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Fatboy Fall Down
A heartrending novel about one man's search for meaning in a difficult life.
A child ridiculed for his weight, a son overshadowed by a favored brother, a husband who falls short of his wife's ambitions, an old man with a broken heart...
As Orbits's life passes, he doggedly pursues a simple dream -- a little place in the country where a family might thrive -- while wondering if he can ever shake free of the tragedies that seem to define him. Fatboy Fall Down is the lush and heartbreaking musings of a man trying to understand his place in the world. Though it's a story shot through with sadness, it speaks to universal truths, and Rabindranath Maharaj's deft touch underscores the resilience of the human spirit.
A child ridiculed for his weight, a son overshadowed by a favored brother, a husband who falls short of his wife's ambitions, an old man with a broken heart...
As Orbits's life passes, he doggedly pursues a simple dream -- a little place in the country where a family might thrive -- while wondering if he can ever shake free of the tragedies that seem to define him. Fatboy Fall Down is the lush and heartbreaking musings of a man trying to understand his place in the world. Though it's a story shot through with sadness, it speaks to universal truths, and Rabindranath Maharaj's deft touch underscores the resilience of the human spirit.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2019
6 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Rabindranath Maharaj
17 books35 followersRabindranath Maharaj was born in the fifties in South Trinidad. He received a B.A., M.A. and Diploma in Education from the University of the West Indies, Saint Augustine. In Trinidad he worked as a teacher and as a columnist for the Trinidad Guardian. In the early 1990s Maharaj moved to Canada and in 1993 he completed a second M.A. at the University of New Brunswick. Since 1994 he has been living in Ajax, Ontario and teaching high school there.Maharaj is now well recognized in Canada for his published fiction and short stories, which tend to deal with everyday situations that challenge and stimulate the lives of men and women from Indo-Caribbean communities in Canada and in Trinidad.
Both the Toronto Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star recognized his literary worth when his book, The Lagahoo’s Apprentice, was published. A previous novel, Homer in Flight, had been nominated for the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award.
Two collections of short stories, The Book of Ifs and Buts and The Interloper were nominated for a Regional Commonwealth Prize for Best First Book.
His most recent novel A Perfect Pledge, published in 2005, seems to engage some of the issues and themes that Vidia Naipaul, who was also born in Trinidad, tackled in his earlier novels. Maharaj’s approach, however, is less scathing and dismissive. Although he obviously sees the shortcomings and inadequacies of life in this “now for now” immigrant society of Trinidad, he treats his characters with greater sympathy and with humane understanding.
Rabindranath Maharaj is also one of the founding editors of Lichen a literary magazine that in his own words: “ferrets out new voices, throws the spotlight on recognized ones, and adds to the broth a distinct flavour: a mix of city and country, of tradition and innovation.”
Both the Toronto Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star recognized his literary worth when his book, The Lagahoo’s Apprentice, was published. A previous novel, Homer in Flight, had been nominated for the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award.
Two collections of short stories, The Book of Ifs and Buts and The Interloper were nominated for a Regional Commonwealth Prize for Best First Book.
His most recent novel A Perfect Pledge, published in 2005, seems to engage some of the issues and themes that Vidia Naipaul, who was also born in Trinidad, tackled in his earlier novels. Maharaj’s approach, however, is less scathing and dismissive. Although he obviously sees the shortcomings and inadequacies of life in this “now for now” immigrant society of Trinidad, he treats his characters with greater sympathy and with humane understanding.
Rabindranath Maharaj is also one of the founding editors of Lichen a literary magazine that in his own words: “ferrets out new voices, throws the spotlight on recognized ones, and adds to the broth a distinct flavour: a mix of city and country, of tradition and innovation.”
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 8, 2019
“Eh? Your belly full.” He repeated the sentence each time he brought down his rod on Orbits' hand, on the scabs he had been gnawing at. “Go and stand at the back of the class.” When Orbits was walking to the back, a boy pushed out his leg and he tumbled. The teacher's annoyance turned to amusement. “Fatboy fall down,” he said, and the class erupted.
Fatboy Fall Down traces the entire life of an atypical Trinidadian villager: A man nicknamed “Orbits” in childhood for his tendency to watch the clouds and dream of floating away (at least he was able to get people to stop calling him “Fatboy”); a man so incurious and without agency that he accepts every job and relationship as they come along (and go away again), somehow arriving at a station in life more privileged and stable than the others he grew up around. Forever resentful of his unhappy childhood, without ambition (or, apparently, the intellect to improve himself), incapable of meaningful interpersonal conversations, Orbits is a tough character to feel empathy for. But as he moves from village to town, from working as a tour guide to government drone to minor politician, Orbits' (rather dull) story fleshes out a (rather fascinating) picture of Trinidad – its oil boom and bust years, the government corruption and backwater superstitions that keep a people chained to poverty – that was all new to me. Overall: Orbits' story would get three stars, Trinidad's is worth four, and it's pretty much a coin toss to decide whether to round up or down – I'm happy to have read this but can't imagine it would have wide appeal (beyond a probable acknowledgement at literary award season for author Rabindranath Maharaj).
What would Cascadoo say if he knew that Orbits had failed exam after exam and had hated school for the taunting he had received? That he was less the man he appeared to be and had never truly rid himself of the fear of being discovered and humiliated? That he always felt he was one step away from being dismantled, the remaining bits of him rearranged to be the boy cowering before his bullies?
There's something very distancing about the Orbits character – he has what appears to be a tremendous amount of luck for someone who waits around for opportunities to fall in his lap, but his unhappy childhood drags after him like a ball and chain, and as a result, he is forever waiting to be uncovered as a fraud and it makes him reluctant to speak openly with other characters. So even though Orbits is constantly mentally reviewing his misfortunes, other characters find him standoffish and the reader (this reader) finds him frustratingly self-absorbed.
Throughout his life, he had done nothing, made no effort, showed no determination. His mood matched the fickle storm: he felt within minutes guilt and relief, shame and satisfaction. He fell asleep with these conflicting feelings, but when he awoke the following morning, they had merged into something less oppositional: the idea that he had survived. Somehow, he had managed.
On the other hand, I very much enjoyed the life and bustle playing out in Trinidad in the background – the vistas, foods, slang, and power struggles. I loved that everyone grows up with these unshakeable nicknames. I appreciated the frequent debates about the pros and cons of trying to emigrate and join family in Florida or Toronto. I was enlightened by tales of bribery and corruption that saw highways built to nowhere while the poor people suffered with unfinished sewers leaving unnavigable potholes on their dirt roads. (And if the point of the book's title is that the entire country is being held back by the lingering trauma of its colonial/slave-plantation roots, then I'll begrudgingly round up to four stars.)
Orbits was able to look at all of the unsatisfactory events of his life with a kind of wonder, seeing the losses, the shame and deprivations not as tragedies but as preparations. He suspected this was not an accurate rendering of his life, and that he had failed many people who depended on him, and that he was far from fulfilled, but it introduced a notion of wobbly balance – of his life tilting this way and that but still moving forward. Somehow, he had managed to hang on.
As the action, such as it is, is focussed on the (rather dull and unengaging) life story of the unappealing Orbits, this book was a bit of a slog to get through. But I'm still happy to have read it for the bigger picture.
June 4, 2019
Despite — perhaps because of — being bullied at school, Orbits, the titular Fatboy, drifts through life with his head in the clouds.
He becomes a meteorologist, for frig sake.
Orbits’ first job is tour guide, a job handed to him, he who “had no discernible talents.” Eventually, he becomes a small-time, local politician. In between he works for the Ministry of Agriculture.
His whole life, Orbits seems baffled.
He is baffled when Miss Teapot leads him into marriage. He is baffled when his best friend Wally moves to Canada. He is baffled when, as if by osmosis, he moves from being a Ministry of
Agriculture field station agent to being a defender of oppressed farmers.
And so on. And so on.
I suppose many of us can relate to Orbits to some degree regarding the bewildering nature of life on this planet.
I enjoyed the first sections of this book. I thought, hey, I’m going to look for more titles by this author. By the time I reached the end, I’d changed my mind.
I had grown weary. Partly because of Orbits’ dreary existence; partly because of the book’s structure.
There are no chapters, for frig sake! Just front to back text with only occasional page pauses. Man oh man!
The version I have is a promotional copy. Let’s pray the final publication will have a different layout. Is anything more daunting in a book than wall to wall words?!
Listen, maybe it’s just me being — as a grandchild once claimed — “a grumpy old troll” but, sadly, Orbits’ story wore me down …
… yet, in any case, who am I to blow against the wind?
I bet my boots, far more readers than I will love the life out of Orbits’ tale, eh b’ys?
He becomes a meteorologist, for frig sake.
Orbits’ first job is tour guide, a job handed to him, he who “had no discernible talents.” Eventually, he becomes a small-time, local politician. In between he works for the Ministry of Agriculture.
His whole life, Orbits seems baffled.
He is baffled when Miss Teapot leads him into marriage. He is baffled when his best friend Wally moves to Canada. He is baffled when, as if by osmosis, he moves from being a Ministry of
Agriculture field station agent to being a defender of oppressed farmers.
And so on. And so on.
I suppose many of us can relate to Orbits to some degree regarding the bewildering nature of life on this planet.
I enjoyed the first sections of this book. I thought, hey, I’m going to look for more titles by this author. By the time I reached the end, I’d changed my mind.
I had grown weary. Partly because of Orbits’ dreary existence; partly because of the book’s structure.
There are no chapters, for frig sake! Just front to back text with only occasional page pauses. Man oh man!
The version I have is a promotional copy. Let’s pray the final publication will have a different layout. Is anything more daunting in a book than wall to wall words?!
Listen, maybe it’s just me being — as a grandchild once claimed — “a grumpy old troll” but, sadly, Orbits’ story wore me down …
… yet, in any case, who am I to blow against the wind?
I bet my boots, far more readers than I will love the life out of Orbits’ tale, eh b’ys?
May 16, 2021
This book grew on me slowly, at first I found the characters shallow and simple. Then as I listened I realized there are a lot of people who drift through life the way Orbits did. He eventually developed more of an inner life as he matured. I think because of the bullying and casual cruelty of his family it was hard for him to truly form attachments. He did have one long lasting friendship.
The ending was hard for me. Seems he was on the verge of having a loving family. Just dreaming of that and planning it did bring him some happiness.
The ending was hard for me. Seems he was on the verge of having a loving family. Just dreaming of that and planning it did bring him some happiness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2019
it is a very interesting book, of a very uninteresting life.
I feel like it is unlike anything I have ever read.
I feel like it is unlike anything I have ever read.
September 2, 2019
I really really wanted to like this book. I was interested in seeing the author's growth as a writer… as there was promise with his earlier title The Amazing Absorbing Boy. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. Perhaps, in part, it’s because Sisyphus was one of my least favourite of the Greek myths when I was younger, and this contemporary retelling does nothing to change that fact.
There are so many things I could say about this book, but really all that needs to be said is that the author manages to capture the heart of the toils of Sysyphus. The book is boring at best and the character of Orbits is so poorly rendered that the reader - this reader - never connected with him on any level that made me care about him… which makes it kind of hard to bear a novel that is entirely character driven! I’d go so far as to say that this book is ‘laborious and futile’... and indeed I am bailing after just over 100 pages. I can’t do this anymore. Life is too short. I'm sorry.
There are so many things I could say about this book, but really all that needs to be said is that the author manages to capture the heart of the toils of Sysyphus. The book is boring at best and the character of Orbits is so poorly rendered that the reader - this reader - never connected with him on any level that made me care about him… which makes it kind of hard to bear a novel that is entirely character driven! I’d go so far as to say that this book is ‘laborious and futile’... and indeed I am bailing after just over 100 pages. I can’t do this anymore. Life is too short. I'm sorry.
September 30, 2019
A slow tragedy with a sprinkling of comedy, Fatboy Fall Down by Rabindranath Maharaj tells the story of Orbits from childhood to adulthood, growing up in Trinidad. As an overweight child, Orbits is subjected to teasing and ridicule at home and school, making him an outsider whose only dream is to float above everyone and everything like the clouds he longingly gazes at.
Fatboy Fall Down felt familiar and yet very fresh. As a person of West Indian descent, the language, mixing of ethnicities and descriptions of island life as well as the familial ‘teasing’ was recognizable. What was different though, was the exploration of heavier topics like fat-shaming, childhood trauma, loneliness, anxiety from a distinctly West Indian male perspective which I haven’t read in any books so far.
Orbits carries his trauma from being tormented and humiliated as the ‘fatboy’ throughout his life and finds peculiar ways to deal with the residual feelings of inadequacy.
‘You know, I try to make everything so unreal that I never name anything. This island, teachers at school, everybody. I always believe that the minute I give something or someone a name, it will make it more real. Was nicknames from a side.” (pg. 106)
Orbits’ life drudges on slowly with very few moments of happiness, most of which are overshadowed by a more tragic moment. He welcomes his new daughter into the world the same day he finds out his brother has committed suicide. He finally finds companionship as an adult with another overweight fellow who soon leaves for Canada. He gets a job as a councillor to help others and realizes he has no power due to political corruption and can’t help anyone.
With most things in his life, it feels like everything happens just a little too late for Orbits. For example, it’s in his 50s that he finally finds his voice and is able to snap back at those who try to demean him and not just think of witty retorts in his head. Or, when he finally buys his dream house, 30 years after his then-wife shot down his idea. It’s when his life seems to be taking a turn for the better that things take an even more tragic turn.
Overall, I felt sympathetic and frustrated by Orbits character at the same time. Yes, he had a traumatic childhood but at some points, his lifelong indifference was aggravating. I was hoping there would be a silver lining to Orbits’ cloud-like existence, but I guess, in the end, it was enough that he had survived, ‘somehow, he had managed to hang on.’
Fatboy Fall Down felt familiar and yet very fresh. As a person of West Indian descent, the language, mixing of ethnicities and descriptions of island life as well as the familial ‘teasing’ was recognizable. What was different though, was the exploration of heavier topics like fat-shaming, childhood trauma, loneliness, anxiety from a distinctly West Indian male perspective which I haven’t read in any books so far.
Orbits carries his trauma from being tormented and humiliated as the ‘fatboy’ throughout his life and finds peculiar ways to deal with the residual feelings of inadequacy.
‘You know, I try to make everything so unreal that I never name anything. This island, teachers at school, everybody. I always believe that the minute I give something or someone a name, it will make it more real. Was nicknames from a side.” (pg. 106)
Orbits’ life drudges on slowly with very few moments of happiness, most of which are overshadowed by a more tragic moment. He welcomes his new daughter into the world the same day he finds out his brother has committed suicide. He finally finds companionship as an adult with another overweight fellow who soon leaves for Canada. He gets a job as a councillor to help others and realizes he has no power due to political corruption and can’t help anyone.
With most things in his life, it feels like everything happens just a little too late for Orbits. For example, it’s in his 50s that he finally finds his voice and is able to snap back at those who try to demean him and not just think of witty retorts in his head. Or, when he finally buys his dream house, 30 years after his then-wife shot down his idea. It’s when his life seems to be taking a turn for the better that things take an even more tragic turn.
Overall, I felt sympathetic and frustrated by Orbits character at the same time. Yes, he had a traumatic childhood but at some points, his lifelong indifference was aggravating. I was hoping there would be a silver lining to Orbits’ cloud-like existence, but I guess, in the end, it was enough that he had survived, ‘somehow, he had managed to hang on.’
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. It was a "free read" on Hoopla, so I figured I'd try it. At first I struggled (did the audio version) to process the narrator's dialect, but then I fell in love with it. I felt like I was there, with Orbits, on the island, living his life.
As an English teacher, I have to say KUDOS to the author for the great use of vocabulary. It really enhanced my enjoyment and the book's meaning.
I appreciated the many messages of the book. I thought about how so many things/people bothered me in middle and high school, and how it made me feel, but now, having teenagers, I see what is really important and have a better perspective.
For Orbits, the day his brother died was huge. What a decision - be with family or be with wife while the baby is being born? And then he holds in the emotions of both, from the other, to protect feelings. I was impressed with his character here.
I did think he was "charmed" and never really got in trouble for his lack of work at times, lost weight quickly, didn't experience a terrible emotional divorce.... BUT on the other hand, he learned from these things. He realized that he was spared for a reason, and each person in his life taught him something about himself or the world around him. I loved that he looked up into the sky often, even to the end. He was wistful, and I only wish the wistfulness helped me live longer. Then again, with all those Doubles (which I did research and really want to make to eat), he messed with his health early on!
As an English teacher, I have to say KUDOS to the author for the great use of vocabulary. It really enhanced my enjoyment and the book's meaning.
I appreciated the many messages of the book. I thought about how so many things/people bothered me in middle and high school, and how it made me feel, but now, having teenagers, I see what is really important and have a better perspective.
For Orbits, the day his brother died was huge. What a decision - be with family or be with wife while the baby is being born? And then he holds in the emotions of both, from the other, to protect feelings. I was impressed with his character here.
I did think he was "charmed" and never really got in trouble for his lack of work at times, lost weight quickly, didn't experience a terrible emotional divorce.... BUT on the other hand, he learned from these things. He realized that he was spared for a reason, and each person in his life taught him something about himself or the world around him. I loved that he looked up into the sky often, even to the end. He was wistful, and I only wish the wistfulness helped me live longer. Then again, with all those Doubles (which I did research and really want to make to eat), he messed with his health early on!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2019
I picked up this book without really knowing what it was about and what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised. It follows the life of Orbits, and while his life is rather ordinary and unremarkable, he is always reflecting and thinking of what could be or could have been.
It starts with him as a young boy, constantly unhappy and taunted, and then follows him through his failed marriage, his poor attempts at being a father, and through his various unsatisfactory career shifts. He seemed to be constantly looking for something else and always on the hunt for a more satisfying existence.
At first, I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story, and didn’t feel much towards the character, but without even realizing it – I found I was caught up in the dialogue and found the ending to be quite emotional. I did find some of the terms a bit hard to understand, in terms of the local names of animals/food/vegetation, but it really didn’t matter to the story even without knowing.
It starts with him as a young boy, constantly unhappy and taunted, and then follows him through his failed marriage, his poor attempts at being a father, and through his various unsatisfactory career shifts. He seemed to be constantly looking for something else and always on the hunt for a more satisfying existence.
At first, I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story, and didn’t feel much towards the character, but without even realizing it – I found I was caught up in the dialogue and found the ending to be quite emotional. I did find some of the terms a bit hard to understand, in terms of the local names of animals/food/vegetation, but it really didn’t matter to the story even without knowing.
January 16, 2020
Pleased I found a book by a West Indian author. This book is assumed to take place in Trinidad, although it never explicitly states where. It follows the life of Orbits who makes something out of nothing and really nothing out of something. It's a sad character story. His parents shamelessly favoured his younger brother, his school life is filled with tales of embarrassment, he is the destroyer of his own marriage and his career life is weirdly all over the place. I enjoyed his mother and the relationship with the caretaker. The book examines a life that may or may not be worth living and I found it entertaining but also quite sad. I found the writing to be nice, great descriptions of the milieu.
May 5, 2019
Fatboy Fall Down is the story of Orbits. He was bullied as a child and believed that his mother favored his brother over him. We follow him through his schooling, jobs and relationships. When asked what he wanted to do, he said that he wanted to float.
It was interesting to follow his story and see the world through his eyes. Most of the time he seems like he did float through life and accept what came to him instead of finding what he really wanted to do. Rabindranath Maharaj does a great job of describing both Orbit's life and his surroundings. I enjoyed Orbit's story.
It was interesting to follow his story and see the world through his eyes. Most of the time he seems like he did float through life and accept what came to him instead of finding what he really wanted to do. Rabindranath Maharaj does a great job of describing both Orbit's life and his surroundings. I enjoyed Orbit's story.
May 11, 2019
I received a free copy in exchange for a review.
Such a curious story about the most uninteresting character. But I couldn’t help myself, I just HAD to know what happened. The writing style was a bit choppy for me, and I wasn’t exactly drawn into the story from the start. Once things got going and I started to see more into Orbit’s life, I really did find myself rooting for him. Seeing him grow from a scared child to his late life epiphany was somewhat inspiring, and it’s always a good reminder that nothing is too late (hey, look at Kim K and her pursuit to be a lawyer). This probably isn’t a book I would immediately want to read, but I’m glad that ECW sent it to me, and I discovered a new book of #CanLit for my shelves. If you’re interested, I would caution you to borrow this from your library, because I don’t think it’s for everyone.
Such a curious story about the most uninteresting character. But I couldn’t help myself, I just HAD to know what happened. The writing style was a bit choppy for me, and I wasn’t exactly drawn into the story from the start. Once things got going and I started to see more into Orbit’s life, I really did find myself rooting for him. Seeing him grow from a scared child to his late life epiphany was somewhat inspiring, and it’s always a good reminder that nothing is too late (hey, look at Kim K and her pursuit to be a lawyer). This probably isn’t a book I would immediately want to read, but I’m glad that ECW sent it to me, and I discovered a new book of #CanLit for my shelves. If you’re interested, I would caution you to borrow this from your library, because I don’t think it’s for everyone.
July 5, 2020
“Nothing balances itself. We just grow so tired from waiting that we fall into a pattern of dulled expectations that strengthens each day. Soon we begin to withhold our gaze.”
A poetic novel that is by turn utterly depressing in its bleakness, yet hopeful in its embrace of simplicity and clarity throughout the ups and downs of Orbits life. Highly recommend.
A poetic novel that is by turn utterly depressing in its bleakness, yet hopeful in its embrace of simplicity and clarity throughout the ups and downs of Orbits life. Highly recommend.
December 22, 2023
Beautiful and tragic, funny and honest. This book follows the life of a man in Trinidad from childhood to death, and explores is grief and progress in the world. It dives into complex relationships, family dynamics, parenthood, death, and everything in between. It is a simple story all about life. One of the most brilliant books I’ve read in a while.
September 22, 2019
Was drawn by the delicate personal issues of one who grew up being devalued for their physical size and/or relationship to food. It had great internal dialogue and a strong omniscient narrator voice.
January 8, 2025
It was interesting reading through the span of someone's life in on an ever-changing and poverty-stricken island. However, I did find it quite slow and hard to get hooked into it. I also found the main character a bit hard to relate to.
December 19, 2019
Entertaining book gave you a real feel for a man's life.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews