Book Review: Falling Man
I reviewed Falling Man by Don DeLillo over at Amazon.com. I would have cross-posted it here, but I wrote it for a very specific audience, as it takes on a "what to expect..." tone.
If you're interested in hearing what I think about the book in more detail, especially in how accurate the portrayals of post-9/11 feelings are, comment and I can cook something up. There's a lot to say, but I'm not sure about how big of an audience there is for it.
UPDATE (9/1/2007) So I can find it again later, here is the full text of my review:
I enjoyed this book very much, having enjoyed some of Don DeLillo's other novels. A couple things to know about this book:
1. This is not mainstream fiction. DeLillo uses his own conventions and the conventions of postmodern fiction to great extent.
2. This novel is not primarily a retelling of the events of 9/11. Rather, it is an exploration of the mindset of New Yorkers (and one European) after 9/11, how this particular watershed event changed people's worldview.
3. This is not a political work. It does not seek to espouse any political point of view.
That being said, I very much liked this book. I found it very chilling at some points, and difficult to read. I found myself dealing with emotions I had not felt since the days just after 9/11 (deftly referred to in the novel as 'since the planes'), and an exploration much different from the film United 93.
I did feel some of the characters were hollow, but that is kind of typical of DeLillo's storytelling style. Characters in DeLillo works tend to be people to whom things happen, reactors as opposed to actors. I felt that this helped enhance the feelings of some of the characters in this work, accentuating the helplessness and fear I know I certainly felt in the wake of 9/11.
While the book does deal directly with the events of 9/11 (those were some of the most emotionally difficult to read), it is primarily an exploration of the 'post-9/11' world. In this, I feel it succeeds, and is a brilliant work.
If you're interested in hearing what I think about the book in more detail, especially in how accurate the portrayals of post-9/11 feelings are, comment and I can cook something up. There's a lot to say, but I'm not sure about how big of an audience there is for it.
UPDATE (9/1/2007) So I can find it again later, here is the full text of my review:
I enjoyed this book very much, having enjoyed some of Don DeLillo's other novels. A couple things to know about this book:
1. This is not mainstream fiction. DeLillo uses his own conventions and the conventions of postmodern fiction to great extent.
2. This novel is not primarily a retelling of the events of 9/11. Rather, it is an exploration of the mindset of New Yorkers (and one European) after 9/11, how this particular watershed event changed people's worldview.
3. This is not a political work. It does not seek to espouse any political point of view.
That being said, I very much liked this book. I found it very chilling at some points, and difficult to read. I found myself dealing with emotions I had not felt since the days just after 9/11 (deftly referred to in the novel as 'since the planes'), and an exploration much different from the film United 93.
I did feel some of the characters were hollow, but that is kind of typical of DeLillo's storytelling style. Characters in DeLillo works tend to be people to whom things happen, reactors as opposed to actors. I felt that this helped enhance the feelings of some of the characters in this work, accentuating the helplessness and fear I know I certainly felt in the wake of 9/11.
While the book does deal directly with the events of 9/11 (those were some of the most emotionally difficult to read), it is primarily an exploration of the 'post-9/11' world. In this, I feel it succeeds, and is a brilliant work.
Labels: Book Review, Books
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