The Law of Falling Bodies

by Jill Ciment

Gloria, a modern "snake-oil" saleswoman, travels from town to town with her teenaged daughter, Kim, but her life abruptly changes when Kim falls in love with Arthur, a gentle widower, thirty years her senior

191 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Jill Ciment was born in Montreal, Canada. She is the author of Small Claims, a collection of short stories and novellas; The Law of Falling Bodies, Teeth of the Dog, The Tattoo Artist, and Heroic Measures, novels; and Half a Life, a memoir. She has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts, a NEA Japan Fellowship Prize, two New York State Fellowships for the Arts, the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Ciment is a professor at the University of Florida. She lives with her husband, Arnold Mesches, in Gainesville, Florida and Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Colton Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this weird, unassuming, little book how I feel it was intended to be consumed: in dribs and drabs over the course of several weeks, reading a chapter every night or so before falling asleep. In doing so, it dug itself into my skin in a remarkable way, making me feel like I lived the past three weeks alongside these strange, memorable characters.

It’s difficult to say which I appreciated more here: the straightforward (but somehow lyrical) prose or the masterful character work on display. The three main characters are people who live on the fringes of existence, people that you would see in a grocery store when you have to stop by and pick something up on your way home from work. They live on the outskirts of normal life both in terms of geography and decorum, but they are also so incredibly relatable that I see parts of myself in all of them.

There is very little plot to speak of, but no matter: the growth (or, in at least one case, the lack thereof) of these characters feels so lived-in and well-earned that what’s happening internally takes precedence over the external factors surrounding them.

Truly great work for Ciment’s first novel; only reserving a five-star rating because I know she has even better work to come.

[Mary]

I may have to travel to Florida to pick up this title. I am ready to make that sacrifice!

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I began with this author with her novel "Heroic Measures" and liked it enough that I have now bought two more of her books but neither this one or the one before are as good as the first one so I think that is the end of this author for me.
This novel just did not do a thing for me. I finished it and it was short-that's the best I can say about it. I just didn't relate at all.

[Rylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. I didn’t live it, but I didn’t hate it. I gave another book by this author 5 stars and after looking at all her books i found that a couple more caught my eye. This was one of them.

I find myself just a little bit disappointed, but ultimately not mad I read it. I can’t even pinpoint what didn’t quite land with me, but I will still be giving this author another try.