In the Fall

In the Fall is a tragic story of how society forces its values on us and how we continue to "fall" beneath its weight rather than rise above it. The Pelham family foundation was cracked from the beginning, not because of Norman, who ends up marrying an ex-slave, but because love and intimacy were not openly displayed in the Pelham home although it was experienced in small, everyday ways. Norman finds his own way of expressing his love, not by his words but by his actions. He passes this on to his children, without even realizing that he has left them a legacy to express themselves physically but very seldom, verbally. This thread of expression is woven through all three of the generations represented in this novel. I hope this novel does well; I hope it climbs onto the Best Seller's List because in many ways, this book is about America-its sins, its fears, its history and its family structure. Until we learn to confront and face our past, our future will always be in question and for some, in jeopardy. Jeffrey Lent takes on a subject during a period of time that is still not talked about openly enough among those of us who call ourselves "well educated and well read". The language is descriptive, vivid and engaging. It sucks the reader in and makes her feel a part of the experience, not as an observer but as a participant. Read this novel and by all means, pass it on.

Well before I finished this book, I was thinking about the reviews I had previously written. I tried to recall those that I thought merited 5 stars. By the time I finished, "In The Fall", I decided a five star rating is something that should be rather scarce.Book Jackets generally suffer from severe cases of superlative laced hyperbole. If all endorsements were accurate you could walk blindfolded into your favorite purveyor of books, lay your hand on the first tome to be touched, and a Pulitzer, Booker, Nobel, or a Whitbread would be in you hand! However, it is far more likely you would dredge up a tell-all book on Harry Potter's Carbohydrate Addiction with a free coupon good toward any exploitive bestseller, think Boulder Colorado, there are two on the bestseller list as I write.But in this scenario the odds are beaten, no 250-page novel/screenplay, rather a 542-page piece of magic that booklovers live for. "In The Fall" is with you whether you are reading, or away from it. Mr. Lent creates characters so vivid, a story that reveals itself without affectation, pretense, or literary sleight of hand, that this book crosses that point in the reader's mind from a book, to an experience that not only immerses you while being read, but crosses from just a piece of fiction you read, to a set of acquaintances that stay with you. The "fictional" conversations and events, the characters so vividly rendered, you know not only would you recognize them on the street, but wouldn't be surprised if you did. This is a story you think about as happening, rather than just a book. The degree to which you enter this world is a rare event, a special experience.The Writer I thought of when enjoying this work was John Steinbeck. The same way "The Grapes Of Wrath" stays with you years after it was read, or "East Of Eden" or "Cannery Row" lingers, this does the same. This is a story you will remember in detail, these are characters names you will always recall, this caliber of book is why I read. "In The Fall" is the first book I have read in years that I believe will be a true classic in time. "Instant Classic" is a moronic contradiction in terms. A classic has to age, to endure, to continue to be relevant, this work has all the necessary credentials, and in abundance.This is Mr. Lent's first book, but it will stand side by side with Writers who have worked their craft for careers. I say this not to denigrate anyone's work, rather to express what an achievement this book is. For those who create the short lists for literary honors this one should be a foregone conclusion. And as for being an award winner, I think that conclusion is as safe a bet as one can make.An incredible book whether the first, tenth, or last. Mr. Lent stay healthy and write!

This is a beautiful, lovely book as heartbreakingly sad as anything I've ever read. There's four or five places in Lent's narrative that just cut you off at the knees emotionally. I'd just have to put the book down a while because I was so affected with the beauty and melancholy of his story. Generational sagas tend to spread a lot of characters too thin over a natural episodic repetitiveness. Lent never allows that to happen here. Each character is presented in their own unique way, their stories sometimes dovetailing, but as time passes back and again, their true natures are ever more revealed, often tragically. I thought them all wonderful. I'd intended to take my time reading "Fall" but around page 180-90 the whole thing, perfectly terrific to that point, picked up an undeniable narrative steam, one of those I-cannot- & -will-not put this bloody thing down till I find out what happens kind of things. What a ride. In the end this is one of those books you love to tell friends about, knowing that if they only like it half as much as you do, they'll love it.

In the Fall is a remarkable first novel, inahbitated by fully-developed characters living in a complex and evolving world. But it really is a simple book, too. And therein lies its beauty. Jeffrey Lent's ability to create these complex characters -- much like John Irving without the humor -- and move them from just after the Civil War up through the early 20th century exhibits a singular talent. He takes us through the extraoridnary events of their otherwise ordinary lives. And we feel as if we're there in New England, and there in the South with them. The writing is beautiful and lyrical, yet I turned the pages as quickly as if I was reading "The Bourne Identity." Lent's writing soars in the middle third of the book, and In the Fall has some of a first novelist's ending problems, but the writing is throughoughly enjoyable. I imagine that In the Fall will inevitably be compared with Cold Mountain. Both first novels, both feature the Civil War and its affect on our nation, both wonderful works of literature. Yet In the Fall truly stands on its own as a distinct work of art.