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The Thrill of Falling
A stunning collection of stories from one of New Zealand's favourite authors.
* A young woman utters her favourite mantras to take on the world.
* An old woman lives like a diva, re-enacting Casablanca.
* In a rewrite of a play, a singer becomes a rock chick in London.
* Moby Dick is reincarnated as an iceberg.
* Darwin's giant tortoises on the Galapagos Islands are re-encountered.
* A young man adds a twist to his intriguing heritage.
In this richly imaginative and compelling collection of longer stories, Witi Ihimaera makes a playful and delightfully unique nod to influences from the past. Ranging across an intriguing and innovative variety of styles, subjects and settings, they defy the expected to reaffirm Ihimaera as one of New Zealand's finest technicians and storytellers.
* A young woman utters her favourite mantras to take on the world.
* An old woman lives like a diva, re-enacting Casablanca.
* In a rewrite of a play, a singer becomes a rock chick in London.
* Moby Dick is reincarnated as an iceberg.
* Darwin's giant tortoises on the Galapagos Islands are re-encountered.
* A young man adds a twist to his intriguing heritage.
In this richly imaginative and compelling collection of longer stories, Witi Ihimaera makes a playful and delightfully unique nod to influences from the past. Ranging across an intriguing and innovative variety of styles, subjects and settings, they defy the expected to reaffirm Ihimaera as one of New Zealand's finest technicians and storytellers.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Witi Ihimaera
87 books375 followersWiti Ihimaera is a novelist and short story writer from New Zealand, perhaps the best-known Māori writer today. He is internationally famous for The Whale Rider.
Ihimaera lives in New Zealand and is of Māori descent and Anglo-Saxon descent through his father, Tom. He attended Church College of New Zealand in Temple View, Hamilton, New Zealand. He was the first Māori writer to publish both a novel and a book of short stories. He began to work as a diplomat at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1973, and served at various diplomatic posts in Canberra, New York, and Washington, D.C. Ihimaera remained at the Ministry until 1989, although his time there was broken by several fellowships at the University of Otago in 1975 and Victoria University of Wellington in 1982 (where he graduated with a BA).[1] In 1990, he took up a position at the University of Auckland, where he became Professor, and Distinguished Creative Fellow in Māori Literature. He retired from this position in 2010.
In 2004, his nephew Gary Christie Lewis married Lady Davina Windsor, becoming the first Māori to marry into the British Royal Family.
Ihimaera lives in New Zealand and is of Māori descent and Anglo-Saxon descent through his father, Tom. He attended Church College of New Zealand in Temple View, Hamilton, New Zealand. He was the first Māori writer to publish both a novel and a book of short stories. He began to work as a diplomat at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1973, and served at various diplomatic posts in Canberra, New York, and Washington, D.C. Ihimaera remained at the Ministry until 1989, although his time there was broken by several fellowships at the University of Otago in 1975 and Victoria University of Wellington in 1982 (where he graduated with a BA).[1] In 1990, he took up a position at the University of Auckland, where he became Professor, and Distinguished Creative Fellow in Māori Literature. He retired from this position in 2010.
In 2004, his nephew Gary Christie Lewis married Lady Davina Windsor, becoming the first Māori to marry into the British Royal Family.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 17, 2018
I'm a bit conflicted regarding this short story/novella collection. In each story there was something I really like, mainly learning about Maori culture. But each story had something that bothered me, either I couldn't connect with the characters or I found some development a bit weird.
Still, I would recommend it if you want to read more contemporary Maori literature, Witi Ihimaera is a very good author and it's definitely not the last of his works I'll read.
Still, I would recommend it if you want to read more contemporary Maori literature, Witi Ihimaera is a very good author and it's definitely not the last of his works I'll read.
May 18, 2013
A few months ago I heard a short story being read on National Radio - about a young Maori boy and family expectations, living up to one's name. My journey ended too soon and I missed the end - and the author. Imagine my delight when I picked up The Thrill of Falling and realised the title story was that very story. Serendipitous indeed. There were a few clunkers for example the Purity of Ice, but more shining stars. My favourites were Maggie Dawn (her braveness in face of a long and dark life ahead), We'll Always Have Paris and of course The Thrill of Falling. My aunt had Ihimaera as her creative writing tutor at Auckland University about ten years ago. Oh to have been in that class.
May 6, 2018
Such a breadth of kinds of stories in what is essentially a short collection. Ihimaera hits every story bang on. Been a while since I ended a book in tears, but this one did me in.
March 25, 2019
Longer short stories, the title story is the best, but the Maggie Dawn stories are great and left me wanting much more of them.
September 13, 2019
I enjoyed read Ihimaera's tales that make you proud to be a New Zealander.
August 26, 2026
I loved being able to identify with the cultural references and places but I couldn't connect with the characters in each short story, or with the story itself.
August 28, 2012
Short stories. New Zealand content.
May 12, 2018
From the iceberg story onwards I loved them.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews