Falling Man (novel)
Falling Man is a novel authored by American writer Don DeLillo, released on May 15, 2007. A portion of the book was initially published as the short story "Still Life" in the April 9, 2007 edition of The New Yorker.
The narrative of Falling Man centers on a survivor from the 9/11 terrorist attacks and delves into how that tragic event transforms his existence.
Themes
In line with DeLillo’s typical style, the novel explores the symbolic representation of terrorist violence as portrayed through mass media channels. It also investigates how individuals reconstruct their identities, often defining themselves by their associations with groups. The character referred to as the Falling Man represents "the arrogance involved in attempting to create art from horror."
Reception
Michiko Kakutani, writing for The New York Times, expressed disappointment with the novel, acknowledging that although DeLillo’s prose effectively captures the surreal nature of 9/11, much of the work feels "worn out and fragile." Sandy English of the World Socialist Web Site recognized some poignant moments and perceptive observations regarding New York’s societal reaction but criticized the book for lacking cohesion and failing to convey the full gravity of the event.
Conversely, Laura Miller from Salon and Jennifer Reese from Entertainment Weekly offered more favorable assessments, describing it as DeLillo’s finest novel since Underworld (1997). Miller commended DeLillo’s skill with prose riffs, highlighting several sections as among his most accomplished.
See also
External links
- Excerpt, from The New Yorker, April 2007
- The Observer review by Adam Mars-Jones