I'm Done!!!

Ok, I know it's just one book.  Can't a girl celebrate a little?  :)

I am happy to be finished with Falling Man.  I must say that this was one of those books that I was just pushing through to get to the end.  Sorry, Mr. DeLillo.  You know how you see some movies and you catch yourself trying in vain to read your watch in the dark, thinking, "Really? This isn't over yet?"  Well, that's how I felt as the pages kept coming.  Of course, the subject matter is compelling, and I think that the book was thoughtfully and skillfully crafted, with its recurring motif of both literal and figurative falling, but it just didn't move me.

One of the things I enjoy most about reading is building relationships (admittedly a little one-sided) with the characters.  I crave books that draw me in and make me care about the folks on the pages.  In plenty of cases, I don't even notice mediocre writing if the characters come to mean something to me.  Falling Man just fell a little flat in that category.  (Sorry, couldn't resist).  To be honest, I just wanted DeLillo's peeps to do or say something, ANYTHING that amused me or angered me or inspired me.  Nada.  There is a tiny thread of narrative from the perspective of one of the terrorists that had hope, but DeLillo never fleshes it out, choosing instead to focus on blah Keith and his blah marriage to a blah woman.  The blah woman's mother is an interesting bird, and her relationship with a jet-setting art dealer breathes some life into the story, but there's just not enough of it to salvage things.

It's a bit of a bummer to start out with a book I don't love, but I'm sure there will be MANY of those on the list.  I will say that this novel might appeal to some of you, and these are only my opinions.  I would never tell someone NOT to read a book if they had some interest in it, and Falling Man certainly is unique, but if you're looking for dynamic characters that grab hold of you....you might look elsewhere.

Up next: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai.  I have high hopes for this one!!!

*I'd love to hear any thoughts, questions, opinions from you, dear readers.  Feel free to comment below!*

Happy Reading!
--Kate