Pig Earth
- 224 pages
- 8 hours of reading
Set in a small village in the French Alps, this book relates the stories of sceptical, hard-working men and fiercely independent women.
Into Their Labours Series
This trilogy chronicles the European peasant's journey from the mountains to the metropolis, charting the transformations of their lives and culture amidst modernization. Comprising three distinct novels, it delves into the profound social and economic shifts experienced by rural communities. The narrative explores themes of identity, displacement, and the search for belonging in a rapidly changing world. It offers a poignant literary exploration of tradition lost and adaptation gained.
Recommended Reading Order
- 1
- 2
Once in Europa
- 192 pages
- 7 hours of reading
Once in Europa, first published by John Berger in 1987, is reissued by Bloomsbury with poignant color images by award-winning photographer Patricia Macdonald. This moving love story unfolds against the backdrop of agrarian collapse and heavy industry in 1950s Central Europe. Odile lives with her aging father, struggling to maintain their smallholding as a local steelworks encroaches on their land. She recalls her childhood, marked by the sounds of the factory siren and the river, as her idyllic life is overshadowed by environmental destruction: "the furnaces throbbed, the river flowed, the smoke...thrust upwards into the sky." Odile's promising education is interrupted by her love for Stepan, a communist steelworker, whose sudden death at the factory leaves her pregnant and destitute. In her struggle, she finds solace with Michel, another victim of the factory's harsh realities. Berger expertly captures the tragic impact of industrialization on rural communities, blending exquisite lyricism and stoicism as Odile fights for her and her children's survival. Macdonald's photographs enhance the narrative, particularly her stunning aerial views of urban and rural landscapes, creating a sobering snapshot of late 20th-century Europa.
- 3
Lilac and Flag
- 192 pages
- 7 hours of reading
In the mythic city of Troy, amidst the shanty-towns, factories, opulent hotels, fading heritages and steadfast dreams, the children and grandchildren of rural peasants pursue meagre livings as best they can. And two young lovers embark upon a passionate journey of love and survival.
Related books
Vereint sind diese Romane das große Epos der rauhen savoyardischen Landschaft und seiner Menschen: John Bergers Bücher Sau-Erde, Spiel mir ein Lied und Flieder und Flagge. In ihnen beweist er seine große Erzählkunst und unnachahmliche Beobachtungsgabe.
Trilogía de sus fatigas
- 672 pages
- 24 hours of reading
En 1974, John Berger ponía los cimientos del que sería uno de los logros más admirados y aclamados de su narrativa: la trilogía De sus fatigas, en la que se relata el viaje de los campesinos europeos desde las montañas a la metrópolis, donde su modo de vida agoniza, herido de muerte. Puerca tierra presenta al lector los obstinados del éxodo rural, enfrentados día tras día al lugar indómito del que no quisieron o no lograron huir, mientras que Una vez en Europa narra el cadencioso goteo de todos los que poco a poco, sin heroicidad ni historia, abandonaron su pasado para adentrarse en la nueva civilización que se abría a lo lejos. Finalmente, Lila y Flag acompaña a los rezagados, a los que llegaron demasiado tarde a un nuevo mundo que había empezado su viaje sin ellos.