Book Review: Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
In Before the Fall, a private plane crashes, and in the aftermath, we see the lives of each of the passengers and find out how it happened.
Wowee wow wow! This book is great!
Before the Fall is fascinating from the beginning. It focuses in on only a handful of characters – the net isn’t cast too wide. The stories of those characters are both compelling and heartbreaking in the context they’re given.
I feel almost like one of the characters in the book does – I know exactly what’s going to happen, but I keep wishing for a surprise twist, a miracle.
Hawley’s book is another of The Morning News 2017 Tournament Books contenders on the long list. It didn’t make it to the shortlist, and I suppose I can somewhat understand why (from the list-makers’ points of view, at least – in my mind, Hawley was robbed…ROBBED!).
The book is largely plot-driven. There is introspection and personal development, but the story moves along by forces outside of the main characters. It’s not a detraction for the book. It makes for a great story.
“Great story†is an understatement for Before the Fall. Grab a thesaurus, look up “very very very very good,†and insert whatever descriptor you can find.
The media circus in the book is stressful. The very end is
Bottom line: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m actually having trouble keeping my attention to other books I’m reading now. Before the Fall is so strong.
