A review by andrew61
The Dig by Cynan Jones

4.0

This novella set in the Welsh farming countryside is a compelling read. it captures vividly the hard life of a sheep farmer and is at times a gruelling read in its description of day to day life, however the farmer Daniel is at the same time struggling to cope with a loss which is made more poignant as we learn that Daniel is a silent man who has given himself to his farm and a woman who is his life's love, fellow worker and friend, the writer beautifully in very few words creates that emotion and from the first few paragraphs we are drawn to Daniel. However the contrasting tale is about an unnamed character , a big man, who we know has served a prison sentence for a crime but who is graphically involved in badger baiting. The book contains hard to read descriptions of him digging up a badger sett with his dogs and various companions and a visceral scene of a badger baiting arena. The contrast is evident in the two men who only meet twice and on the first time the 'big man' thinking Daniel weak because of the effect of his loss upon him. I raced through this book as it is very short but an excellent read but I suspect that it is deserving of a reread at some point as the descriptive writing also merits closer attention. I'd really recommend it even though at times tough going in terms of description of nature and man at it's darkest.