason's oeuvre. The success of its humor will likely determine whether it charms or merely amuses.
Ultimately, the novel's fate rests on whether its silliness is embraced as a virtue or dismissed as a flaw. Given the review's endorsement, it may find an audience willing to revel in its midsummer romp.
Source: kgou.org
