A wonderful antidote to the stresses of pre-christmas. I love Louis de Bernieres use of language. There are some laugh out loud moments in these short stories which build a clear picture of an english village and the wonderful eccentric characters that live there. As the stories progress you realise that this is also a record of the changing social structure of these communities. Beautful. ( )

A collection of linked short-stories set in a fictionalised version of the village in which the author grew up. De Bernieres writes with affection about rural England, without succumbing to a belief in any mythical golden age of village life. As is generally the case with short stories, I liked some of the tales and characters a lot more than others and as a result I would say that I liked this book rather than loved it. One of my favourite observations was the character who, thinking herself out of touch, wondered whether "with it" was still "with it" or has gone out of fashion. It is difficult to answer that query because, whilst they all seem to occur between the 50s and 80s, it isn't always clear when some of the stories are set. It is also difficult to answer because I'm not "with it" myself, though I suspect the answer is "no". ( )