**Falling Man by Don DeLillo: A Haunting Post-9/11 Masterpiece** National Book Award finalist, Don DeLillo’s *Falling Man*, isn’t just a novel about 9/11; it’s an exploration of its reverberating impact on the American psyche. This poignant story centers on Keith Neudecker, a survivor navigating the emotional wreckage of the attacks, estranged from his wife Lianne and haunted by what he witnessed. Lianne, meanwhile, grapples with newfound fears and anxieties, while their son, Justin, retreats into a child’s innocent yet unsettling perception of the tragedy. A performance artist, embodying the “Falling Man” of the iconic photograph, serves as a stark and unsettling reminder of the day’s horror. The novel unflinchingly examines the lives of the perpetrators, offering a chilling glimpse into their motivations. *Falling Man* is a powerful, unsettling, and ultimately unforgettable portrait of a nation grappling with trauma and the search for meaning in the face of unimaginable loss. This Paperback Book Club Edition is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the post-9/11 world. A hauntingly beautiful and essential work of contemporary fiction. Perfect for readers of literary fiction and those interested in the impact of historical events on personal lives.
Falling Man: A Novel
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The defining moment of turn-of-the-21st-century America is perfectly portrayed in National Book Award winner Don DeLillo’s Falling Man . The book takes its title from the electrifying photograph of the man who jumped or fell from the North Tower on 9/11. It also refers to a performance artist who recreates the picture. The artist straps himself into a harness and in high visibility areas jumps from an elevated structure, such as a railway overpass or a balcony, startling passersby as he hangs in the horrifying pose of the falling man. Keith Neudecker, a lawyer and survivor of the attack, arrives on his estranged wife Lianne’s doorstep, covered with soot and blood, carrying someone else’s briefcase. In the days and weeks that follow, moments of connection alternate with complete withdrawl from his wife and young son, Justin. He begins a desultory affair with the owner of the briefcase based only on their shared experience of “the timeless drift of the long spiral down.” Justin uses his binoculars to scan the skies with his friends, looking for “Bill Lawton” (a misunderstood version of bin Laden) and more killing planes. Lianne suddenly sees Islam in a postcard from a friend, in a neighbor’s music–and is frightened and angered by its ubiquity. She is riveted by the Falling Man. Her mother Nina’s response is to break up with her long-time German lover over his ancient politics. In short, the old ways and days are gone forever; a new reality has taken over everyone’s consciousness. This new way is being tried on, and it doesn’t fit. Keith and Lianne weave into reconciliation. Keith becomes a professional poker player and, when questioned by Lianne about the future of this enterprise, he “There was one final thing, too self-evident to need saying. She wanted to be safe in the world and he did not.” DeLillo also tells the story of Hammad, one of the young men in flight training on the Gulf Coast, who “We are willing to die, they are not. This is our srength, to love death, to feel the claim of armed martyrdom.” He also “But does a man have to kill himself in order to accomplish something in the world?” His answer is that he is one of the hijackers on the plane that strikes the North Tower. At the end of the book, De Lillo takes the reader into the Tower as the plane strikes the building. Through all the terror, fire and smoke, De Lillo’s voice is steady as a metronome, recounting exactly what happens to Keith as he sees friends and co-workers maimed and dead, navigates the stairs and, ultimately, is saved. Though several post-9/11 novels have been written, not one of them is as compellingly true, faultlessly conceived, and beautifully written as Don De Lillo’s Falling Man . –Valerie Ryan
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Binding | |
| Condition | |
| ISBN-10 | 033045224X |
| ISBN-13 | 9780330452243 |
| Language | |
| Pages | 256 |
| Publisher | |
| Year published | |
| Weight | 179 |
| Edition | Paperback Book Club |
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