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Falling Angels
In her New York Times bestselling follow-up, Tracy Chevalier once again paints a distant age with a rich and provocative palette of characters. Told through a variety of shifting perspectives- wives and husbands, friends and lovers, masters and their servants, and a gravedigger's son-Falling Angels follows the fortunes of two families in the emerging years of the twentieth century.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Tracy Chevalier
65 books12k followersBorn:
19 October 1962 in Washington, DC. Youngest of 3 children. Father was a photographer for The Washington Post.
Childhood:
Nerdy. Spent a lot of time lying on my bed reading. Favorite authors back then: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madeleine L’Engle, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Joan Aiken, Susan Cooper, Lloyd Alexander. Book I would have taken to a desert island: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.
Education:
BA in English, Oberlin College, Ohio, 1984. No one was surprised that I went there; I was made for such a progressive, liberal place.
MA in creative writing, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, 1994. There’s a lot of debate about whether or not you can be taught to write. Why doesn’t anyone ask that of professional singers, painters, dancers? That year forced me to write all the time and take it seriously.
Geography:
Moved to London after graduating from Oberlin in 1984. I had studied for a semester in London and thought it was a great place, so came over for fun, expecting to go back to the US after 6 months to get serious. I’m still in London, and still not entirely serious. Even have dual citizenship – though I keep the American accent intact.
Family:
1 English husband + 1 English son.
Career:
Before writing, was a reference book editor, working on encyclopedias about writers. (Yup, still nerdy.) Learned how to research and how to make sentences better. Eventually I wanted to fix my own sentences rather than others’, so I quit and did the MA.
Writing:
Talked a lot about becoming a writer as a kid, but actual pen to paper contact was minimal. Started writing short stories in my 20s, then began first novel, The Virgin Blue, during the MA year. With Girl With a Pearl Earring (written in 1998), I became a full-time writer.
19 October 1962 in Washington, DC. Youngest of 3 children. Father was a photographer for The Washington Post.
Childhood:
Nerdy. Spent a lot of time lying on my bed reading. Favorite authors back then: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madeleine L’Engle, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Joan Aiken, Susan Cooper, Lloyd Alexander. Book I would have taken to a desert island: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.
Education:
BA in English, Oberlin College, Ohio, 1984. No one was surprised that I went there; I was made for such a progressive, liberal place.
MA in creative writing, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, 1994. There’s a lot of debate about whether or not you can be taught to write. Why doesn’t anyone ask that of professional singers, painters, dancers? That year forced me to write all the time and take it seriously.
Geography:
Moved to London after graduating from Oberlin in 1984. I had studied for a semester in London and thought it was a great place, so came over for fun, expecting to go back to the US after 6 months to get serious. I’m still in London, and still not entirely serious. Even have dual citizenship – though I keep the American accent intact.
Family:
1 English husband + 1 English son.
Career:
Before writing, was a reference book editor, working on encyclopedias about writers. (Yup, still nerdy.) Learned how to research and how to make sentences better. Eventually I wanted to fix my own sentences rather than others’, so I quit and did the MA.
Writing:
Talked a lot about becoming a writer as a kid, but actual pen to paper contact was minimal. Started writing short stories in my 20s, then began first novel, The Virgin Blue, during the MA year. With Girl With a Pearl Earring (written in 1998), I became a full-time writer.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 10, 2021
Man labai patiko. Knyga, kuri per sugalvotą kelių artimoje aplinkoje gyvenančių žmonių istoriją parodo ne tik dviejų jaunų augančių mergaičių formavimąsi, bet ir atspindi visą laikmetį - buitį, socialinius ryšius, taisykles ir visuomenės klases, prasidėjusias politines permainas (XX a. pradžia, Britanija). Istorija pasakojama mažais gabaliukais, kuriuos pasakoja vis kitas istorijos dalyvis. Įdomi šio romano linija - paliečiamas skirtingas žmonių požiūris į mirtį.
Kelios citatos:
* Visą gyvenimą laukiau, kol kažkas nutiks. Ir staiga supratau, kad nieko taip ir nenutiks. O gal jau atsitiko, bet tą akimirką mirktelėjau, ir viskas dingo. Nežinau, kas blogiau - kažką praleisti ar žinoti, kad nėra ko praleisti.
* Kartą jos paklausiau, kodėl ji taip mažai šneka, o brangioji dukrelė man atsakė: "Kai aš prakalbu, tu manęs klausai."
* Kažkas su ja nėra gerai, kaip vilkelis, įsuktas per stipriai - lyg ir sukasi kaip reikiant, tačiau bet kurią akimirką gali lūžti.
* Tai, kaip žmonės elgiasi su mirusiais, dažniausiai atspindi jų pačių požiūrį, o ne mirusiojo norą. (...) Jei jau nė vienas iš šių paminklų mirusiesiems nieko nereiškia, tai tada viskas, ką darome neturip rasmės. Jei jiems nerūpi, tai ar nereikėtų daryti to, kas svarbu mums patiems? Juk galų gale tai mes likome čia. Ši vieta [kapinės] yra gyviesiems, o ne mirusiesiems. Statome paminklą, kad jis mums primintų mirusįjį ir tai, ką mes apie jį prisimename.
Kelios citatos:
* Visą gyvenimą laukiau, kol kažkas nutiks. Ir staiga supratau, kad nieko taip ir nenutiks. O gal jau atsitiko, bet tą akimirką mirktelėjau, ir viskas dingo. Nežinau, kas blogiau - kažką praleisti ar žinoti, kad nėra ko praleisti.
* Kartą jos paklausiau, kodėl ji taip mažai šneka, o brangioji dukrelė man atsakė: "Kai aš prakalbu, tu manęs klausai."
* Kažkas su ja nėra gerai, kaip vilkelis, įsuktas per stipriai - lyg ir sukasi kaip reikiant, tačiau bet kurią akimirką gali lūžti.
* Tai, kaip žmonės elgiasi su mirusiais, dažniausiai atspindi jų pačių požiūrį, o ne mirusiojo norą. (...) Jei jau nė vienas iš šių paminklų mirusiesiems nieko nereiškia, tai tada viskas, ką darome neturip rasmės. Jei jiems nerūpi, tai ar nereikėtų daryti to, kas svarbu mums patiems? Juk galų gale tai mes likome čia. Ši vieta [kapinės] yra gyviesiems, o ne mirusiesiems. Statome paminklą, kad jis mums primintų mirusįjį ir tai, ką mes apie jį prisimename.
June 23, 2022
“Urnos, angelai, kolonos ir kas tik netingi. Prakeiktos nesąmonės. Kai esi miręs - esi miręs. Kad tai žinotum, angelas nereikalingas.”
“…>nereikia norėti per daug. Jei norėsi daugiau nei reikia, gali visai negauti.”
“…>nereikia norėti per daug. Jei norėsi daugiau nei reikia, gali visai negauti.”
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews