Carr weaves a more imaginative and ambiguous ending: "I have sometimes wondered if it was a dream." But Hardy, for once contriving a cheery ending, has his heroine, the flighty Fancy Day, reject the parson and marry the man she loves. Both novelists compensate for a dark pessimism with their faith in the fundamental decency of the ordinary villagers. In the introduction to the book, Michael Holroyd writes: "Carr, combining ancient and modern, gives a hilarious welcome to the new chapel organ while, in the church, he reclaims the past when Birkin finally reveals the fourteenth-century painting (Birkin's affection for the hopelessly out-of-date stove refers amusingly to Hardy's novel). Coming to the countryside is part of the healing process that the narrator undergoes and finally finds peace with himself and the reality of his situation. His soul is severely scarred and there appears to be no way out of the horrible psychological condition that he has developed after the war. Everything is told from the viewpoint of the narrator, Tom Birkin, who comes to this small countryside after he has been through horrible experiences i.e. The 14th century mural was hidden beneath layers of paint and is used to symbolize the hidden real self of the protagonist. James Lloyd Carr's 'A month in the country' is a surprisingly refreshing tale of a young shock shelled war veteran who arrives in Yorkshire village of Oxgodby to restore a medieval mural in the local church.
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