You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
4.5 STARS
"It is 1950 and, after a disastrous honeymoon night, Ariah Erskine's young husband throws himself into the roaring waters of Niagara Falls. Ariah, "the Widow Bride of the Falls," begins a relentless seven-day vigil in the mist, waiting for his body to be found. At her side is confirmed bachelor and pillar of the community Dirk Burnaby, who is unexpectedly drawn to this plain, strange woman. What follows is a passionate love affair, marriage, and family--a seemingly perfect existence. But the tragedy by which they were thrown together begins to shadow them, damaging their idyll with distrust, greed, and even murder." (From Amazon)
If you like Sue Miller, Anne Tyler or Jennifer Haigh this is an excellent novel for you. I was gripped with the characters and story as soon as I started the novel and loved it all through out. Highly recommend this book to anyone.
"It is 1950 and, after a disastrous honeymoon night, Ariah Erskine's young husband throws himself into the roaring waters of Niagara Falls. Ariah, "the Widow Bride of the Falls," begins a relentless seven-day vigil in the mist, waiting for his body to be found. At her side is confirmed bachelor and pillar of the community Dirk Burnaby, who is unexpectedly drawn to this plain, strange woman. What follows is a passionate love affair, marriage, and family--a seemingly perfect existence. But the tragedy by which they were thrown together begins to shadow them, damaging their idyll with distrust, greed, and even murder." (From Amazon)
If you like Sue Miller, Anne Tyler or Jennifer Haigh this is an excellent novel for you. I was gripped with the characters and story as soon as I started the novel and loved it all through out. Highly recommend this book to anyone.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Beautiful book with the right combination of seedy drama and expert prose. I thought it started to drag a bit at the end, but overall this made me want to read more Joyce Carol Oates.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I grew up in Western New York, and went to college in Buffalo. I love Niagara Falls. We took our honeymoon there in January 1970. We stayed at the old Sheraton Brock Hotel. The Falls were in their winter glory. There was a blizzard, there was almost no tourists. When we ate in the revolving restaurant we were the only guests. This book took me back to the Falls. And of course to Love Canal, and the chemical nightmare that resided there. It's the story of the power a place, and memories, can have on a person, on a family. A very good book.
One literary mistake. One of the fictional doctors involved in the Love Canal lawsuit was the head of pediatric oncology at Millard Fillmore Hospital. Millard is "my" hospital, where I trained and work. There was no oncology department, much less a pediatric oncology department. There was no reason to have such a department when Rosewell Cancer Hospital was in the neighborhood.
One literary mistake. One of the fictional doctors involved in the Love Canal lawsuit was the head of pediatric oncology at Millard Fillmore Hospital. Millard is "my" hospital, where I trained and work. There was no oncology department, much less a pediatric oncology department. There was no reason to have such a department when Rosewell Cancer Hospital was in the neighborhood.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the third book by Oates I’ve read. Although I don’t believe she can write a bad book, for me “The Falls” was not as powerful as “The Gravedigger’s Daughter” or “We were the Mulvaneys.” It’s the story of Ariah Littrell, the musically gifted but awkward daughter of a preacher from Troy, New York. She marries Gilbert Erskine, seminary student and son of another local preacher. After a disastrous honeymoon night in Niagara Falls (not unlike the one related in Ian McEwan’s “On Chesil Beach”), her husband of less than a day, goes out early in the morning and throws himself into the Horseshoe Falls from Goat Island suspension bridge. It is intimated that part of the problem may be that Gilbert is gay (based on references to his attachment to a fellow seminary student named Douglas or “D”). Bewildered and grief stricken, Ariah compulsively follows the search for Gilbert’s body, and during this time, a local lawyer named Dirk Burnaby watches over Ariah and finds himself inexplicably attracted to her. Soon after she returns to her hometown of Troy, Dirk pays her a visit and, with flowers picked from the side of the road and a couple bottles of champagne, he proposes to her and she accepts. The book next depicts their early family life and the arrival of three children – Chandler, Royall, and Juliet. Chandler is born after less than a year and it is always unclear whose son he is – although he would be unlikely to be Gilbert’s based on the description of the honeymoon night encounter. Dirk is pursued by a woman (Nina Olshaker) from the “Colvin Heights” subdivision of east Niagara Falls where black oozing sludge and foul odors are associated with chronic illnesses and various types of cancer among the residents and their children. She convinces him to bring a lawsuit against the city and “Swann Chemicals.” Thus, in 1962, Dirk becomes involved in what ultimately would become the Love Canal case – the infamous real-life environmental contamination of the area by 20,000 tons of dumped toxic waste with a school constructed on the site. In the novel, Dirk’s case is dismissed. He loses his temper in court and punches the court baliff. Not long after, he’s run off the road and into the Niagara River by a mysterious truck and police cruiser. Much of the novel details Ariah raising her children as a widow and refusing to talk about Dirk. She had thrown him out of the house during the trial preparations, convinced he was having an affair with Nina Olshaker. The kids are left to piece together a picture of their father (only Chandler is old enough to remember him). Fifteen years later, the Love Canal case is reopened (coinciding now with actual history) and a memorial service is held for Dirk Burnaby celebrating his early attempt to bring justice to the residents of “Colvin Heights.” His children and Ariah attend the service and enjoy some closure.
Of course, Oates' style is awesome. However, I just didn't care for the characters. The second half of the book is also much more interesting than the first.
Outstanding .. couldn't put it down. The second one I've read by Joyce Carol-Oates which was also brilliant :)