My House Is Falling Down

by Mary Loudon

For Lucy, marriage to Mark provided an anchor after several years of drifting casually across countries, into jobs and out of relationships.

Now forty-two, her anchor is working loose. Bewildered by the demands of motherhood and dissatisfied by her work, she has also grown understandably resentful of her husband: Mark has serious difficulties of his own and whilst harsh self-reliance has kept him sane, it has alienated his wife.

When Lucy falls in love with Angus, a pianist in his sixties, her shock is extreme. Adamant that she will not deceive her husband, she instead asks his advice. Mark’s reaction, however, is startlingly unorthodox, leaving Lucy to steer an impossible course between duty and desire, adventure and security. As her marriage falters and Angus presses for commitment, she is forced to choose between family and self, with lifelong consequences for everyone.

Infused with her trademark precision, clarity and dark humour, Mary Loudon’s searing, highly-charged novel My House is Falling Down is a fearless exploration of what infidelity means when no one is lying, and how brutal honesty may yet prove the biggest taboo in our relationships.

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 16, 2019

About the author

Mary Loudon is the prize-winning author of four non-fiction books, published to great acclaim around the world. She has also contributed essays and poetry to six anthologies. My House Is Falling Down is her first novel.

Mary has won four writer’s prizes, as well as being short-listed for MIND Book of the Year and long-listed for Richard & Judy Book of The Year. An experienced public speaker and broadcaster, she has made over 200 radio and TV appearances. She is a Fellow of the British-American Project and has been a judge for the Whitbread Prize and Costa Book Awards.

She is a popular public speaker and broadcaster, and has made numerous radio and television appearances.

Mary was born in November 1966 and lives with her family in Wantage and mid-Wales.

www.maryloudon.com

Reviews

[Rachel Nisbet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I first heard about this book on BBC Women’s Hour radio show, and it sounded interesting; a story about a woman who has an affair with her husband’s knowledge. Sadly, I found it lacking in depth and in dialogue between the married couple. I was unable to develop any feelings for any of the characters as they weren’t written in a way I could feel a connection with them.
I kept reading until the end in the hope something would happen or characters would develop but sadly it didn’t for me. Very disappointed with this book.

[Sarah Faichney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Loudon has a distinctive voice, her prose possessing a moreish quality like fine chocolate.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Friend loaned this book to me. Quite liked the writing style - enjoyed the detail of daily life and some of her observations. Entire story told from Lucy's perspective and I found I frequently wanted to hear from Mark and what made him tick (not Lucy's opinion of that). Not too interested in Angus' perspective - his was pretty obvious (and I grew tired of Lucy's rhapsodizing about him, his body, etc. etc.)! But because I struggled to understand how this situation could play out the way that it did (I just couldn't relate), I needed to know more about Mark.

[Fiona Erskine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this book.

"Everything feels suspended."

Slowly, inexorably, until I was hooked and I didn't want it to end.

"Like carbon dating, deciphering love's earliest imprint is an imprecise business."

The seductive prose, the impossible triangle, the aural divide between antagonists..

"He does not wake. I do not sleep."

It's a complicated, troubling story. Not least because in these expert hands, the unreasonable becomes reasonable.

But sensual and gorgeous and thoughtful and illuminating.

[Rob B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The taboo subject opened up the characters (mightily flawed but enjoyable to follow) to a range of emotions and went for a deep dive into each one. I found it to be a startling and honest insight into married life, even if you remove the infidelity. The prose is beautiful and distinctive, and some of the themes sobering. I’d recommend it to anyone.

[Elaine McConnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh My God

Brilliant I couldn't put this book down. Such a thought provoking read a book d real characters. Just goes to show life isn't always so black and white . Praise for Mary Loudon

[Lucille · Rating 5 out of 5]

My House Is Falling Down is a dramatic and beautiful telling of a love affair and its repercussions. Lucy is 42 years old, married to artist Mark who is deaf, and with young twin daughters. When she meets Angus, a much older man, she is swept away by romantic love and lust for him. What makes this book unusual is that the extramarital affair at the heart of the story becomes a menage a trois as Mark allows the relationship between Lucy and Angus to continue.

The characters are very well drawn and although I didn't like Angus, that didn't spoil the book at all. As far as Lucy is concerned perhaps it is not only men who feel they are losing out in middle age? But whereas they usually fall for younger models, Lucy has fallen hard for an older man. She has reached a crisis in her life and each man gives her something the other doesn't. But how many husbands would react the same as Mark? Lots to think about and discuss here. My House Is Falling Down is perfect for book clubs and I highly recommend it.

[Abi Santer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Beautifully and honestly written. The characters are flawed but likeable.

[Andrew Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling and completely believable triangle with a woman at the centre. But is it infidelity when you don't lie, that's question posed by novelist Mary Loudon.

Lucy has a good life. She is a dedicated mother in her early forties with twin girls and a husband who is a successful painter who has anchored her life (after a younger period of drifting from country to country). She also has a part time job as a photographer (mainly children and pets). What's not to like? OK, motherhood is not quite what she expected and her husband can be self-absorbed but basically nothing until she meets Angus - a sixty year old concert pianist - at a party. There is an instant attraction but instead of either walking away or sneaking around, she asks her husband whether she should accept his invitation to go to a concert. Interestingly, he decides not to stand in her way and tells her she should make her own decisions (after all, he does not own her).

The book is told in both flashback and forward from Lucy and Angus's first 'date' so we understand why Lucy is so vulnerable and slowly Mark comes into focus. We also discover more about Angus's background too (but he is the least interesting of the three characters).

Would I recommend this book to someone dealing with the fall out of infidelity? Probably not if you are at the beginning of your recovery, especially if you are the discoverer of the affair. Mark's passivity will get you shouting at the book (but possibly by the end, you will understand fully why he chose to step back). Like all people having an affair, Lucy is wilfully blind and I think that will infuriate you. However, if you want to know HOW COULD YOU. This book lays it all out and shows how someone having an affair justifies it to her or himself.

If you are just a general reader, I think you will be captivated. At one point, I went past by stop of the tube and had to come back. The characters are complex and that makes for a satisfying read (even if you don't particularly like them). OK I guessed how it would end but that doesn't matter. I felt my understanding of human nature was definitely deepened.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This (I read the paperback), was a word-of-mouth recommendation for which I am immensely grateful. It left me reeling, wondering about what if and why and how and what. And, because the previous book I read had paper doll characters delineated only by the colour of their hair, left me immensely grateful that there are writers as skilled at creating such people as Lucy and Mark and Angus whose lives are light years from mine and yet I now know them intimately.

Also, while this can be defined as someone endlessly wondering about her effect on others; others' effects on her, the depths and details, the tensions, nuances and the sensations explored make of it a genuine full-length experience for the reader, to a daunting degree for any would-be creator of characters. A true and lasting delight.

[Bernadette Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I've borrowed from my local Library using the Borrow Box feature, which allows Library users to read digital copies of books available.

I would never have heard about this book was it not for reading a tweet about it, where a Twitter member had stayed up into the early hours (4.30am) to finish reading it.

I gave this 4 stars or 8/10. It was an interesting read about a love triangle and how an extra marital affair is dealt with when no one is lying or deceiving their partner.

At less than 170 pages this book could easily be read in a day, it took me two days from start to finish. I can easily see how it kept someone up into the early hours reading it, due to the nature of the story. This was an enjoyable read and I can thoroughly recommend it to others.

I am sure that Mark is unlike most husbands in the way that he reacted to the fact that his wife (Lucy) told him she was falling in love with someone else and asked for his advice. To be honest I think he acted very fairly and his love for her was clearly very deep.

To find out how Lucy reacts to Mark's reaction to her revelation and what repercussions it has on them as a couple and the love triangle, you need to grab a copy of this one for yourself.

I feel that this would make a great reading group read.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the account of Lucy, Mark and Angus: a marriage and an affair. Lucy loves her husband, Mark, but finds herself irresistibly drawn to the older Angus. She refuses to lie to Mark about her attraction and her subsequent liaison is played out in plain sight. Whilst Mark won't condemn her actions, Lucy feels permanently conflicted, particularly because she has two small children.

A completely compelling read, suffused with dark humour; I savoured every page. The characters are complex but totally believable. The prose is entrancing and the atmosphere created is sensual, intense and beguiling.

My House is Falling Down is extraordinary. It is uncompromising, raw, honest, brutal even, and so, so beautifully written. I didn't want it to end.

[Phoebs · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was written beautifully, but was a bit pretentious in parts. I loved it at first and thought the exploration of the complexities of her 2 relationships interesting.
However, this got tedious. hated the ending - I can’t believe after essentially reading 200 pages of a monologue of Lucy contemplating her morals, choices and life, NOTHING HAPPENED.

[Miki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. A story about an affair, which tried to be unconventional, but to me, had a very conventional ending. This book tried hard, was well-written and therefore readable, but didn't have much of a story. An OK read if you need something to pass the time.

[Genevieve Helene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complex, taut depiction of the angst caused by an affair. The main protagonist finds herself uncontrollably drawn to an older man whilst still loving her husband. She is honest with both men as she navigates her desires. An enjoyable and immersive read.

[Lisa S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, very tautly written, but gripping.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in one sitting, thoroughly enjoyed but thought it was building up to a much more tragic ending.

[Blue Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wife Lucy is incredibly selfish and cruel to her husband, risks breaking up the family of her young children to have an affair with another man.

"She's so brave to explore her feelings". Brave my ass, as soon as her husband Mark finally lays down the law, she drops her boyfriend like a hot potato. "Consequences? Oh no! I might suffer some, I might lose my family!"

Lucy's a bloody mess. Afterwards we get a hint from her why she did it, she tells her husband "I just don't feel like I measure up to you". And her husband's opinion "All the attention you soaked up from your boyfriend... you didn't need a lover, you needed a parent".

As is almost always the case in cheating wife stories written by women, the husband's a doormat, and would never think of finding a girlfriend for himself or divorcing his horrible wife. No, see his role in these stories is to be the breadwinner, to be faithful to his wife, and to provide a soft landing for the cheating heroine.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after seeing some really good discussions about it on Twitter & I wasn’t disappointed.

Lucy begins an affair but she tells her husband because she doesn’t want to deceive him. It’s an unusual concept but it works. The book is a fascinating take on relationships, not just with partners, but with parents, friends & siblings, and how our relationships with others mould the type of people that we are.

This is the first book of Mary’s that I’ve read but I will definitely read more, she is a fantastic writer.

[LadyH39 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely looooved this book!! The writing is just beautiful, the story compelling, thought provoking and addictive. I was glued to this simple yet complex story …

Second review after re-read

I loved every page, again. The writing breathtaking and the story so heartbreaking and moving. I loved it so much the first time that I just set for book club. I never read a book twice, so it really does show how much I adore this book. Really complex emotions to stop and think about. I will def read this again at some point...