Penguin Random House Shakespeare recognizes that people often prefer lighter summer reads. Hence, the comedic play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which blends rustic charm, royalty, and mischievous fairies. Country People, by Daniel Mason, echoes this concept in a fresh way. To make its inspiration clear, Mason’s novel ends with an elementary school production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The characters venturing into a Vermont forest aren’t royal but might align with Jefferson’s idea of an intellectual aristocracy for the United States. Kate, a prestigious scholar focusing on Blake and Milton, is currently teaching in California. She gets a one-year teaching offer at a Vermont college. Her husband, Miles, has spent 14 years on his dissertation about Russian folklore, juggling academic life and caretaking for their two children, Kate, who has MS, and their dog, Giuseppe. Giuseppe, akin to Miles, has a niche talent: truffle hunting.
Eager for change, the family drives across the country, arriving at a suspiciously rent-free home in a scenic enclave, thanks to a professor on sabbatical. The novel is rich with academic satire. Humorous moments abound, such as the comparison of Kate and Miles’ student assessments. The narrator notes that Kate’s courses receive feedback like, “super fun, and interesting!,” while Miles is seen as “nice,” albeit hard to follow.
In Vermont, humor progresses from dry wit to exaggerated anecdotes. Miles is thrilled to meet rural locals, as his research relates to peasants. Conversations on trails and in clinic waiting rooms reveal beliefs rivaling the fantasies in Russian folklore. From Flat-Earth to hollow-Earth theories, to Super-Rat-Lines allegedly running under their new house, the eccentricity surprises Miles.
Fairy-like figures appear as a ski coach and a drama teacher leading him to participate in an uncensored rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As Puck famously says, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” Mason’s whimsical touch ensures Country People remains charming, sharing humor without mockery.
While some jokes stretch a bit long, like the extensive footnote on who attended the school play, the novel enjoys the artful silliness for which it’s praised. Country People offers ample humor to entertain readers seeking a light-hearted experience.