Land of Cockaigne

by Jeffrey Lewis

A novel written as a sharp parable of American society, addressing love, purpose, discrimination, and poverty.

In Jeffrey Lewis’s novel, the Land of Cockaigne, once an old medieval peasants’ vision of a sensual paradise on earth, is reimagined as a plot on the coast of Maine. In efforts to assuage their grief over their son’s death and to make meaning of his life, Walter Rath and Catherine Gray build what they hope will be a version of paradise for a group of young men from the Bronx. As Walter and Catherine work to reinvent this land, formerly a summer resort, the surrounding town of Sneeds Harbor proves resistant. The residents’ well-meaning doubts lead to well-hidden threats, and the Raths’ marriage unravels as Walter loses faith in democracy. Meanwhile, the Bronx boys, who have only ever known the city, try to navigate this new land that is completely alien to them. Written as a parable of contemporary American society, Land of Cockaigne is by turns furious, funny, subversive, tragic, and horrifying. Faced with the question of what to do amid disastrous times, Walter Rath offers a clue: Love is an action, not a feeling. Once you go down this path of faith, there is much to be done.
 

190 pages, Hardcover

Published November 2, 2021

Reviews

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read that Jeffery Lewis has worked as a lawyer and an attorney, professions where words need to be carefully chosen, so I was impressed that he can write in such a wistful, dream-like way. Indeed it is almost as though we are voyeurs, viewing the story through a mist. This image was aided by some fairly long sentences.

Possibly because of this dreamy style, Lewis is rather sparing in detail which means that it took me a while to know and understand the characters, including the lead persons, Walter and Charley. As the story developed we learnt more but on reflection I can see that there are many basic facts about them that I still don’t know. Strangely I feel that I know the character of Donnie and even some of the young men from the Bronx better.

I have never been to New England so I cannot say whether Sneeds Harbor is typical of a small Maine settlement. To me it seemed rather unrealistic as Jeffrey Lewis’s depiction is of a town still set in the 1950’s or maybe even earlier?

So, is Land of Cockaigne a love story? For most of the book my interpretation would have been that it was a simple story of life events, many good and some very bad, alongside some philanthropic desires. It was only at the end, when all the events were wrapped up and considered, that it became obvious that this is definitely a love story. One I found very moving.

If you are looking for something a little different, restful and subtle I can recommend Land of Cockaigne.

[Marta E C R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and unfortunately all too honest, I read this book because of its having been featured in the All Books Considered series Maine Public Radio has been running. I had it on hold for months at my local library and finally got it, now look forward to watching the author talk. I wish we in this world and in this state weren't dealing with so many difficult things all at once, but we are, and this book portrays some of them with a lot of integrity.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Land of Cockaigne is written by Jeffrey Lewis.
It is a pick for Maine Public’s All Books Considered Book Club.

The title, Land of Coockaigne refers to the 1567 painting by Peter Bruegel the Elder. It is supposed to represent a ‘vision’ of a sensual paradise on earth. In the Dutch language, Cockaigne means the ‘lazy-tasty land’.

The Raths - Walter & Charley (a millionaire tech family) - move to Sneeds Harbor, Maine and raise their son. When he is brutually and senselessly murdered (a car-jacking gone wrong in the Bronx) Mrs. Rath (Charley) envisions their property as a ‘version’ of paradise for young offenders from the Bronx - young offenders that their son, Stephen, worked with at the Bronx Cares Diversionary Action Program. Hence, the title.

Having just finished the book, I would give it 4 Stars for the writing and the cleverness of the title. But I must say that it was distressing, depressing and extremely painful to read.
Sneeds Harbor could have been any one of a hundred different small towns in Maine. It could have been my small town. I recognize many of my neighbors in this book and while I know (or think I know) what they are capable of - to see it in black and white is devastating. Especially the quotes (and they are true) from former governor Paul Lepage (aka Paul LePuke).

[Sarah Szanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeffrey Lewis and I have a few things in common - roots and/or attachments in both Maine and in Los Angeles, and possibly a Jewish identity, although I couldn't confirm that last connection in anything I've read about Lewis. But Walter Rath, the main character in this book, is definitely Jewish and married to someone with presumably WASPish roots. Rath seems religiously nonobservant, but he thinks about faith, opportunities to repair the world, and even repentance. More often, though, like the other characters in this book, he thinks about love, loss, the struggle to make sense of the world, and the struggle to do the right thing. I found this story fascinating. It took me a while to reconcile myself with the ambiguity of much of the story. Lewis writes beautifully, capturing the inner monologue of varied characters. I laughed out loud at the chapter called "Assessments," where one of the camp residents grades various aspects of his camp experience. This is a great book to read while during the summer at Maine, especially if you know about recent political and social issues in the state. Small towns that seem charming have their ghosts and their prejudices. Characters who seem happy on the outside suffer great pain inside. Lewis paints a complex picture of progress, the lack of progress, and universal struggles.

[Howard Chesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several of Jeffrey Lewis’s books and, although they are variegated in subject matter and place, they have in common a spare, elegant style. He always manages to say more with less, but the prose is always fluid and spot-on. Land of Cockaigne (a reference which was unfamiliar to me when I started) takes place in small-town coastal Maine, an area Lewis seems to know well as he apparently is a local for a large part of the year. This book is about the new tech-wealthy couple who come to live year-round in Sneed’s Harbor, trying to shake off the loss of a cherished son. They seem to fit in to the Sneed’s Harbor lifestyle surprisingly well until they decide, as an homage to their socially active son, to bring inner-city teenagers for an improvised summer program. The rest plays out in expected and unexpected ways. I recommend this book highly.

[John Benson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novel about a wealthy couple (Walter and Catherine Rath) who move to the Maine coast and raise their son, Stephen, there. Later, in his twenties, he moves to New York and falls in love with a woman named Sharon, a social worker with juveniles. Before his tragic death in a kidnapping, they had talked about bringing some of Sharon's charges up to Maine. Walter and Catherine work to make that happen at a rundown camp that they owned near their home. They rehabilitated the camp, but the residents in the town were not thrilled with bringing up a group of mixed race young men to their area. The story becomes more tragic for all involved after their arrival at the camp. The book is well written, by a former producer of one of my favorite TV shows ("Hill Street Blues"). It is a thoughtful, but very sad book.

[Rae Chalmers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel has a few distracting flaws (Is anyone really so clueless they would set up a summer camp for underage offenders and provide champagne at every dinner? Would the probation officer be fine with that?) that frustrated me. However, the premise and politics are spot on, the writing is beautiful and the final page must not be missed. Generally, I enjoy spare writing but I do think a little more character development would help to carry the reader to the almost predictable outcome. I have read reviews that say this book is sad but I found hope in the final pages.

[Heath McCabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pacing was such that it was hard for me to stay interested, so I set this book aside for chunks of time in the midst of reading. But ultimately, I think it ended pretty well and was a worthwhile read.

[Megan S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up in a charity shop partly because I really liked the cover! Interesting and I read it easily, although some elements seemed a bit exaggerated. The underlying premise...not sure.

[Kendra Chubbuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm reading for the MPBN Book Club. I'm looking forward to starting this book. Land of Cockaigne is a land of plenty in medieval myth, an imaginary place of extreme luxury and ease where physical comforts and pleasures are always immediately at hand and where the harshness of peasant life does not exist. So, the book is about a family who bring young men from away to Maine and the town is not too happy about it. This is the very short version before I read it. More to say after I read it! Well, some people are just plain mean and always trying to cause trouble. A very sad story with a sad ending.