''The Farm'' (2014) is a

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

Tom Rob Smith Tom Rob Smith (born February 19, 1979) is an English author, screenwriter and producer. Personal life and education The son of Swedish mother Barbro and English father Ron, both antiques dealers, Smith was born and raised at Norbury, South Lon ...

. Set in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, it is Smith's fourth published work and his first standalone novel.

Themes

The novel confronts issues of mental health, family, and truth. Protagonist Daniel's life is collapsed by an unexpected phone call from his father, who informs him that his mother is suffering from intense paranoid delusions. Daniel's mother, meanwhile, claims that she is wholly sane, insisting that Daniel's father is part of a group that sexually accosts young women in their local Swedish district. Daniel is left torn between his parents and unsure of whom to trust.

Inspiration

Smith was inspired by his own mother's experience of

psychosis Psychosis is a condition of the mind that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real. Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features. Additional symptoms are incoherent speech and behavior ...

, from which she has since fully recovered. Smith was surprised by his mother's lucidity when describing her paranoid delusions; he told "You wouldn't think someone with psychosis could be ��meta-rhetorical. And she was, she was analysing everything she said and seeing how it would come across. And I just thought, well, someone who is psychotic can't be this self-aware. But the whole point is that psychosis makes you hyper-self-aware. The thing that really took me by surprise was how little I knew about mental health."

Reception

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

''called it "a gripping, atmospheric novel". ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' also praised the book, commenting that Smith's writing is "so unsettling and oppressive that it blurs the distinctions between sanity and madness, reality and fantasy, leaving the reader guessing until the bitter end." A complimentary review from ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' deemed it "a neatly plotted book full of stories within stories, which gradually unravel to confound our expectations ..Smith's twisting, turning novel shows that Scandi crime also retains the ability to surprise and thrill." ''The Farm'' sold well in its first month, reaching number 2 in ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'' hardback fiction chart.

Film adaptation

In March 2014,

BBC Films BBC Film (formerly BBC Films) is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It was founded on 18 June 1990, and has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films of recent years, including ''Truly, Madly, Deeply'', '' Alan Part ...

and

Shine Pictures Shine may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Shine'' (film), a 1996 Australian film based on the life of David Helfgott, a pianist * Shine, a fictional character in the American animated TV series ''Shimmer and Shine'' Lite ...

bought film rights for the book. Ollie Madden, Shine's head of film, will produce the feature, and Christine Langan will executive produce it for BBC Films.

References

2014 British novels Novels set in London Novels set in Sweden Psychological thriller novels Simon & Schuster books {{2010s-crime-novel-stub