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Falling Into Glory
Brilliant student Robbie develops a close and dangerous relationship with Emma Harris, a teacher nearly twice his age. As the situation reaches a crisis, they must decide what they really want - which, for Emma, means the future of her career.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
3 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Robert Westall
122 books110 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Robert Westall was born in North Shields, Northumberland, England in 1929.
His first published book The Machine Gunners (1975) which won him the Carnegie Medal is set in World War Two when a group of children living on Tyneside retrieve a machine-gun from a crashed German aircraft. He won the Carnegie Medal again in 1981 for The Scarecrows, the first writer to win it twice. He won the Smarties Prize in 1989 for Blitzcat and the Guardian Award in 1990 for The Kingdom by the Sea. Robert Westall's books have been published in 21 different countries and in 18 different languages, including Braille.
From: http://www.robertwestall.com/
Robert Westall was born in North Shields, Northumberland, England in 1929.
His first published book The Machine Gunners (1975) which won him the Carnegie Medal is set in World War Two when a group of children living on Tyneside retrieve a machine-gun from a crashed German aircraft. He won the Carnegie Medal again in 1981 for The Scarecrows, the first writer to win it twice. He won the Smarties Prize in 1989 for Blitzcat and the Guardian Award in 1990 for The Kingdom by the Sea. Robert Westall's books have been published in 21 different countries and in 18 different languages, including Braille.
From: http://www.robertwestall.com/
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 2, 2011
Felt so authentic... surely this book is at the least semi-autobiographic. I was transfixed by the story of a 17-year-old British schoolboy who falls in love with his teacher. However absorbing the rest of the novel might be, I have to admit that my eyes glazed over during the rugby bits.
January 10, 2013
This is one of my favourite ever books.
The main character is so likeable, despite flaws. It's told really well and accurately reflects being a teenager, and also the intensity of your first love affair.
No spoilers, but it's well worth reading, and you'll probably end up recommending it to others.
The main character is so likeable, despite flaws. It's told really well and accurately reflects being a teenager, and also the intensity of your first love affair.
No spoilers, but it's well worth reading, and you'll probably end up recommending it to others.
April 28, 2014
Like everything by Robert Westall, it's about a shitty world. If you like Robert Cormier, you'll like this.
February 21, 2017
I read this book as a teen and again in my twenties and it still held up. There is something so real about the main characters, and the story is told in the first person from Robert, who shares that name with the author. It did feel like I was reading a wistful confession of a great and sad time in the author's life. Many things are beginning and some have to end. He perfectly captured a teenager's first all-consuming love. Robert almost ages and matures before your eyes but the whole thing retains a purity and innocence. Emma is also a highly sympathetic character and I remember crying for her when I saw she was still in grief from the death of her RAF pilot fiance.
It was also interesting seeing a slice of life of pot-war British secondary school. This was the era that Westall grew up in, and it is now an increasing distant and historical. I'm not sure I've ever read a book set in that era about teenagers who actually live through that time and place.
I'd give it 4.5 stars. It is missing a tiny bit of X-factor that would push it to a 5 for me, plus there is the worrying fact that Emma is so sympathetic, and Robert so willing to shoulder responsibility that the story seems to condone their relationship.
It was also interesting seeing a slice of life of pot-war British secondary school. This was the era that Westall grew up in, and it is now an increasing distant and historical. I'm not sure I've ever read a book set in that era about teenagers who actually live through that time and place.
I'd give it 4.5 stars. It is missing a tiny bit of X-factor that would push it to a 5 for me, plus there is the worrying fact that Emma is so sympathetic, and Robert so willing to shoulder responsibility that the story seems to condone their relationship.
April 10, 2014
Una strana storia d'amore ambientata dopo la seconda guerra mondiale.
L'Inghilterra, la sua storia e le sue abitudini.
Il rugby, più di un tipo, la violenza e il fair play.
Ognuna di queste definizioni è esagerata e insieme riduttiva.
Mixandole insieme, più o meno, si comincia ad avere un'idea di come vada questo romanzo.
Che tra l'altro contiene alcune delle frasi più citabili che io abbia mai letto.
L'Inghilterra, la sua storia e le sue abitudini.
Il rugby, più di un tipo, la violenza e il fair play.
Ognuna di queste definizioni è esagerata e insieme riduttiva.
Mixandole insieme, più o meno, si comincia ad avere un'idea di come vada questo romanzo.
Che tra l'altro contiene alcune delle frasi più citabili che io abbia mai letto.
April 8, 2012
Never, ever read this book! It is nothing like I thought it would be!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews