A book like this almost seems to require a certain kind caveat or preemptive comment. Here we go then. On the face of it,
Falcons on the Floor by Justin Sirois explores a slice of the Iraq War, predominantly through the eyes, and journey, of two friends who hike through the desert from Fallujah to Ramadi. So, yes, this book is an issues book and an important book and as soon as you know anything about it, you know this. Given that there is the potential for your reading of the book, not to mention, your reaction to said reading, to be skewed or biased because of these things. Or worse, undermined by a desire not to be critical because of all this. But maybe we can respond to that by saying, yes it is important. It has to be. Sirois is ushering in what we can only hope is an American literature that is cognizant of what's happening in the wider world. But important doesn't have to mean boring or limited. And it isn't. The storytelling is rich and full of detail. It's also something else though. A classic male debut novel, friends, the road, first love, violence, small towns, and broken homes. And yet, not totally, right? Because it's the classic formula transplanted and done anew. Which brings us back to the storytelling, the wider world, the importance of this book, and the fact that reading it just might change your life. So do hit it. All post haste. And such.
Published on September 19, 2012 21:03
"I`m a nut, but not just a nut." Bill Murray
A book like this almost seems to require a certain kind caveat or preemptive comment. Here we go then. On the face of it, Falcons on the Floor by Justin Sirois explores a slice of the Iraq War, predominantly through the eyes, and journey, of two friends who hike through the desert from Fallujah to Ramadi. So, yes, this book is an issues book and an important book and as soon as you know anything about it, you know this. Given that there is the potential for your reading of the book, not to mention, your reaction to said reading, to be skewed or biased because of these things. Or worse, undermined by a desire not to be critical because of all this. But maybe we can respond to that by saying, yes it is important. It has to be. Sirois is ushering in what we can only hope is an American literature that is cognizant of what's happening in the wider world. But important doesn't have to mean boring or limited. And it isn't. The storytelling is rich and full of detail. It's also something else though. A classic male debut novel, friends, the road, first love, violence, small towns, and broken homes. And yet, not totally, right? Because it's the classic formula transplanted and done anew. Which brings us back to the storytelling, the wider world, the importance of this book, and the fact that reading it just might change your life. So do hit it. All post haste. And such. 
