My life is about to begin. This is the only thought in Irene’s head on the day she marries a handsome Second World War veteran and becomes a farmer’s wife. But Irene quickly grows restless. Bored to her back teeth, she is scornful of her dutiful husband, heedless of her children. She wants adventure, to experience whatever is on offer: men, travel, culture. As Irene and Rex raise children and crops, the tension between them builds and builds aEURO| Kate Jennings’s black humour and pared - back prose, at once understated and rich in startling imagery, resonate long after the final unnerving chapter. Set in an irrigation area - barren soil blessed by water - Snake is a modern classic.