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Falling Angels
A comedy of suburban family life in the swinging 60s. The author creates a world that is both bizarre and familiar and in which three sisters, fuelled by terror and love, harbour a dark secret of a missing fourth child, and grapple with their traumatic and hilarious family skeletons.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
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551 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Gowdy
24 books244 followersBarbara Gowdy is the author of seven books, including Helpless, The Romantic, The White Bone, Mister Sandman, We So Seldom Look on Love and Falling Angels, all of which have met with widespread international acclaim. A three-time finalist for The Governor General’s Award, two-time finalist for The Scotia Bank Giller Prize, The Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, winner of the Marian Engel Award and The Trillium Book Prize, Gowdy has been longlisted for The Man Booker Prize. She has been called “a miraculous writer” by the Chicago Tribune, and in 2005 Harper’s magazine described her as a “terrific literary realist” who has “refused to subscribe to worn-out techniques and storytelling methods.” Born in Windsor, Ontario, she lives in Toronto.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
May 9, 2013
Kanadska, nagrađivana autorka... Već sam pisala o predivnoj kanadskoj književnosti... A Branini prevodi su izvrsni i pravo uživanje za svakog ljubitelja dobre knjige... :)
September 1, 2009
A fine example of seventies suburban grotesque, despite being set in the sixties and published in the eighties. Funny, stark, emotionally resonant, honest, sometimes surprising. Gowdy has a real grip on how kids/people do their best to normalize what isn't. Even if the kids feel like they're freaks and must keep the family secrets, it's all just the way things are to them, and they take bizarre behaviors in stride, because it's family. Sort of how we all are, of course.
She's very good, I'll read more of her.
She's very good, I'll read more of her.
February 6, 2019
Falling Angels was a disappointment—I realized after about 60 pages I had no real interest in the story or characters, all of whom came across like twentieth-century retreads of Edwardian stereotypes.
November 6, 2013
The year is 1969, and somewhere in an Ontario suburb, the Field family's fragile domestic peace is slowly coming to an end. The three Field sisters - Norma, Lou and Sandy - are each just trying to find their own place within their very eccentric, often miserable, sometimes hilarious family. However, the looming shadow over all of their lives is the tragically suspicious death of the family's first-born son - a secret which is never spoken of, but is nonetheless pervasive.
The Field household is ruled by Jim Field - a philandering, heavy-drinking used car salesman - who is keen on the militaristic discipline of his children, and on keeping up appearances for the neighbors. Despite his poor treatment of his wife, he is still oddly protective of her, insisting that his daughters watch her all the time.
His severely depressed wife Mary - a one-time dancer - has escaped into apathy and alcoholism a long time ago. Whenever her coffee cup is empty, her daughters rush to fill it with whiskey, for they realize she is living precariously in the wake of what happened to her baby son.
Each of the teenage daughters has her own way of coping with her dysfunctional family. They try to make their own experiences while struggling with their family duties and concern for their mother. The eldest daughter Norma is the most responsible member of the family; quiet, subdued and selfless, she overburdens herself with domestic tasks and responsibilities, patiently putting up with her father's antics. She is also the only one intent on keeping the memory of her brother bright, determined to discover the secrets surrounding his death.
The middle daughter Lou is the polar opposite of Norma. Lou fights for her autonomy within the family. She is the tough-talking, rebellious wild child; standing up to her father and loving her mother, even as she despises Mary's weaknesses.
The youngest daughter Sandy is not as responsible as Norma, nor as rebellious as Lou. Sweet-looking Sandy devotes herself to becoming a perfect woman; with her own naive sense of femininity and sexuality.
Each sister goes through her own rite of passage. They turn to drugs, sex, and schmaltzy fantasy - but repeatedly to one another. And, even after her death, the sisters still turn to their mother, and to the unusual love they discover their father still holds for her.
I must say that while this book dealt with some seriously dark issues, I found that there was a thread of humor running throughout the story that I could totally appreciate. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - the story was well-written, easy to follow and the characters were sympathetically drawn. I give this book an A+! and look forward to perhaps reading more from Barbara Gowdy in the future.
The Field household is ruled by Jim Field - a philandering, heavy-drinking used car salesman - who is keen on the militaristic discipline of his children, and on keeping up appearances for the neighbors. Despite his poor treatment of his wife, he is still oddly protective of her, insisting that his daughters watch her all the time.
His severely depressed wife Mary - a one-time dancer - has escaped into apathy and alcoholism a long time ago. Whenever her coffee cup is empty, her daughters rush to fill it with whiskey, for they realize she is living precariously in the wake of what happened to her baby son.
Each of the teenage daughters has her own way of coping with her dysfunctional family. They try to make their own experiences while struggling with their family duties and concern for their mother. The eldest daughter Norma is the most responsible member of the family; quiet, subdued and selfless, she overburdens herself with domestic tasks and responsibilities, patiently putting up with her father's antics. She is also the only one intent on keeping the memory of her brother bright, determined to discover the secrets surrounding his death.
The middle daughter Lou is the polar opposite of Norma. Lou fights for her autonomy within the family. She is the tough-talking, rebellious wild child; standing up to her father and loving her mother, even as she despises Mary's weaknesses.
The youngest daughter Sandy is not as responsible as Norma, nor as rebellious as Lou. Sweet-looking Sandy devotes herself to becoming a perfect woman; with her own naive sense of femininity and sexuality.
Each sister goes through her own rite of passage. They turn to drugs, sex, and schmaltzy fantasy - but repeatedly to one another. And, even after her death, the sisters still turn to their mother, and to the unusual love they discover their father still holds for her.
I must say that while this book dealt with some seriously dark issues, I found that there was a thread of humor running throughout the story that I could totally appreciate. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - the story was well-written, easy to follow and the characters were sympathetically drawn. I give this book an A+! and look forward to perhaps reading more from Barbara Gowdy in the future.
December 6, 2020
Beautifully written - no less than I’d expect from Barbara Gowdy. Took me a while to finish, but only because I started this right after reading Educated and wasn’t feeling ready for another story about an abusive, mentally unstable father so soon after the last one.
Once I came back to it, it only took a matter of days to tear through it.
Some of the language feels dated, especially the pejorative words Gowdy chooses to have her characters use, and it felt unnecessary, and uncomfortable because of that. I’m all for using difficult language to make the reader uncomfortable in service of pushing them to challenge their beliefs of feelings, or to expose them to new ideas or contexts, but this seemed more in service of setting the time of the story as “old” than anything else, which wasn’t as compelling.
All that said, I’d definitely recommend this book!
Once I came back to it, it only took a matter of days to tear through it.
Some of the language feels dated, especially the pejorative words Gowdy chooses to have her characters use, and it felt unnecessary, and uncomfortable because of that. I’m all for using difficult language to make the reader uncomfortable in service of pushing them to challenge their beliefs of feelings, or to expose them to new ideas or contexts, but this seemed more in service of setting the time of the story as “old” than anything else, which wasn’t as compelling.
All that said, I’d definitely recommend this book!
December 12, 2021
Dysfunctional family alert! File with The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. 3 girls try to come to terms with their mother's dark secret in this coming of age story. Gowdy is fairly unrelenting in her portrayal of the neglect and abuse the family suffer from their father who is beset by alcoholism and depression and general inability to stop the family circle from breaking apart. The girls show remarkable resilience in navigating the shifting sands and wobbly foundation provided by both parents. Since it was written in 1989 the novel has some pretty politically incorrect language which can't help but be jarring to modern sensibilities and one storyline which Gowdy manages to drop like a hot potato and leave completely unresolved but hey for a traumatic family drama it mostly works.
November 13, 2015
Kanada, Anfang der 60er Jahre: Die drei Schwestern Lou, Norma und Sandy wirken gemeinsam mit ihren Eltern wie eine normale Familie. Doch normal geht anders. Irgendein Geschehnis in der Vergangenheit führte dazu, dass die Mutter jetzt fast ausschließlich Whisky trinkt und ihre Tage schweigend im Bett oder auf der Couch vor dem Fernseher verbringt. Auch der Vater trinkt und je nach Stimmung schlägt er zu - lediglich seine Frau und Sandy verschont er, vermutlich weil letztere ein Ebenbild ihrer Mutter ist. In den Sommerferien sperrt er sich und die Familie im selbstgebauten Atombunker ein, den sie (selbst als sie kein Wasser mehr haben) nicht verlassen dürfen. Er ist ungerecht, gewalttätig und ein Despot, weshalb Lou ihn hasst, aber Norma ihn dennoch liebt. Die drei Mädchen sind so verschieden wie Schwestern nur sein können und jede reagiert auf ihre Art auf diese Form der Nicht-Erziehung. Lou ist rebellisch und kalt, Norma isst und isst und ist voller Liebe und Verständnis für alle, immer mit der Hoffnung etwas Liebe zu erhalten. Und Sandy, die Schöne, reagiert auf das stete Interesse an ihr mit sofortiger Zuwendung bzw. kann nicht 'Nein' sagen, was sie von Junge zu Junge und Mann zu Mann wandern lässt.
Beginnend mit dem Ende, erzählt das Buch über einen Zeitraum von 10 Jahren aus dieser Familie, immer einzelne Episoden aus einem Jahr, sodass man die Entwicklung der drei Schwestern nachverfolgen kann. Obwohl sie altersmäßig nah beieinander liegen und somit alle die gleiche Ausgangsposition hatten, driften ihre Lebenswege immer weiter auseinander. Jede flüchtet angesichts der Familienproblematik in ihre ganz eigene Welt und geht diesen einmal eingeschlagenen Weg weiter - dennoch halten sie zusammen.
Ich litt mit den Dreien und konnte ihr Verhalten gut nachvollziehen, wobei ich mich immer wieder fragte: Wieviele solcher Familien gibt es? An wievielen Häusern und Wohnungen bin ich schon vorbeigegangen, in denen das heile Familienbild nur Fassade ist? Der Autorin ist es sehr gut gelungen, nicht nur die Entwicklung der Schwestern zu beschreiben, sondern auch das Entsetzliche im ganz normalen Alltag darzustellen: Keine Monster, sondern 'lediglich' Menschen wie sie uns jeden Tag begegnen können.
Beginnend mit dem Ende, erzählt das Buch über einen Zeitraum von 10 Jahren aus dieser Familie, immer einzelne Episoden aus einem Jahr, sodass man die Entwicklung der drei Schwestern nachverfolgen kann. Obwohl sie altersmäßig nah beieinander liegen und somit alle die gleiche Ausgangsposition hatten, driften ihre Lebenswege immer weiter auseinander. Jede flüchtet angesichts der Familienproblematik in ihre ganz eigene Welt und geht diesen einmal eingeschlagenen Weg weiter - dennoch halten sie zusammen.
Ich litt mit den Dreien und konnte ihr Verhalten gut nachvollziehen, wobei ich mich immer wieder fragte: Wieviele solcher Familien gibt es? An wievielen Häusern und Wohnungen bin ich schon vorbeigegangen, in denen das heile Familienbild nur Fassade ist? Der Autorin ist es sehr gut gelungen, nicht nur die Entwicklung der Schwestern zu beschreiben, sondern auch das Entsetzliche im ganz normalen Alltag darzustellen: Keine Monster, sondern 'lediglich' Menschen wie sie uns jeden Tag begegnen können.
January 27, 2016
Falling Angels begins in 1969 with a trio of sisters driving their drunken father to the funeral of their mother. Then, jumping back eight years to the time when the sisters first learnt about a family tragedy that pre-dates their own births but informs them all, Gowdy takes us for a short, spiky romp through the collective childhood of the three as they mature to various versions of womanhood under the neglectful eye of dysfunctional parents.
Their mother had accidentally killed her first born, a son, by dropping (throwing?) him down Niagara Falls, and she spends all her time watching TV and getting slowly drunk on whiskey. Their father, a cars salesman and ex-military man, compensates for his wife's withdrawl by having various affairs and terrorizing his daughters
Norma is the eldest sister, overweight and serious by nature, taunted at school, she conjures up the spirit of her dead brother in order to hear a supportive voice inside her head; Lou is the middle sister, rebellious and profane, she "walks a fine line between insolence and the showdown" with her moody and abusive father; and Sandy is the youngest and prettiest, a "living doll" used to being indulged by all from an early age, later giving herself to various older men as a way to relive her childhood of being cradled in one male lap after another.
It's an episodic narrative of both shared and solitary experiences, a flip book of prosperous uncles, predatory males and first sexual experiences. One stand-out chapter detailed how a trip to Disneyland was shelved during the Cuban missile crisis, their the father instead building a bomb shelter, forcing the whole family spend two weeks locked in together, living with limited resources and under a military regime of timetabled daily activities (exercise, toilet times etc).
Despite the tragic elements, Gowdy doesn't linger on anything too long, but it's a no-less affecting read for the brevity.
Their mother had accidentally killed her first born, a son, by dropping (throwing?) him down Niagara Falls, and she spends all her time watching TV and getting slowly drunk on whiskey. Their father, a cars salesman and ex-military man, compensates for his wife's withdrawl by having various affairs and terrorizing his daughters
Norma is the eldest sister, overweight and serious by nature, taunted at school, she conjures up the spirit of her dead brother in order to hear a supportive voice inside her head; Lou is the middle sister, rebellious and profane, she "walks a fine line between insolence and the showdown" with her moody and abusive father; and Sandy is the youngest and prettiest, a "living doll" used to being indulged by all from an early age, later giving herself to various older men as a way to relive her childhood of being cradled in one male lap after another.
It's an episodic narrative of both shared and solitary experiences, a flip book of prosperous uncles, predatory males and first sexual experiences. One stand-out chapter detailed how a trip to Disneyland was shelved during the Cuban missile crisis, their the father instead building a bomb shelter, forcing the whole family spend two weeks locked in together, living with limited resources and under a military regime of timetabled daily activities (exercise, toilet times etc).
Despite the tragic elements, Gowdy doesn't linger on anything too long, but it's a no-less affecting read for the brevity.
March 14, 2011
Um well.. This book was really hard to read for me because some of the subject matter was really gross and mind you, I read Lolita without feeling this disturbed. I think it was because I wasn't really expecting all of the things this book contained and with Lolita, I was much more prepared for what was to come. Also, Lolita was more of a love story than this book will ever be. The tone of the book was quite dark throughout, with some sprinkling of humour here and there.
I have to commend the author's writing. Although the present tense of the book did get annoying to read, Barbara Gowdy is probably one of the best authors when it comes to creating three-dimensional characters. Her characters are all fascinating and completely flawed. One thing I loved was the fact that she let us discover facts about the characters through showing rather than telling, which is so much better than spooning every last bit of information to a reader. Lou is smart, cynically so, but Gowdy didn't tell us that; she showed us through Lou's descriptions and thought process. The same goes for Lou's anger issues and for Norma being a lesbian. Sandy's characterization was a little weaker, in my opinion, simply because it seemed too stereotypical.
This book also described childhood in a beautifully accurate way. Every family has its secrets, and as a child, you are often left in the dark about many of them because you apparently lack the maturity to handle it. Norma, Lou and Sandy discovering their family's big secret is key to the rest of the story as it chronicles how they handle it and how it affects them into their adulthood, and ultimately, what kind of people they become.
This is definitely a heavy book to read, and I wouldn't recommend it unless you enjoy that kind of stuff. I never cried throughout the book but it definitely left an uncomfortable feeling in my chest.
I have to commend the author's writing. Although the present tense of the book did get annoying to read, Barbara Gowdy is probably one of the best authors when it comes to creating three-dimensional characters. Her characters are all fascinating and completely flawed. One thing I loved was the fact that she let us discover facts about the characters through showing rather than telling, which is so much better than spooning every last bit of information to a reader. Lou is smart, cynically so, but Gowdy didn't tell us that; she showed us through Lou's descriptions and thought process. The same goes for Lou's anger issues and for Norma being a lesbian. Sandy's characterization was a little weaker, in my opinion, simply because it seemed too stereotypical.
This book also described childhood in a beautifully accurate way. Every family has its secrets, and as a child, you are often left in the dark about many of them because you apparently lack the maturity to handle it. Norma, Lou and Sandy discovering their family's big secret is key to the rest of the story as it chronicles how they handle it and how it affects them into their adulthood, and ultimately, what kind of people they become.
This is definitely a heavy book to read, and I wouldn't recommend it unless you enjoy that kind of stuff. I never cried throughout the book but it definitely left an uncomfortable feeling in my chest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2014
One of the most epically depressing novels I've read in some time. This is a meticulously constructed tale of a depressed & damaged family, consumed by their frailties, pain & anger. There is nothing wrong with delving into a depressing novel; the great David Adams Richards is a past master of such work. But "Falling Angels" is akin to watching a car accident unfold -- you are desperate to look away, but you can't stop turning the pages. Compelling and chilling, but it isn't a novel I'm likely to re-visit...it's simply too soul destroying.
July 31, 2013
Lou is one of my favourite characters. Ever. She's like a foul-mouthed, teen-aged, cold-war era Anne of Green Gables. The chapter set in the bomb shelter is a stand-out, absolutely absurd and heartbreaking and hilarious. A lot of the chapters can stand on their own, outside of the greater context of the novel, but they come together to create a much more carefully drawn picture of this crackerjacks insane family, and I love it.
November 10, 2017
It’s been a few days since I’ve. finished reading this and I still find myself thinking about the Field sisters. It’s very rare for me to think about characters and their well being after I have finished reading a book but here I am. I connected with each sister on a deeply personal and human level. I hope that in some alternate book universe they are all living deeply fulfilling lives as adults.
Want to read
March 14, 2024Kanada, Anfang der 60er Jahre: Die drei Schwestern Lou, Norma und Sandy wirken gemeinsam mit ihren Eltern wie eine normale Familie. Doch normal geht anders. Irgendein Geschehnis in der Vergangenheit führte dazu, dass die Mutter jetzt fast ausschließlich Whisky trinkt und ihre Tage schweigend im Bett oder auf der Couch vor dem Fernseher verbringt. Auch der Vater trinkt und je nach Stimmung schlägt er zu - lediglich seine Frau und Sandy verschont er, vermutlich weil letztere ein Ebenbild ihrer Mutter ist. In den Sommerferien sperrt er sich und die Familie im selbstgebauten Atombunker ein, den sie (selbst als sie kein Wasser mehr haben) nicht verlassen dürfen. Er ist ungerecht, gewalttätig und ein Despot, weshalb Lou ihn hasst, aber Norma ihn dennoch liebt. Die drei Mädchen sind so verschieden wie Schwestern nur sein können und jede reagiert auf ihre Art auf diese Form der Nicht-Erziehung. Lou ist rebellisch und kalt, Norma isst und isst und ist voller Liebe und Verständnis für alle, immer mit der Hoffnung etwas Liebe zu erhalten. Und Sandy, die Schöne, reagiert auf das stete Interesse an ihr mit sofortiger Zuwendung bzw. kann nicht 'Nein' sagen, was sie von Junge zu Junge und Mann zu Mann wandern lässt.
Beginnend mit dem Ende, erzählt das Buch über einen Zeitraum von 10 Jahren aus dieser Familie, immer einzelne Episoden aus einem Jahr, sodass man die Entwicklung der drei Schwestern nachverfolgen kann. Obwohl sie altersmäßig nah beieinander liegen und somit alle die gleiche Ausgangsposition hatten, driften ihre Lebenswege immer weiter auseinander. Jede flüchtet angesichts der Familienproblematik in ihre ganz eigene Welt und geht diesen einmal eingeschlagenen Weg weiter - dennoch halten sie zusammen.
Beginnend mit dem Ende, erzählt das Buch über einen Zeitraum von 10 Jahren aus dieser Familie, immer einzelne Episoden aus einem Jahr, sodass man die Entwicklung der drei Schwestern nachverfolgen kann. Obwohl sie altersmäßig nah beieinander liegen und somit alle die gleiche Ausgangsposition hatten, driften ihre Lebenswege immer weiter auseinander. Jede flüchtet angesichts der Familienproblematik in ihre ganz eigene Welt und geht diesen einmal eingeschlagenen Weg weiter - dennoch halten sie zusammen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2022
I picked this up a week ago and had only read a few pages but knew right away that this was going to be a good one.
I put it down to finish another book but when I picked it up again I couldn't stop. I read the majority of it in 2 days.
This is the story of 3 young girls and their very messed up parents. It may seem a bit confusing to some as the past and present portions of the book are not clearly defined but I got the hang of it fairly quickly.
So much happens to these 3 young women as they grow up and all of it kept me mesmerized. This was unlike any other book I've read. It felt very unique to me.
Reader beware. There are some disturbing and triggering portions to this book.
This one will stick with me.
I put it down to finish another book but when I picked it up again I couldn't stop. I read the majority of it in 2 days.
This is the story of 3 young girls and their very messed up parents. It may seem a bit confusing to some as the past and present portions of the book are not clearly defined but I got the hang of it fairly quickly.
So much happens to these 3 young women as they grow up and all of it kept me mesmerized. This was unlike any other book I've read. It felt very unique to me.
Reader beware. There are some disturbing and triggering portions to this book.
This one will stick with me.
January 14, 2019
This was a very profound read, where my emotions cycled between many, ranging from the darkest depths to lighter shades of hope and laughter. The story moves between the points of view of three sisters, covering a decade in their young lives, caught in the mire of family dysfunction, brought about by their parents. So much happens that the 199 pages felt more like double that. If you like Miriam Toews, Heather O'Neill and Heather Tucker, I feel you'd like this book too. It's really had me thinking since I closed the final page, and I know I will muse further about it in future days. Barbara Gowdy is quickly becoming a favourite author, and here she has written a truly unforgettable story.
August 25, 2020
I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this story. Something about these sisters rang true and brought me back to my youth. Some of the events are over the top, but plausible nonetheless. I look forward to reading more from this author.
June 1, 2021
A truly amazing book. This story will captivate you till the last page. There are parts where you want to hate the father for the way he is but you also get a glimpse of the pain he is going through. The ending opens your eyes and encourages you to just let go of everything.
August 14, 2017
When I picked up the book I wasn't expecting to like it. I told myself I'd probably stop after a few pages. I was glad to find out I was wrong. The story is great.
September 5, 2017
Travmatik anne, baba ve cocuklarinin korkutucu gerceklikteki oykusu. Cevirmenin jargonlara uzak olmasi yazik olmus
December 15, 2017
Hâlâ hatırlıyorum.
August 2, 2020
Read 2006 I must have enjoyed it or I would have moved on.
April 23, 2021
Not my favorite of Gowdy's books. It was very depressing and did not relate to the sisters.
February 16, 2022
Silly impossible imaginative childish but easy read
January 4, 2024
Kuunneltu suomenkieliseksi käännettynä Langenneet enkelit. Lukijana Ritva Vepsä suomentanut Bützow Helene
November 10, 2024
Depressing but well written and fast read.
April 22, 2025
I really enjoyed this dark, absurdist, heartbreaking, funny, weird novel. No one is writing books like this these days.
July 12, 2025
Rating: 3.5 stars
June 28, 2016
I'm sort of at a loss to articulate why I disliked this book so much. I'm tempted to say something like "It's not that I disliked it, it's that I didn't like it" but that doesn't really cover it either.
This book just didn't do anything for me, and was weird and gross and morbid and depressing on top of it.
The story revolves around 3 sisters, Norma, Lou, and Sandy, who grow up in a majorly dysfunctional family. Their mother is a depressed alcoholic who literally does nothing all day, every day but sit on the couch watching TV and drinking. Their father is an abusive...nutcase, basically. When the girls are young, they find out that before they were born, their mother threw their baby brother over Niagara Falls.
I hear what you're thinking. "What? 1) Oh God, that's really awful and depressing. 2) I bet the book explores why she did that."
1) Yes.
2) Not really, no.
Somehow this awful event plays basically no role in the story whatsoever, even though it is ostensibly what the story is about. (It's even in the book's blurb.) Occasionally one of the girls thinks of her dead baby brother while bringing their mother more whiskey on the couch, but that's about it.
Meanwhile, Sandy, "the pretty one," becomes sexually involved in a slew of older, married men. "Gee," you might be thinking, "1) That's a bit disconcerting, 2) I bet the book explores how she gets involved in these meaningless flings because of emotional void of her home life and how she feels about that."
1) Yes.
2) Not really, no.
Norma, "the fat one," struggles with self esteem issues. At one point she loses a bunch of weight. But then she semi-intentionally gains it all back. It's unclear why. At another point, her father tries to molest her (!!!!). 1) FUCK that's gross and awful. 2) That must radically change the way she feels about herself and her father and be a huge event in her life that is explored in depth.
1) Yes.
2) Nope. Pretty much glossed over and never mentioned again. (Yes, seriously. Glossed over. Ew. Just ew.)
And so on.
I'm not even really trying to criticize these plot points, gross and awful and disturbing things happen, and not all people/characters are introspective. So it's not that there's really anything objectively wrong with a book that does the things this book does....but to be frank, I just don't get it.
I don't get it.
Why did any of these things happen? Did the characters learn and grow? Is there some lesson or point to be derived from the fact that perhaps they didn't learn and grow? I really, truly don't know. Random, upsetting stuff happened and then the book was over.
I just don't get it.
This book just didn't do anything for me, and was weird and gross and morbid and depressing on top of it.
The story revolves around 3 sisters, Norma, Lou, and Sandy, who grow up in a majorly dysfunctional family. Their mother is a depressed alcoholic who literally does nothing all day, every day but sit on the couch watching TV and drinking. Their father is an abusive...nutcase, basically. When the girls are young, they find out that before they were born, their mother threw their baby brother over Niagara Falls.
I hear what you're thinking. "What? 1) Oh God, that's really awful and depressing. 2) I bet the book explores why she did that."
1) Yes.
2) Not really, no.
Somehow this awful event plays basically no role in the story whatsoever, even though it is ostensibly what the story is about. (It's even in the book's blurb.) Occasionally one of the girls thinks of her dead baby brother while bringing their mother more whiskey on the couch, but that's about it.
Meanwhile, Sandy, "the pretty one," becomes sexually involved in a slew of older, married men. "Gee," you might be thinking, "1) That's a bit disconcerting, 2) I bet the book explores how she gets involved in these meaningless flings because of emotional void of her home life and how she feels about that."
1) Yes.
2) Not really, no.
Norma, "the fat one," struggles with self esteem issues. At one point she loses a bunch of weight. But then she semi-intentionally gains it all back. It's unclear why. At another point, her father tries to molest her (!!!!). 1) FUCK that's gross and awful. 2) That must radically change the way she feels about herself and her father and be a huge event in her life that is explored in depth.
1) Yes.
2) Nope. Pretty much glossed over and never mentioned again. (Yes, seriously. Glossed over. Ew. Just ew.)
And so on.
I'm not even really trying to criticize these plot points, gross and awful and disturbing things happen, and not all people/characters are introspective. So it's not that there's really anything objectively wrong with a book that does the things this book does....but to be frank, I just don't get it.
I don't get it.
Why did any of these things happen? Did the characters learn and grow? Is there some lesson or point to be derived from the fact that perhaps they didn't learn and grow? I really, truly don't know. Random, upsetting stuff happened and then the book was over.
I just don't get it.
December 13, 2014
In this tragic and comic novel, starting with a flashback, the famed Canadian author Barbara Gowdy tells a story, in an omniscient point of view, of a nuclear family of three sisters and a couple who lived in a suburban area. The storyline of this book stretches across a decade, flashing between our three protagonists(who were described in the title as “falling angels”): the Field sisters, Norma, Lou and Sandy. These girls grew up under the control of an arbitrary father, but it was their alcoholic mother who gave the girls the greatest influences of their lives. The girls stayed with each other at first, but paced down different ways later on. They were once naive and innocent at the beginning point of the timeline, but they matured, maybe even corrupted themselves through the events that took place in their lives.
Gowdy’s novel featured in her description. Through her descriptions the characters were presented vividly and the surroundings served perfectly to uphold the characters’ personalities and emotional fluctuations. Gowdy has also set up suspenses well and the plot pushes the readers to keep on reading. The only weak point is that it has great time gaps between chapters; I got confused when turning a page, going into a new chapter, seeing the protagonists matured and realizing that two years have passed with no notification at all.
This book would be recommended for youths aged 16 or higher.
In conclusion, this is an interesting book to read, either for fun or for novel studies.
Gowdy’s novel featured in her description. Through her descriptions the characters were presented vividly and the surroundings served perfectly to uphold the characters’ personalities and emotional fluctuations. Gowdy has also set up suspenses well and the plot pushes the readers to keep on reading. The only weak point is that it has great time gaps between chapters; I got confused when turning a page, going into a new chapter, seeing the protagonists matured and realizing that two years have passed with no notification at all.
This book would be recommended for youths aged 16 or higher.
In conclusion, this is an interesting book to read, either for fun or for novel studies.
April 6, 2009
Another well-written story by Barbara Gowdy!! I'll be on the lookout for more of her work.
Norma, Sandy and Louise (Lou) grow up with a demanding, cantankerous, military minded father in Toronto during the 60's. I'm not so sure I could have coped as well as they seemed to living with him. Their mother had her own set of problems brought on by dropping her 1st child, a son, over Niagara Falls to his death. She drinks herself into oblivion each and every day of her life but at the same time, has a profound affect on each of her daughters. Norma, Sandy and Lou are left to shop for groceries, clean house, cook meals, do laundry and be at the front door each day upon their father's arrival for inspection! Such a tragic life these girl's lead with an inattentive mother, a demanding, moody and at times absent father. Each of the 3 daughters cope with their dysfunctional situation in different ways.
The story is full of surprises and unexpected happenings. The ending totally shocked me!
I really would have liked the book to continue on a wee bit more so we could learn where Norma, Sandy and Lou went from the end.
Norma, Sandy and Louise (Lou) grow up with a demanding, cantankerous, military minded father in Toronto during the 60's. I'm not so sure I could have coped as well as they seemed to living with him. Their mother had her own set of problems brought on by dropping her 1st child, a son, over Niagara Falls to his death. She drinks herself into oblivion each and every day of her life but at the same time, has a profound affect on each of her daughters. Norma, Sandy and Lou are left to shop for groceries, clean house, cook meals, do laundry and be at the front door each day upon their father's arrival for inspection! Such a tragic life these girl's lead with an inattentive mother, a demanding, moody and at times absent father. Each of the 3 daughters cope with their dysfunctional situation in different ways.
The story is full of surprises and unexpected happenings. The ending totally shocked me!
I really would have liked the book to continue on a wee bit more so we could learn where Norma, Sandy and Lou went from the end.
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