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The Fall of Light
Francis Foley is a proud, stubborn man, and cannot stand to be beholden to anyone. Quick to anger and slow to forgiveness, it is his temper that, one day, costs his sons their home -- and their mother. This will not be the last of their losses however: as the four boys and their father embark on an odyssey to find untenanted land they can call their own, their already dimi...more
Paperback, 350 pages
Published
January 6th 2006
by Picador USA
(first published 2001)
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I wish I could say I enjoyed this book, but I honestly couldn't get into it, and finished it mostly out of a sense of obligation to get to the end. It did have its good points, but they were overshadowed by what I saw as weaknesses, leading to a very mediocre read. Despite this, it had a good flow, and was a fast read if I sat down to read it.
Niall Williams has a very poetic narrative voice, and his descriptions are vivid and summon clear mental images. He paints a stark picture of Ireland aroun...more
Niall Williams has a very poetic narrative voice, and his descriptions are vivid and summon clear mental images. He paints a stark picture of Ireland aroun...more
This was an advance reading copy that I picked up at a book sale, so the story may have been changed somewhat before publication.
By turns lyrical and brutal, this is the story of a family first torn apart, then reunited in a fashion many years later. It tells of Francis and Emer Foley who begin life together rather impetuously and with grand dreams. But the reality of their lives wears them down, and disaster follows. Through stubbornness and misunderstanding the family is separated; the author...more
By turns lyrical and brutal, this is the story of a family first torn apart, then reunited in a fashion many years later. It tells of Francis and Emer Foley who begin life together rather impetuously and with grand dreams. But the reality of their lives wears them down, and disaster follows. Through stubbornness and misunderstanding the family is separated; the author...more
Wow. What can I say. I'm still in love with Niall Williams's writing. I know I should have read this book slowly, but I just couldn't! The Fall of Light has such a different sound than the other two books I've read by the author. This story of the traveling Foley family during the Irish Potato Famine plays with themes of loss, discovery, love (as is familiar in Williams's writing) and of course all of the beauty that I've come to love in the description, imagery and poetry. I'd put Four Letters...more
Sep 18, 2008
Belynda Smith
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone visiting Ireland
Shelves:
fiction
Williams's prose is lyrical, transports me utterly. His characters are vulnerable and your heart aches for them, plot is slow but engaging. What a beautiful read.
It took me a while to get into this one. I actually started it once and put it down for a year or better. Then, I picked it up again and finished it. I'm not sure what my problem was the first time, but I did really enjoy this book. It isn't as engaging as his other novels, but it's still written with the beautiful prose I've come to expect from Niall Williams. I have been a fan of his since I picked up a copy of Four Letters of Love off the bargain shelf of Barnes & Noble and will be a fan...more
Feb 17, 2008
Annika
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Slightly older readers, fans of irish folklore, fans of poetic prose
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This was a departure for Williams into the genre of historical fiction, and at first it took some getting used to. But once again the book is carried by the sheer richness of the writing. Williams is a superb wordsmith, and even the thinness of the plot here does not detract from the beauty of his story-telling. Not the best book with which to make Williams' acquaintance if you haven't yet - but a great place to go once you're familiar with him...
A quote on the sleeve says "Williams' language is rich to the point of bursting" - I'd say that it burst and overshadowed the story. Except there wasn't much of a story to overshadow. True, a lot of the description was poetic and described scenes beautifully and the poverty of the time harrowingly, but I think the line describing a scene in an inn went too far '...men scratched at their trousers releasing the stench of stale urine into the air'. Nice.
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I'm a huge fan of Niall Williams, but I had a hard time with this book. There were elements of the book I really enjoyed, but it moved slow at times and there were so many different characters it was hard to follow. It didn't live up to my expectations after reading Four Letters of Love and As It Is In Heaven.
This felt a bit different from Williams other books I've read. But not necessarily in a bad way. The tone felt very ancient throughout, which suited the era he was evoking and isn't always that believably done by other authors. At times it felt other-worldly, mythical, or almost Biblical. The characters all felt slightly more than just simply men and woman. Perhaps I would like to have spent more time with different brothers - but that would have been a different book.
A lush, epic drama set in 19th century Ireland (roughly during the potato famine). It follows the trials and tribulations of 4 brothers and their father as they leave their Tipperary home and set out to find a better life. They become separated, have some terrible, some amazing experience. It's almost mythic in quality- melodramatic- but very sensual. He uses language so beautifully, but you have to be patient and savor the story without rushing. It's like eating really expensive dark chocolate-...more
Loved everything about this book except the ending. It was beautifully written, very magical in many ways but the ending left too much hanging.
Lyrical, poetic, and like a fantastical fable...Niall's writing is incredibly beautiful. A page turner? No. Moving? Absolutely. The story he tells of an Irish family fighting for their survival during the famine in Ireland will touch the deepest part of you...often provoking an ache in your heart or a lump in your throat. (Unless you're in a coma.) The pain of Ireland is palpable on every page of this book.
I really wanted to like this book, but I found it so boring I didn't even finish it--very unusual for me.
Interesting, epic tale of a family in Ireland. Covers a lot of ground, physically and historically.
Jul 30, 2011
Laurie Petersen
added it
This cements it for me. One of my favorite novelists, with Tim Winton and Barbara Kingsolver.
My favorite book of all time. I loved it from the first to last sentence.
I read this a while ago, his work feels like home to me
Love to read Irish lore. I enjoyed this novel immensely.
Loved it, beautifully written
Beautiful writing about tragic events--not a fast-paced book, not a happy story. I found it stunning and memorable.
Disappointing.
Beautiful, poetic writing. A story of despair yet intertwined with hope and truly uplifting moments. A really enjoyable read.
Beautiful book, very sad and moving. Set in the time of the Irish Famine. Read it a while ago but probably time to read it again.
Loved it.
Although this book is beautifully written, I really struggled to read it. There is almost no dialogue and it's extremely slow
Poetic but I don't think I gave enough of a toss about the pitiful characters.
A good read, gripping family saga with a touch of magical realism.
Great Irish saga set in the Famine
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Moved back to Ireland and wrote about his experiences.
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