Dingley Falls

I was thrilled to find Malone and am wondering where he is today and why he isn't writing another one of these wonderful, bizarre novels. Dingley Falls has a strange premise, a government facility infecting the townspeople of Dingley Falls. Dingley Falls, a strange little town whose citizens include a midget, a gay clergy member, poets and artists, wealthy matriarchs and even a communist-loving rapist. How he manages to make this odd assortment of people amusing is a marvel. Handling Sin is definitely his best(I haven't read them all yet), so far. And if you loved Handling Sin, you will surely enjoy Dingley Falls. Michael Malone reminds me of Richard Russo and John Irving put together with a lighter humorous touch.

This book is not only well written but it is a dlightful story of a bunch of quirky peoople in a small town.

This book is beautifully written - each character has a very distinct voice. It gives an interesting glimpse into a small Connecticut town in 1976. Each of the characters has his or her own demons, some more than others, and it is interesting to follow each of them as they wrestle with them. Some of the characters are more sympathetic than others, although I did not find myself rooting for one or another character as one might in another novel. I recommend this book just for the sheer enjoyment of the writing - Malone obviously loves using words and seeing how they work together and in differing combinations.

This book compares favorably to The Shipping News and should have had more press. It is a delightful tale of a town through the eyes of the current generation and the woes of the previous one. The slimy and the sublime coexist in the small town that sits next to disaster and eats with it, drinks with it and revels in its lunacy. The watershed that feeds this lunacy could well be said to play a major role in its fabulous tale. Malone has done an excellent job.