In the Place of Fallen Leaves

I was blown away by this novel. What a treat! The 13 year-old narrator, Alison, floats around the many members of her family during one of the dryest summers in the history of England, making very perceptive observations about all of them. Because her dad ruined his brain thanks to too much cider, her oldest brother Ian runs the farm, helped by brother Tom and the guidance of Grandfather. Alison becomes friends with a boy her age, Jonathan, and they spend a summer of discovery. A parellel story is the tender romance between the Rector and Maria, the Portuguese lady. The Rector is a sweet, sweet man, far less in control of himself than he thinks.I loved the humor (the Green is renamed "The Brown", because all the grass dried up). I loved the dialect ("bay" for "boy"). I wish i could have been in Alison's shoes when i was 13.

Not necessarily a book I would have selected myself, but from the first page I was captivated. One of the most magical novels I have read in years. Pears' prose is wonderfully poetic, the story is charming, enigmatic, subtle and devastatingly thought-provoking. A truly stunning masterpiece. If you read but one novel this year, make it this one.

This book tells the story of the hottest summer of the 20th Century from the point of view of a family living in rural Devon. It is quite simply a stunning book that is written so that the characters seem so real and touching. It is sensitive and is almost dreamlike in its narrative. The heat of that summer is conveyed so well that you feel as though you are living it. As one other reviewer said it is "intoxicating and magical" and I would fully agree with that. A superb book.

I purchased this book on accident, thinking it was Iain Pears("An Instance of the Fingerpost"). I almost didn't read itwhen I noticed my mistake, but as a voracious reader, I just couldn't let it go to waste on my bookshelf.I loved this book from the very first page. Mr. Pears is an excellent story teller, and I hope that "In the Place of Fallen Leaves" earns it's rightful place among other classics such as "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "A Separate Peace".

Not a book I would ever have considered buying on reading the publishers description, but having been given it as a gift, I picked it up and was hooked immediately. There are some writers who, whatever the subject matter, have a natural ability to draw you in and Tim Pears is definitely one - a master of seemingly effortless prose. One reviewer said he could make washing-up sound interesting. Fantastic - put aside your doubts - I did - and give it a try.