Country Dreams

The first major (fictional) novel by author Borca Polit. Inspired by Polit's own life, it remains the most well-received of Polit's works.

Plot

The story centers on Mitch Gardner, a young securities trader. Gardner is on the verge of a major promotion within his firm when he begins to have increasingly vivid dreams about a decisive event in his youth. As the dreams continue, Mitch tracks down old friends and acquaintances in an attempt to make sense of his nighttime visions.

Themes

Polit's themes in his first novel set the stage for his subsequent works of fiction, namely, that the rural lifestyle is superior to the urban; that community is preferable to individuality; and that tradition should supersede innovation. These themes naturally made Polit a fixture of the growing New Ruralist school.

"The Speech"

Although it only occupies three pages of the book, Mitch Gardner's impromptu speech at his high school reunion quickly became the most-quoted part of the work. In fact, the opening rhetorical question, "Can't you see how wrong we were? And still are?" was common political currency shortly after the book's publication (be that as it may, most politicians failed to appreciate the larger context of Gardner's remarks).

Critical Reception

The novel was well-received by both the reading public and critics alike.

Published under the terms of the CC BY 3.0 license.