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A review by yangyvonne
The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates
1.0
Ariah is on her honeymoon in Niagara Falls when her husband commits suicide by jumping over. Dirk Birnaby , a local lawyer, is mesmerized by her during the search for the body and marries her 2 months later. They seem to have it all, 3 children, a good lifestyle - then the woman in black appears. She convinces Dirk to take-up her suit about toxic chemicals affecting a local neighborhood. He is eventually killed over it by local politicos who force his car into the Falls and Ariah must raise her children, all the while trying to hide the "curse" from Chandler, Royall, and Juliet.
I liked the books up until the "Love Canal" lawsuit came into play. Ariah was a fascinating character but the whole last third of the book was wasted on the under-developed children loosing for the "missing" father information to make them feel normal again. I also wish that more "flashback" to Dirk's past and Ariah's past could have taken place. Or, maybe I would have liked the suit if real time was spent on the trial instead of the rush to kill Dirk. It's also too long at 481 pages!
I liked the books up until the "Love Canal" lawsuit came into play. Ariah was a fascinating character but the whole last third of the book was wasted on the under-developed children loosing for the "missing" father information to make them feel normal again. I also wish that more "flashback" to Dirk's past and Ariah's past could have taken place. Or, maybe I would have liked the suit if real time was spent on the trial instead of the rush to kill Dirk. It's also too long at 481 pages!