The past, the future and the golden age: some contemporary versions of pastoral

The chapter focuses on the question of whether, and how, contemporary post- or neo-pastoral (in fictional representations of 'simpler' ways of life) might contribute to a green critique of consumerism. Theoretically, the major point of reference is the discussion of 'retrospective radicalism' in Raymond Williams' THE COUNTRY AND THE CITY. Novelists considered include John McGahern, Michel Houellebecq, Kazuo Ishiguro and Ali Smith.