The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer - 4 stars (BWF)

[Joy D]

The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer - 4* - My Review

This is a sad story about a young man’s descent into mental illness. It opens when Matthew is nine years old and his brother, Simon, is twelve. Simon is slow in developing, so Matthew must be the responsible one. Within the first few pages, we learn that Simon died in Matthew’s presence and Matthew believes it was his fault. Matthew tells the story in first person and does not initially disclose how Simon died. His mental issues appear to originate from grief, guilt, and shame.

I found the early chapters the most compelling. The later chapters feature a stint in a mental hospital in Bristol, including episodes of psychosis, hallucinations, and self-harm. These sections are intentionally repetitive, disturbing, and fragmented, and reflect Matthew’s declining mental state. The novel takes the form of a journal that Matthew is writing as part of his treatment. The author has created a distinctive voice for this nineteen-year-old suffering from schizophrenia and calls attention to the problems he sees in the British health care system. I cannot attest to the accuracy of the depiction of Matthew’s mental illness or British health care, but it comes across as convincing.

PBT September BWF Extra Letter S and tagged "sad" x10:
https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...