Scenes from Village Life by Amos Oz

Scenes from Village Life

Amos Oz

Everyday tales of country folk set in the idyllic village of Tel Ilan - but forget about the Archers! An old man grumbles about mysterious digging sounds, a nephew fails to appear as expected, a wife disappears with no explanation. The same unsettling characters drift about as in a recurring dream. You can read in deeper meanings about modern Israel or simply get sucked into these strangely hypnotic dramas - just don't expect cosy endings.

Extract
My thoughts strayed to the empty streets of the village lashed by rain, the dark cypresses swaying in the wind, the lights going out in the little houses, the drenched fields and bare orchards. I had the sensation at that moment that something was going on in some darkened yard and that it concerned me and I ought to be involved with it. But what it was I had no idea.

Parallels
  • Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
  • Short Stories by Anton Chekhov