"Is there anything lucky about surviving a tragedy?"
What's a book that has been sitting on your shelf for years? We're all guilty of it. We buy the next must-read book and proceed to not read it. I've lost count of all the hyped books that I've purchased on a whim and subsequently ignored. Noah Hawley's Before the Fall is one such book. I spent a day last week cleaning my bookshelves and piles, sorting through each title that I own. I had simply run out of room to keep them all. As Hawley's book came up, I decided that if I was going to once again keep it, I would need to actually read it.
Scott Burroughs is a down on his luck painter who is about to stumble into one of the most tragic events of his life. By sheer chance, he's recently befriended the wife of a wealthy media mogul, and she's invited him to travel on a private plane with her family and a few of their affluent friends. The short trip to New York from Martha's Vinyard is nothing out of the ordinary. Scott is thankful to have a way to travel to the city, especially as he has an important meeting with a gallery there the next day. Sixteen minutes into the flight the unthinkable happens. The plane nosedives directly into the ocean, killing everyone but Scott and the young son of the media mogul.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Scott is hailed as a hero. He found the child floating in the ocean amongst the wreckage, and swam the countless miles, the boy in hand, to shore. The media frenzy begins. It seems as if every reporter and news camera in the world is trying to get Scott's side of the story. For his part, the painter elects to hide away, secluding himself from the hype. But then the questions begin. Why was Scott on the plane in the first place? Why did the plane go down? Is it a mere coincidence that an aircraft carrying so many influential people crashed into the sea?
After finally reading Noah Hawley's Before the Fall, I honestly regret having taken so long to get to it. His masterful novel tells the story of one man dealing with the guilt of surviving a tragedy. Simultaneously, Hawley dissects the lives of each of the other individuals on an ill-fated aircraft, showing the events that brought each character to the plane that day. He meticulously fills in each piece of the narrative puzzle, bringing readers closer and closer to the truth behind the tragedy. The survivor story that takes place after the crash highlights both the mental challenge of living through a tragic event and the way that the media can build up and break down people in the blink of an eye. If I had any complaint it would be that the ending of the novel seemed a bit simple for such a complex build-up. Still, Before the Fall is an intriguing story that manages to entertain while urging the reader into deeper contemplations.
For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2021, 47)
I'm glad this one turned out to be so good! I, too, own many books that I bought because I was dying to read them, and then I put them on my shelf and never read them. I think that's going to be one of my reading goals next year: to actually read the books I own!
ReplyDeleteI've done a much better job with reading from my shelf this year, but I definitely have a long way to go. I think that is a wonderful goal to set for the new year!
DeleteI'm so glad you got to it - and liked it! It's one I've got on my keep shelf as well. He has a new one called Anthem coming Jan 2022 that I've got my eye on....
ReplyDeleteI've got a copy of Anthem patiently waiting for me on my pile! I just need to finish a few more books this year before I dive in.
DeleteIt is so hard to part with books, but I know what you mean about space! It's great your clean out led to you finally reading a book you enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteBeing one of the two sole survivors I'm sure would bring on a range of emotions! How frightening! I fly a lot and I try not to think of the plane crashing, but sometimes when there's a lot of turbulence I wonder!
Same here. Every time anything even slightly out of the ordinary happens on a flight, I can't help but let my mind wander to the worst case scenario.
DeleteI have definitely been guilty of moving on to the next newest book instwad of reading the books i do have… and yeah, this is one of those books i never got smaround to reading. Your review has me torn: on the one hand i wish i had but at the same time I wonder if this sort of character exploration would be for me. Still, lots to think about!
ReplyDeleteThe depth of the characters is surprising given the way the narrative keeps moving. I'd say give it a shot if you enjoy strong characters and an intriguing plot.
DeleteI really enjoyed this as well. Glad you finally read it. We've all kicked ourselves for waiting on a good book.
ReplyDeleteIt has definitely shown me that there are many more titles to love living right there on my shelves at home!
DeleteI laughed when you asked about books sitting on my shelf for years. The answer is too many. Sounds like you made the right decision keeping this one around.
ReplyDeleteIt is an eternal struggle for me. I just offload about 40 books, but I still have so many waiting to be read.
DeleteI just love scrolling through your blog, reading new reviews and adding books to my TBR.
ReplyDeleteI added this one to my Audiobook TBR :)
Just placed it on hold at the library, this sounds great!
ReplyDelete