Personification

"This little field, I thought, had swallowed so much." (p. 176)

 I love it when authors use this type of personification in their writing. In this sentence, the personification is subtle, but clear. It is not blatantly obvious, and so it does not overwhelm the paragraph. To me, this form of personification accentuates the the writing. However, when I read something that personifies animals, it just does not fall well with me. In this case, the thought of the land swallowing up things reminds me of floods, when the land is so wet that it absorbs everything like a sponge. With this wording, I can imagine things sinking into the mud and settling at the bottom. Then, years later to be excavated as part of history, to be studied and examined. It took me a while to find personification in this novel, and for me that is a good sign. I am glad this is not a novel where personification is over abundant.