The Fall

by Simon Mawer

Rob and Jamie are great friends from childhood. They have grown up together and become top climbers, but have since become estranged. Rob is nevertheless amazed and grief-stricken when he hears of Jamie's death after a fall on a relatively easy Welsh rockface. The past, though, hides the secret clues behind the tragedy. Layer by layer Simon Mawer peels back what happened, going not only into the friends' childhoods but that of their parents - who were also intimate. And there is no escaping that past - vividly imagined scenes in the London of the Blitz reveal how through two generations Rob and Jamie and their respective parents have been addicted - to desire and the heady dangers of climbing. Brilliantly structured as we move from past to present and back again, this novel will make Simon Mawer's literary reputation.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical, Book Club, Climbing, Drama, Historical Fiction

442 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Simon Mawer was a British author who lived in Italy.

Reviews

[Lars Jerlach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally wise and well crafted, this beautiful and sorrow filled story of personal as well as physical struggles on the ever present mountain slopes, tracks two generations of intermingled love affairs.
The novel begins with the dramatic event of its title, with a famed and accomplished middle-aged mountain climber, falling from a Welsh cliff. (A route he should have never been climbing by himself). He leaves behind a widow, a former, now estranged best friend and the baffling question of why he would be climbing such challenging route without ropes.
The question of whether the veteran climber has indeed orchestrated his ultimate fall is a question that carries through most of the narrative.
Mawer’s portrayal of the complex intricacies between the main characters overflow with unbelievable despair but also with a tremendous amount of exhilaration. Although there are moments where the novel is decelerated by the characters apparent indolence, Mawer manages to deliver a novel that is both energized and vertiginous and though some might find the mountain-climbing descriptions to occasionally overwhelm the narrative, I believe they generally help strengthen and push the novel to its inevitable conclusion.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story begins as 52-year-old Jamie Matthewson falls to his death on a solo climb better suited to a younger man. Rob Dewar, a long-ago friend and climbing partner, hears of the death and returns to Wales to offer condolences to Jamie's wife and mother. The death stirs up memories for Rob, and he begins telling the story of their boyhood and young adult friendship and climbing adventures. This story is interspersed with the story of their parents during World War II and how they all met and married. This book has everything in perfect measure---love, betrayal, death, humor, excitement, and perfectly timed secret revelations.

There's a line in the book where Rob is describing the essence of mountain climbing:

"You deliberately put yourself in an idiotic position, and then you work as fast and as efficiently as possible to get yourself out of it. You taunt danger and step aside."

When I ran across that line late in the book, I thought it perfectly described not just climbing, but the behavior of all the characters in the book as they do their little relationship dances and try to avoid being hurt or being found out.

This story is pieced together like a fine mosaic. You don't appreciate the true craftsmanship of the author until you've finished the book and can stand back and look at the completed picture and marvel at the way it was put together. So much care and subtlety went into its creation. I love the way Simon Mawer assumes intelligence and deep thought on the part of the reader. He tells you enough to make a great story without spelling out every detail. Some things you are left to ponder and draw your own conclusions. How much did Jamie know, and how much of his behavior over the years was influenced by that knowledge? And what would have happened if...?

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just the type of book I love- powerfully written historical/literary fiction with complex characters, depth, and powerful themes. I loved reading this book, but at times it made me deeply sad. I can't remember the last time I felt as sorry for a character as I do Jamie, so it was a difficult read.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literary fiction about rock climbers... I am poised to like this, but 20% of the way through it, I'm not sure if it lives up to the amazing Amazon reviews.

...

I stopped reading this. It just didn't seem like a great book, which mystifies me.

...

Okay, I just read some reviews. Maybe I need to pick this up again. I mean The Guardian, The Economist, and The Observer are way more sophisticated than I am...

...

Okay! I'm done, and I STAND by my original assessment. This book is crap! Sure, there is a love story at the heart of it, and everyone can cheer when the good girl gets the guy. Sure, the climbing scenes are... interesting and harrowing, although I would much rather read a well-written account of a real-life adventure (i.e. "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer"). And actually the writing is good -- I like Mawer's language, his prose. BUT what I missed in this book was an insightful exploration of human emotion and relationships. I have come to realize that THAT is what compels me to read a book... It's all about the characters... not how much I like them, not about their experiences specifically, but about probing their minds, understanding their relationships. And I felt that this was missing entirely from this book. The characters were largely types, and I never felt like I got under their surfaces in any meaningful way.

And the ending KILLED me with (a) its predictability and (b) it's cheesy twist. I mean, COME ON, can the big mystery secret really be revealed on literally the last page in a letter found on a dead man???

Sorry, Economist, but I respectfully disagree (with passion!) on this one.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another Simon Mawer masterpiece. From the opening in which a climber falls to his death til the end when we find out why, this is a gripping read. It's a love story and a rip-roaring adventure. I felt as if I'd climbed the Eiger with them!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel begins with a death that takes the narrator, Rob Dewar, back through time to uncover the enigma who was his friend and climbing partner, Jamie. It also cleverly weaves in the stories of Rob's and Jamie's mothers during WWII.

I know nothing of climbing, so the detailed descriptions of hanging off ledges and scrambling across rock faces to avoid becoming so much scree were fascinating. Mawer kept the technical jargon to a minimum and conveyed the addicting nature of defying death to excellent effect. You know from the very start who lives and who dies, yet somehow you are caught up in the white-knuckled grip of a climber's fear and passion.

Here's the thing that fell flat for me (if you'll pardon the pun)- and you may want to stop reading here if you fear a SPOILER: I wanted to know more about Jamie and Rob- there was a critical element of their relationship that went missing when Ruth entered the picture. The love triangle muddled what was developing between the two of them. I thought it would have been far more interesting and revelatory if the plot had remained centered on the two men and their climbing. The climbing was enough of a character - enough of a passion- it WAS the third element. No need for a human love interest. Ruth just got in the way.

I thought the sections taking the reader back to WWII and the development of the world that Rob and Jamie entered years later was brilliantly and believably played.

All in all this was such an original and well-crafted story. I will definitely seek out more Mawer!


I really enjoyed this, but as per usual, it's going to take me a couple of days to reflect before I write. I can't decide if it's 3.5 stars (a demotion from 4 for the bits that annoyed) or to leave it at 4 for originality, great storytelling and the desire to make Wales my next vacation destination...

[Zuzana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Velmi dobře vystavěný příběh se zajímavým dějem, který má spád a dobře se čte. Obdivuji Mawerovi vypravěčské schopnosti a zároveň neutralitu, se kterou vše popisuje, a nechává tak na čtenáři, ať si udělá názor sám. Ač nejsem fanda příběhů z oblasti sportu a o horolezectví nic nevím, tenhle mě velmi bavil. Postavy mají hlubokou psychologii, jsou uvěřitelné a chovají se celkem logicky.

[Catherine Davison · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read though there were moments towards the end which felt a tad mawkish. There were terrific descriptions of mountain climbing, especially the parts set on the North Face of the Eiger. It’s a good story well told though I’m a bit embarrassed to think I’ve just read a book about what is essentially a forty year romance, not usually my genre.

[Sophia :)) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmm… 3.75 I think

The climbing the eiger chapter was the best one in the book by far. If I felt that way about the whole book it would be an easy 5 stars. As it was, there were some parts I didn’t really know what to make of.

Can’t wait to hear what james thinks

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book searching for WWII fiction and was immediately attracted because of the reviews. I don't like to get carried away with book reviews but will say that if I've truly enjoyed a book, I miss the story and its characters once I've finished, and that is the case with this one. It's a curious mix of perspectives, jumps in time, fascinating mountain climbing detail, and love story -- and it's beautifully written. The descriptive passages of the countryside in Wales, the ruined streets of London during The Blitz, and the faces of mountains climbed are remarkable. I hadn't heard of Simon Mawer before this, but expect to read another of his books soon.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find books of this quality all too rare. Usually there are many good ideas and well presented ideas but then a denouement that leaves me flat. The Fall has an intriguing story, likable characters in interesting situations, and a fine ending twist (that isn't totally unexpected, though).
If it seems all too convenient how characters meet in the past, I would bear in mind that there is truly no other way: Wherever you are is where and when you meet people. Your future grows out of that.

I highly recommend this book!

[Giedre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had had this book in my to-read list for quite a few years, until I finally decided to buy it this summer. It took me some more months to finally pick it up, and now that I’ve finished it, I can’t stop wondering why it took me so long. Mawer has certainly become one of my biggest discoveries of the year.
I must admit that one of the main themes of the book - mountain climbing - was the reason why I was reluctant to take the plunge. (I love hiking, but the sole thought of climbing can give me nightmares!) Although climbing is the leitmotiv in the book, I was drawn to it because of the promise of complex, three-dimensional characters and my interest in its historical setup during London Blitz. To my big surprise, I was as engrossed in the climbing scenes as I was in the inextricable drama among the characters that extended beyond the limits of a single generation.
Mawer has found a perfect balance between poetical and accurate, and more than once I found myself rereading entire paragraphs because I felt the need to experience their arresting beauty over again. Both the characters and the story managed to surprise me every time I was sure I knew where the author was taking me, and I could not but enjoy the well-researched historical setup.
No doubt I’ll be coming back for more of Mawer’s books.

[Roger Brunyate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peak Experience

Magnificent! I got to know Simon Mawer's work through his 2009 Man Booker nomination, The Glass Room, which slightly disappointed me. But this 2003 novel is a different matter altogether, succeeding simultaneously as a romance, a war novel, an intergenerational saga, and quite the best book about mountain climbing that I have ever read.

The novel opens with a climber falling from an exposed face in Snowdonia, North Wales. It grabbed me immediately, for a personal reason. Virtually every mountain in Britain or the Alps that Mawer describes I have either climbed on or hiked around; there is a situation halfway through the book where one climber freezes on a difficult pitch and his second has to take over the lead; I have been in precisely the same situation, on what may well be the very same climb. My associations are of course irrelevant to the average reader, but they convince me that Mawer knows his stuff. Because I recognize the meticulous detail with which he describes the act of climbing itself, because I once knew the mixture of exhilaration and terror that he conjures as the lure of this dangerous sport, I trust him totally when he goes places where I would never dare. For example, the terrifying off-season ascent of the North Wall of the Eiger which forms the high point of the book (yet without any of the melodramatic excess found, say, in a book like the once-popular Eiger Sanction by Trevanian). I am also convinced that Mawer can draw non-climbing readers just as effectively into his spell; good writers who have true knowledge of their material can captivate anyone.

The falling climber is Jim Matthewson, by then almost a household name in Britain. Robert Dewar, his former climbing partner, long since retired, drives to Wales to offer condolences to Matthewson's widow and his mother. From there, we are drawn backwards into two sets of relationships: one concerns Jim and Robert as young men, and their friendships with the women they eventually marry; the other focuses on their respective mothers, both of whom knew Jim's father, Guy, another famous mountaineer in his day. The mothers' story takes us back to 1940, and the chapters set in the London Blitz are as fine as Sarah Waters' The Night Watch, another magnificent romance that unfolds backwards in time. Mawer's gift for capturing the flavor of those wartime passions and his understanding of how the actions of one generation can affect the lives of the next put me in mind of another favorite author, Penelope Lively, in such books as Moon Tiger and Consequences. I intend these comparisons as high praise.

The Glass Room traced the history of a major icon of European architecture through some of the most tumultuous decades of the last century, but it suffered from too much reliance on sex as punctuation for the unfolding story. For a while, I feared that Mawer might do this here too. But then I realized that, with the emphasis on mountaineering, he doesn't need to; the various climbs take their place as the perfect articulating moments in the drama—intense, visceral things that (unlike sex) can be described objectively without losing the deep emotional connections that run through them. Physical love plays a part in this story too, but it is always central to the development of the characters, and never a titillation. The Fall is a tighter, more controlled novel than The Glass Room; by setting his sights on a lower peak, Mawer succeeds in climbing even higher.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have great admiration for Simon Mawer and enjoyed and thought highly of this novel when I read it originally and while my admiration persists it is now somewhat dimmed. I have reservations which force me to give this novel only three stars.

This is a beautifully constructed novel of manners, social class and questions of duty, happiness, truth, etc. all played out against, amongst other things, London and Britain during WWII. The lives of the main characters are examined wonderfully. But one very brief line, thrown out nearly on the very last page makes you wonder if there is not a whole different novel and perspective to the one we've been presented with. It doesn't nullify what we have read but it left me feeling, not cheated, but disappointed. Of course in real life it is not unusual, indeed it is probably normal, to find out things about people or understand things about them only when it is too late. But a novelist's job is to craft reality and Mawer, until his last minute bombshell, does that exceptionally well with the complex and messy reality of his characters lives. Then he drops this bombshell and we are left feeling there is a hole in the story or even a whole different story to tell.

I am being opaque because I don't believe in revealing plot twists and dislike the 'spoilers' feature on GR because recapping a novel's plot is a lazy way of writing a review.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

" Many relationships survive sewn together with tacit complicity and mutual deception. It's the cold light of discovery that is so dangerous so it's better to live with the lies " And so they do. We learn that "Ruth has always liked a bit more than she is entitled to," and so we follow our characters through their formative murky sexual awakenings into the confusion of adulthood trysts, romance and betrayal.

A fascinating story that keeps the reader engaged throughout. An intricately drawn weave of attraction and intimacy leaves relationships vulnerable and the main characters insecure and behaving spitefully and deceitfully, as they cross boundaries in their personal journeys being true to themselves, and trying to assert control over one another.

I am particularly drawn to the author's ability to transport his readers to the bombed streets of East London scrabbling through the rubble alongside firemen nurses and doctors in the Blitz, or the north face of the Eiger hiding precipitously in a narrow gully as an avalanche descends, or the White Horse on Theobalds Road where fellow climbers gather to spin yarns and shoot the breeze.

After 'Trapeze' and now 'The Fall' I have enjoyed discovering Simon Mawer and will certainly be reading more of his 'back catalogue.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

We humans fall: we fall in love with other people (in this novel often in triangles and often (objectively) inappropriately); in love (and become obsessed with) and activity such as climbing; we fall off the side of a mountain; we fall in our failure to achieve satisfaction in our lives. Of course this all started with the serpent in the Garden.... The writing was excellent, the characters were real and the climbing scenes where both beautiful and terrifying. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend once described a complicated relationship she was having as "a plate of spaghetti." That's how I saw this story with all of its tangled characters and cross-storylines. Although not necessarily distracting, I did find some of the inter-relationships to be a bit tedious at times (I never knew quite what to make of Eve, for example). The real story here, of course, is the one between Jamie and Rob, and my only disappointment is that it was never fully developed. On the whole, however, a very engrossing read.

[Barbora Bo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Po prvej kapitole som mala chuť túto knihu odložiť. Kým v Sklenenej izbe ukázal Mawer, ako vie dobre písať, tak toto bola pre mňa neuveriteľná blbosť.

Akože love story na pozadí vojny. Ale chvíľami rozmýšľate, či už tých sexuálnych úchylok tam nie je príliš veľa...plus ploché postavy bez emócií, predvídatelný koniec. A taký lacný koniec, meh lebo to, čo vy tušíte od začiatku, sa hlavná postava dozvie z listu, ktorý nájdu po mŕtvom otcovi. Seriously? 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The climbing here is impressively compelling—the Eiger fills about ten pages with a blow-by-blow account of a very technical ascent without getting boring—but the relationships, which Mawer clearly thinks are the heart of the book, seriously flag. Every twist and turn was appallingly predictable. Nonetheless, Mawer's raw authorial skill makes it an enjoyable read despite the inane narrative, and gets you itching to climb something.

[Ruth Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insight into the world of mountain climbing, and it's also a great window into couple of different eras. I loved it.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God, loved it! Some of the climbing parts were a bit tedious, but what a great story!

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1...

I enjoyed this book about falling & climbing & love. It is well-written, indeed quite beautifully in places, & also remarkably easy to read - I read most of it in one sitting. I do feel so sad for Jamie, & all those lives lived at crossed purposes. I had a very good idea throughout the book what was humming along under all these relationships, so I wasn't surprised, more pleased to have been on the right track, which enhanced my enjoyment of the tale more than anything.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few weeks ago, I heard a story on the radio about a man who deliberately killed himself by climbing to the top of his favorite New England peak, sitting down, and letting himself die of hypothermia. This radio story was always at the back of my mind during my reading of The Fall, by Simon Mawer. Two significant supporting characters in Mr. Mawer's book also died while mountain-climbing, in circumstances that made me question -- throughout the entire fairly suspenseful book, up until the very last page -- whether they, too, had decided to allow gravity or the elements to end their lives, just as surely as if they had chosen to shoot themselves with a gun.

Mr. Mawer's book is very good, and I loved reading it. The significant supporting characters (besides the two mentioned above, there are at least four more) are as interesting and complex as the main character, a man named Robert Dewar. The plot -- told mostly in a series of flashbacks, concerning different sets of characters at different points in time -- while initially confusing, eventually twines itself round into an orderly history of Robert's life. There are parallel couplings and uncouplings and moments where history repeats itself. Hanging over it all is the title, "The Fall," with its biblical meaning assuming as great an importance in the story as several characters' physical falls off mountainsides.

And the question of the significant supporting characters' possible suicides is resolved, on the last page, in a fashion that finally completes Mr. Mawer's portrait not just of Robert, but of all his characters. Very well done.

[Sasa Petrasova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon Mawer zas raz nesklamal. Krásne napísaná a skvele preložená kniha, ktorá funguje na mnohých rovinách.
Prvou je samozrejme láska, v tomto prípade ľúbostný trojuholník, o ktorom ale nie všetci zúčastnení vedia, že je trojhulníkom; dve kamarátky, ktoré sa zaľúbia do toho istého muža, ale vlastne nie sú sokyne a obdivná láska mladého muža k staršej žene. It's complicated.
Na to, koľko málo je v knihe postáv, je tu neuveriteľné množstvo vzťahov - priateľských, rodičovských, mileneckých, súperských, nenaplnených, premeškaných. Je to príbeh, ktorý sa od prvých stránok ponúka na film, svojou dramatickou zápletkou, ale aj krásnou scenériou hôr a horoloezectva, ktoré je vášňou a poslaním hlavných postáv.
Mawer rovnako napínavo opisuje dramatický výstup na Eiger ako bombardovanie Londýna počas druhej svetovej vojny a stálym striedaním časových rovín medzi dvoma generáciami vytvára úžasné napätie v deji.

[lixy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent novel that I picked up because I've enjoyed this author's books before; it turns out it's quite a bit about climbing. It centers around the complex and emotional relationship between climbing partners, and the precipitating events in the novel involve climbing. The plot will certainly be involving for non-climber readers, as well. Apparently the author used to climb quite seriously, and this book has some good descriptions of the some of the craziness and obsession that I've noticed among men who climb (as well as vivid descriptions of the Eiger Nordwand and other real climbs). For me, the book was unputdownable: I started it last night, read til 3:30am, slept for a few hours, woke up and picked it up again, finishing by noon the next day.

[Cindy Frewen Wuellner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange twisted tale of two generations wickedly intertwined. Mountain climbing lends risky tension and technical detail - and oh yeah, the metaphoric title. I was thoroughly involved and yet am not sure I really liked any of the characters that well. It left me... glad to have read it, glad it was over. The story bounced between two time periods; I liked the WWII story better, a love story. What was falling? a man, a boy, a love affair, a family. well done, a superior story.

yes, one of these days I will read something wimpy, a 2, 3, or 4 star monster, one that I won't finish. But Goodreads and Amazon are a bit like having a red carpet stylist - you just don't make as many huge mistakes.

[Donalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel moves between two stories -- one, the story of two women and their friendship during WW@, the other the story of their sons' decades long friendship as mountain climbers. As the story begins, one of the men in present time has fallen while climbing in Wales. The other hears the news on the radio and immediately is drawn into memories. Eventually, we learn the reasons for their fast friendship and the coolness of their mothers toward each other and the other's son. This is a novel of the obstacles of climbing that parallel the obstacles of relationships. A good read with lots of interesting info about mountain climbing and London in the War, beautidul descriptions of Wales and Scotland, and insight into human failings and frailties.

[Tereza Eliášová · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tuhle knížku jsem dočetla před pár dny, takže moje hodnocení už je trošku s odstupem. Líbila se mi moc, ale musím uznat, že pro mě měla i spoustu hluchých míst. Hodně z ní kouká autorova nadšenost pro horolezectví a vůbec znalost všech věcí okolo, což jistě po horách lezoucí čtenáři velmi ocení. Na mě tam bylo těchhle detailů a popisů zbytečně moc, v některých pasážích příliš zpomalovaly děj a přiznávám, že mě vlastně nebavily. A už chápu, proč je ta kniha tak tlustá...
V jiném ohledu je to klasická Mawerova kniha s výborným příběhem přesahujícím několik generací a propleteným takovým způsobem, až vám budou oči přecházet. Přesto je to z mého pohledu zatím nejslabší kniha tohohle autora. Nicméně nenechám se odradit a těším se na další :)

[Fred Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked another Mawer book, the Glass Room, quite a bit so I tried another book from him. The Fall is almost as good, it's similar in that in covers several generations, intermixed in the writing. The Glass Room had a house as a major character, so there was a lot about architecture in the book. Likewise, The Fall has mountains, esp. the Eiger, as a major character. I like both architecture and climbing, so that works out for me, but may not for others. Mawer is a great story teller and the complexities of his characters, all whom have some major flaws, makes the stories page turners.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the way Simon Mawer writes. I loved Mawer's newest book, The Glass Room, and so I wanted to go back to read earlier books written by him. To be able to be transported into a novel set in a milieu in which I have no knowledge or interest (mountain climbing) and make it breathtaking is a gift from a skilled writer. I have read so many books where I skim through page after page of boring and gratuitous information just to get to the story, but not here.