Perhaps there isn’t a single thing in this book that cannot be described as at least slightly odd. The ridiculousness of the situation in which the protagonist finds herself makes this story so funny that it had me laughing out loud more than once. Yet, it is very hard to categorise this book as comedy. There is an unmistakable undercurrent of nostalgia and sadness that one cannot help but feel while reading. There is a fear of the past and still a deeply seeded yearning to find out more about it. There is a lot of history capturing the horrors of the Second World War, the Cold War, life under Stalinist communism and the hard route to an escape into liberal Britain. The fact that all this gloominess is mainly communicated through a book focused on the historical significance of tractors (because of course tractors were the real reason why the Allies won the War!) keeps the tone largely light; yet there are moments when you see the reality of what life was like in those days and you feel the ghost of the past haunting the characters even in the present.
In a sense, the story is rather frustrating. All the accidents in it evoke pity and an angry urge to get involved and somehow help out. Perhaps it was the age of the characters that got me to associate them with my own grandparents while reading, which only made my desire to do something and help them stronger. The slight element of mystery was enjoyable, but it was really the piling up of accidents one after the other that ultimately kept me turning the pages.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable book, but because of my personal background – coming from a post-Socialist country myself – I can’t quite say if it is the perfect read for everyone. Yet, what I can say is that at least despite the title it is not actually a book about tractors – what a relief!
In a sense, the story is rather frustrating. All the accidents in it evoke pity and an angry urge to get involved and somehow help out. Perhaps it was the age of the characters that got me to associate them with my own grandparents while reading, which only made my desire to do something and help them stronger. The slight element of mystery was enjoyable, but it was really the piling up of accidents one after the other that ultimately kept me turning the pages.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable book, but because of my personal background – coming from a post-Socialist country myself – I can’t quite say if it is the perfect read for everyone. Yet, what I can say is that at least despite the title it is not actually a book about tractors – what a relief!