Title: The Shock of the FallAuthor: Nathan Filer
Genre:
Contemporary
Verdict:
'There was the shock of the fall and the blood on my knee...'
A book with a schizophrenic protagonist is a delicate balancing act. One which Filer excels at.
Matthew - our point-of-view narrator - is a complex, realistic character. He doesn't fall head-long into stereotypes, but neither is his illness ignored.
He is mentally ill. He is also a nineteen-year-old boy in Bristol. One who wants to tell his own story, thank you very much.
He wants people to listen to him - even if he's not making much sense, he still wants to be heard. And it's the characters who listen to him - even if they ultimately disagree with his opinions - who Matt prefers.
Because people with mental illnesses don't just want to be talked at, over, or around. They want you to hear them out, even if you make decisions that go against their wishes, they'd still like their wishes to at least be acknowledged.
We want you to understand that we are not children. We are adults who are ill.
If you made a decision for a cancer patient without at least listening to their opinion, there would be uproar. Make a decision for a mental health patient without asking their opinion? Meh.
But Filer explains this without ever explaining it. He simply allows the character to tell his story, and places the reader in Matt's shoes for a while.
Not that he paints Matt as an angel - far from it. He's not some martyred saint. He's a real person, with all the flaws and quirks that brings.
He's not pitied, but neither is he demonised. And that is an incredible achievement.
And I love the non-linear structure.
We experience the story as Matt does - with flitting thoughts as he moves from one train of thought to another. We experience his present as well as his past, complete with complaints at people reading over his shoulder.
This is an excellent book guys. Read it.
Because people with mental illnesses don't just want to be talked at, over, or around. They want you to hear them out, even if you make decisions that go against their wishes, they'd still like their wishes to at least be acknowledged.
We want you to understand that we are not children. We are adults who are ill.
If you made a decision for a cancer patient without at least listening to their opinion, there would be uproar. Make a decision for a mental health patient without asking their opinion? Meh.
But Filer explains this without ever explaining it. He simply allows the character to tell his story, and places the reader in Matt's shoes for a while.
Not that he paints Matt as an angel - far from it. He's not some martyred saint. He's a real person, with all the flaws and quirks that brings.
He's not pitied, but neither is he demonised. And that is an incredible achievement.
And I love the non-linear structure.
We experience the story as Matt does - with flitting thoughts as he moves from one train of thought to another. We experience his present as well as his past, complete with complaints at people reading over his shoulder.
This is an excellent book guys. Read it.
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I loved this book so much. So honest and raw and all around amazing. Probably THE best depiction of mental health in fiction I've come across.
ReplyDeleteI know, it's amazing! :)
DeleteI actually really want to read this book now and have just added it to my TBR. I especially liked the parts you highlighted in your review - they convinced me most. I think it is an important message that the mentally ill should not be treated as children but adults as they rightly are. I think that's a mistake a lot of people make!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it! I honestly found it to be an amazing and well-balanced book, with the best and most truthful characters with mental illness that I've come across.
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