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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
In less than 193 pages [b:Falling Out of Time|19766643|Falling Out of Time|David Grossman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387734785s/19766643.jpg|21655329] has reduced me to one tear drop that I think may drown the world. The raw despair expressed by the unnamed characters in Grossman’s ode to lose and grief is woven and exposed in this gut-wrenching novella about losing a child and how we have no words to express that pain. It is the emotion that is unnamed and feared above all others.
Written as part play/ part poem Grossman shows us that death not only ends one life - it transforms the living and leaves them stripped and unrecognizable unless they can embrace the death and lose and find solace on the other side. A truly amazing book/poem/play.
Written as part play/ part poem Grossman shows us that death not only ends one life - it transforms the living and leaves them stripped and unrecognizable unless they can embrace the death and lose and find solace on the other side. A truly amazing book/poem/play.
“The passing time is painful. I have lost the art of moving simply, naturally, within it. I am swept back against its flow. Angry, vindictive, it pierces me all the time, all the time with its spikes.”
Long before I planned a second trip to Israel, I knew that I was interested in David Grossman’s books. He is considered one of Israeli’s top authors and he is very involved in the peace movement in Israel/Palestine. I had picked up To the End of the Land several times, but never got very far.
I decided that I might find this story more accessible, mainly because it is short. I was so wrong. First of all, the tale is told in verse, or maybe as a play. It is a hybrid and I found that confusing. Secondly, this novel is dealing with death and grief. Nothing would have made this an easy read.
However, I was alone, up in the air, willing to surrender to the book. I could have quit, but I decided to just give in to what Grossman was saying. There is something about being isolated on the airplane that helped me just read and absorb.
I have not lost a child to death. I had a miscarriage almost 35 years ago, but the baby did not seem entirely real. Grossman’s son died in 2004 in a military action in the Second Lebanon War. To lose a son, someone you have known for about twenty years – I can’t even imagine the pain.
In an interview in the New Yorker (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/09/27/the-unconsoled), Grossman says, “It’s such a major part of my life now, grief. It’s hard to say the word. Separation from Uri, learning to accept what happened—I have to confront it. It’s even my responsibility as a father to him. I cannot run away.”
Grossman is a powerful writer. He is willing to open his life and share it with the world. Although it was a difficult read, I have a better understanding of how some people deal with death and grief. I am grateful to Grossman.
Long before I planned a second trip to Israel, I knew that I was interested in David Grossman’s books. He is considered one of Israeli’s top authors and he is very involved in the peace movement in Israel/Palestine. I had picked up To the End of the Land several times, but never got very far.
I decided that I might find this story more accessible, mainly because it is short. I was so wrong. First of all, the tale is told in verse, or maybe as a play. It is a hybrid and I found that confusing. Secondly, this novel is dealing with death and grief. Nothing would have made this an easy read.
However, I was alone, up in the air, willing to surrender to the book. I could have quit, but I decided to just give in to what Grossman was saying. There is something about being isolated on the airplane that helped me just read and absorb.
I have not lost a child to death. I had a miscarriage almost 35 years ago, but the baby did not seem entirely real. Grossman’s son died in 2004 in a military action in the Second Lebanon War. To lose a son, someone you have known for about twenty years – I can’t even imagine the pain.
In an interview in the New Yorker (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/09/27/the-unconsoled), Grossman says, “It’s such a major part of my life now, grief. It’s hard to say the word. Separation from Uri, learning to accept what happened—I have to confront it. It’s even my responsibility as a father to him. I cannot run away.”
Grossman is a powerful writer. He is willing to open his life and share it with the world. Although it was a difficult read, I have a better understanding of how some people deal with death and grief. I am grateful to Grossman.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars
beautiful poetry about the pain of death by those being left behind, in a fresh play format.
The structure of the monologues of the wondering souls seeking those fallen out of time accompanied by the all knowing chronicler reminds me of the classical greek tragedies.
beautiful poetry about the pain of death by those being left behind, in a fresh play format.
The structure of the monologues of the wondering souls seeking those fallen out of time accompanied by the all knowing chronicler reminds me of the classical greek tragedies.
challenging
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hugely gripping, it provides a deep dive into the minds of bereaved parents mourning the loss of their children even after many years. Some words were poetic, some parts were downright convoluted - the centaur weirded me out a little bit..but I guess with grief (that Grossman may experience having lost his own son), there are no right words nor stories to express how you really feel.
I saw first hand how my grandmother had slipped into severe depression after the untimely passing of my aunt to an autoimmune disease - her exact diagnosis is still unknown today. She would reminisce and weep, lamenting about how she should not have outlived her child - despite having outlived two sons, but I guess the measure of bereavement here is different because her sons passed on during their infancy. This was made worse when her first grandson also passed on 6 months later. It didn't take her long to succumb to her grief, when she herself passed on a year after her daughter left.
I saw first hand how my grandmother had slipped into severe depression after the untimely passing of my aunt to an autoimmune disease - her exact diagnosis is still unknown today. She would reminisce and weep, lamenting about how she should not have outlived her child - despite having outlived two sons, but I guess the measure of bereavement here is different because her sons passed on during their infancy. This was made worse when her first grandson also passed on 6 months later. It didn't take her long to succumb to her grief, when she herself passed on a year after her daughter left.