Genres
Publication
Black Swan (1994), Edition: New edition, 352 pages
Description
WINNER OF THE HAWTHORNDEN PRIZE AND THE RUTH HADDEN MEMORIAL AWARD Tim Pears' prize-winning, critically acclaimed debut about a hot summer in a Devon village where time seems to stand still This overwhelmingly hot summer everything seems to be slowing down in the tiny Devon village where Alison lives, as if the sun is pouring hot glue over it. 'This idn't nothin',' says Alison's grandmother, recalling a drought when the earth swallowed lambs, and the summer after the war when people got electric shocks off each other. But Alison knows her grandmother's memory is lying- this is far worse. She feels that time has stopped just as she wants to enter the real world of adulthood. In fact, in the cruel heat of summer, time is creeping towards her, and closing in around the valley.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member SharonMariaBidwell
Felt myself falling into this story almost right away, certainly by the start of the second chapter. The writing is lyrical, creating images and imparting information in an intricate weave. It’s a book without a plot, though, more a memoir in tone than a story, an exposition of events over a
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long, hot summer in Devon, sometimes grave, others times sad and humorous. Not one to speed through. Beautifully nostalgic. Show Less
LibraryThing member nocto
'Atmospheric' is the best word I can think of to describe the world laid out in this book. That and 'fabulous'. It's one of those stories that seems to have no real plot to it but kind of meanders until you realise that you've gone somewhere without being quite aware of the journey. It's set in the
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hot late summer of 1984 in a Devon village with eleven year old Alison leading us around her family and friends. The story is coming-of-ageish I suppose, but it's delightful. Definitely an author to read more of. Exceptionally well written too. Show Less
LibraryThing member oldblack
Crikey! 4.06 was the average rating for this book before I rated it. I'm shocked!! It's not bad, but actually I'd say it's not that good. At the Nancy Pearl cutoff I was ready to discard it and pull something decent off my TBR pile, but the high LibraryThing rating and the impressive string of
I didn't warm to any of the characters, and indeed I didn't really get to know them that well. There is a mildly interesting story in this book and I suppose it says something about rural England (but I can't verify this, as I've never been there myself), but to me the novel doesn't really contain any compelling reason to take it off the shelf.
Anyone want my copy?
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reviewer quotes convinced me to keep on reading. About 10 pages later I was sure I'd taken the right step in continuing to read. "It's just a bit slow getting started", I thought. However, as I approached the end of the book, several dreary reading days later, I realized that Nancy Pearl was correct after all. As I look back on this book I am more inclined to categorize the writing as pretentious and flowery, rather than "the work of a born writer" that A.S.Byatt would have me believe, or "...beautifully written, hypnotic as Proust..." that Jane Gardam says (who the hell is Jane Gardam? and do I want to be hypnotized anyway?).I didn't warm to any of the characters, and indeed I didn't really get to know them that well. There is a mildly interesting story in this book and I suppose it says something about rural England (but I can't verify this, as I've never been there myself), but to me the novel doesn't really contain any compelling reason to take it off the shelf.
Anyone want my copy?
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LibraryThing member raschneid
If Thomas Hardy read up on magic realism, took antidepressants, and was interested in writing sympathetic, believable characters, he might write In the Place of Fallen Leaves. In other words, it's a Thomas Hardy novel for people who don't like Thomas Hardy novels (such as me.)
I especially enjoyed
Beautifully and unusually written; I highly recommend it!
I especially enjoyed
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reading it because it's set a bit to the south-west of where I'm currently living in Devon, and was full of fascinating local color.Beautifully and unusually written; I highly recommend it!
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LibraryThing member SueinCyprus
Told from the point of view of teenage Alison, this book is set in the end of the hot summer of 1984 (in the UK). I found the book unimpressive, despite realistic people and fairly well-flowing conversation. There were some odd changes of perspective which shouldn't be possible in a first-person
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novel, and flashbacks which didn't quite work, confusingly interspersed with the present. It was also quite hard to read at times with strongly accented Devonshire speech. Show Less
LibraryThing member crazeedi73
A very different book, with the english country dialect. I didnt think i was going to enjoy, but i did till the end. It was very abrupt
LibraryThing member m.belljackson
Magical realism (moving objects taped down, as well as Alison's many introspections and dreaming) alternates with the impact on people, animals, and a farming family of a Spring, Summer, and Autumn with no rain at all.
Subjects
Awards
Hawthornden Prize (1994)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1993
ISBN
0552995363 / 9780552995368
Other editions
In the Place of Fallen Leaves by Tim Pears (Paperback)