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My fiance placed the thin book into my hands and told me to read it. The Country Will Bring Us No Peace by Matthieu Simard is a short book, or long novella that forces you to turn each page. My fiance took a weekend to read the book, and she could not wait to discuss what happened in it with me. It is really one of those rare books that keep on paging itself, almost like you lost control when started reading it.

And then the climax hit you in the face, unexpected, like it should be.

Before I continue, this book review contains spoilers, so please DO NOT READ FURTHER if you want to read this book.

Now that that is out of the way, this book starts with the quote from which it gets its name:

"We cannot go to the country for the country will bring us no peace"
by William Carlos Williams, 'Raleigh Was Right

Having read the book, this quote makes sense. Even though you can probably interpret and expect what will happen, there are some things that will rock you as you read the book.

But there are two issues that I first want to bring to the light, things that will make or break this book for you.

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Firstly, the book is translated, and the translation is not very good in my opinion. It is not that I read the book in its original language, but because of various spelling and grammating issues and to be honest some sloppy sentences. I know this is again me (who am I?) complaining about someone who has published something, but sloppy writing is never fun to read, especially when the story is this good.

And secondly, the narrative point of view is strange. It jumps between the two main characters, the husband and the wife. While this is not that big of a problem, it is difficult to keep track at times and you feel like you are getting "too much" of the story. That is, because you get the perspective of the husband and the wife, nothing is left to wonder. As soon as something bad happens from the perspective of the husband, for example, you immediately read the wife's perspective.

Again, this is not that bad, but in the end, you are between the husband and wife, almost like an impartial listener in the discussion, and you are not sure whether you should take a side or not.

Nonetheless, the book is incredible. It reads quick, it is a page turner, and even though you get pretty much everything from the two main characters, there is still some mystery in what is being told.

The couple travel to a strange small town, as this was the cheapest building they could buy (not that they had financial troubles) but because they wanted to flee their problems. As you read, you come to realise what happened to the two. The first part of the quote thus makes sense (albeit slightly changed from the original): "We [will] go to the country."

However, having arrived at the country, fulfilling the first part of the quote in its transformed format, they soon realise that this is not what they expected. This then returns us to the actual quote: "We cannot go to the country". This is not because they cannot physically go, but because the country (town) to which they go rejects them as outsiders. And this is where the interesting things start to happen in the town.

But the last half of the quote also makes sense now: "for the country will bring us no peace". Because of the two meanings above, that the country cannot take them in due to their outsider status, they will not get the peace they search for. But one can also take the idea even further: one cannot escape what troubles one by fleeing. In its entirety, the quote and the title of the book captures the essential problem that the book deals with: you cannot escape that which you need to confront, especially by trying to hide from it in the country (side).

But this is also a psychological horror, and not just a book about confronting that which troubles you. There are certain elements in the book that leaves you wondering what you just read. It is good, but strange.

And then the book turns a corner that you did not expect. But like all good books of this kind, it is not spelled out: it is left up to you to decide how the book ended.

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Postscriptum, or To read or not to read

This was one of those cosy winter weekend books that you devour in the bed while it rains outside. I loved every page of it (except for the issues I mentioned above).

You have to read this book if you are into psychological (and weird) horror.

For now, happy reading, and keep well.

All of the musings and writing are my own, albeit inspired by the quote in the front of the book. The photographs are my own, taken with my Nikon D300.