What do you think?
Rate this book
Freefall
Book by Canfield, Oran
336 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2009
3 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 27, 2016
This is a book I just had to review, having suffered a break down, clinical depression, and recovering myself from a drink problem. I have read quite a few self help books, but this topped the lot of them forget the self help books read this instead. Despite being set on the other side of the world, there was so much I could relate to. The way are own personal demons, and seemingly irresolvable problems stunt are creativity, productiveness and relationships. The denial the seemingly helplessness's one feels. The self loathing and criticism; it's all there but its real, its down to earth you can relate to it all.
Oran has written it in such a way, that at no point do you feel like the truth is being bent, or he is trying to over dramatize anything. He's just saying it how it is, without any glorification. I read this book at just the right time in my life to have a massive impact on me I could not put it down, I read it on the sly in work, in the doctor's waiting room. I was genuinely gutted when it ended; I had not felt like that about many books I've read. His descriptions of how he got hooked on dope was so easy to relate to, you don't have to have been a heroin addict to understand that, you could draw parallels to your first cigarette, and how you might of got hooked on nicotine. It was that well written.
It’s the sheer humility with which Oran writes this that makes it such a good read, he's a literal genius without realizing it, and it shows throughout the whole story. I've read many autobiographies and memoirs expecting so much from people you would think have lived exciting lives, hoping desperately that you would learn something from them only to be disappointed. There were no disappointments here. The book is full of experiences and false starts, bad influences starting with his child hood through to the present, until he reaches a place where there are no revelations, just a bit of less harmful self acceptance, and this book which I think anyone and everyone should read. He does not show off or try to big up his time in the circus, his juggling skills, his various bands, and eccentric friends or acquaintances they are just part of the journey without any pretentious drivel just good honest narratives. blended with his own emotional responses to the parts of his life he is describing.
There are so many books out there which are merely self indulgent intellectual word porn written by supposedly intellectual novelists who have nothing to say, or believe they have everything to say, nothing more than flowery books with no meat to them, and then there is Oran Canfield, and this piece of genius.
Oran has written it in such a way, that at no point do you feel like the truth is being bent, or he is trying to over dramatize anything. He's just saying it how it is, without any glorification. I read this book at just the right time in my life to have a massive impact on me I could not put it down, I read it on the sly in work, in the doctor's waiting room. I was genuinely gutted when it ended; I had not felt like that about many books I've read. His descriptions of how he got hooked on dope was so easy to relate to, you don't have to have been a heroin addict to understand that, you could draw parallels to your first cigarette, and how you might of got hooked on nicotine. It was that well written.
It’s the sheer humility with which Oran writes this that makes it such a good read, he's a literal genius without realizing it, and it shows throughout the whole story. I've read many autobiographies and memoirs expecting so much from people you would think have lived exciting lives, hoping desperately that you would learn something from them only to be disappointed. There were no disappointments here. The book is full of experiences and false starts, bad influences starting with his child hood through to the present, until he reaches a place where there are no revelations, just a bit of less harmful self acceptance, and this book which I think anyone and everyone should read. He does not show off or try to big up his time in the circus, his juggling skills, his various bands, and eccentric friends or acquaintances they are just part of the journey without any pretentious drivel just good honest narratives. blended with his own emotional responses to the parts of his life he is describing.
There are so many books out there which are merely self indulgent intellectual word porn written by supposedly intellectual novelists who have nothing to say, or believe they have everything to say, nothing more than flowery books with no meat to them, and then there is Oran Canfield, and this piece of genius.
February 19, 2015
I want to read this book again and I've only just finished it. So much of what he said I could relate to:
- the 1990s bands (I discovered Neurosis in 1993)
- the California setting (I've driven through Oxnard and there really does seem to be little there apart from second-hand shops)
- his dislike for On the Road (I had just got it out of the library then read reviews on Goodreads and took it back unread)
- the way he can't relate to the opposite sex when he was younger
- his kooky family (I won't go there)
- and more.
It was humorous, even when it was excruciating, embarrassing or sad. He went right in there with all his experiences and didn't claim to be anything other than a young guy with a pretty crazy upbringing. As opposed to another memoir I read recently, Oran seems quite humble and unpretentious.
- the 1990s bands (I discovered Neurosis in 1993)
- the California setting (I've driven through Oxnard and there really does seem to be little there apart from second-hand shops)
- his dislike for On the Road (I had just got it out of the library then read reviews on Goodreads and took it back unread)
- the way he can't relate to the opposite sex when he was younger
- his kooky family (I won't go there)
- and more.
It was humorous, even when it was excruciating, embarrassing or sad. He went right in there with all his experiences and didn't claim to be anything other than a young guy with a pretty crazy upbringing. As opposed to another memoir I read recently, Oran seems quite humble and unpretentious.
Read
April 23, 2020The story of the fairly weird upbringing of Oran Canfield - the son of Jack Canfield ( writer of the Chicken Soup books). He was ' brought up by a community of weird therapists, early self-help freaks and drug-experimenting hippies' not to mention the travelling circus run by Wavy Gravy. Not a dull moment throughout the book
March 3, 2022
I wanted something light and fun to read and...this was not it. This is an easy read, with a compelling narrative structure. However, the story itself is bloody harrowing, in complete juxtaposition to the breezy writing style. It worked, I couldn't put this down, and read it in a matter of hours. Would recommend, but not if you have just finished watching episode 5, season 2 of Euphoria.
March 5, 2025
Honestly I didn't expect this to be as interesting as it was. Not a completely gripping page turner, but I did find myself intruiged and drawn back in time and time again which is always a sign of a good book. Ultimately I found the addiction narrative oddly relatable (don't worry, not in a heroin sense) and I just honestly enjoyed reading some real life chaos. Worth a read, I reckon!
August 4, 2024
pretty good! i enjoyed reading his story as an adult more than i enjoyed the childhood stories
February 22, 2025
I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book but I found it genuine and light hearted. Oran is honest and witty and I laughed out loud at times.
August 15, 2014
This book is incredible. Read it.
October 2, 2015
Really interesting and also quite relatable. Life changing even.
May 16, 2015
A heartwarming/heartwrenching book showing me a journey into a world that was amazing and painful.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews