After The Fall, by Kylie Ladd
Firstly, let me tell you how I came across this novel. I have Twitter, or, more to the point, my friends on Twitter, to thank. I was tweeting away one evening, when the lovely writer, Jayne Kearney, announced that Kylie Ladd had joined Twitter. A couple of other writer friends began raving about her novel, After The Fall. I began following Kylie and eventually declared that, based on all the rave reviews, I would buy her book. I went straight to an online bookshop and two days later, my brand new purchase arrived (online shopping, I do love you).
Kylie is a Melbourne author, freelance writer and neuropsychologist. She is also a lovely, friendly person who I have had the fortune to 'meet' via Twitter and engage in some 'conversation' with. Her comments have also made an appearance on some of my blog posts.
This novel tells the story of two couples: Kate and Cary, Luke and Cressida. Kate and Luke fall into an affair and we are taken with them as it all unfolds. Most intriguing are the consequences 'after the fall' - from the fascinating mechanics of the new relationship, to the ways in which this new dimension affects the two marriages, and the eventual discovery of the truth.
While reading, you become so involved in the characters' lives that you want to find out the ending as soon as possible, yet do not want the book, and your relationship with these characters, to end. You want them all to live happily ever after, but at the same time you realise that could be impossible.
This is an intelligent, thought-provoking, realistic insight into the lives of those involved, told from six viewpoints (the four involved, plus Kate and Luke's best friends). The ins and outs of their lives become our property: their intimate relationships, careers, families and innermost thoughts. Kylie's writing is beautiful, poetic and will hook you from the first sentence: 'I had been married three years when I fell in love'.
I must admit, I was a little nervous about reading After The Fall, given that I had declared my intention to do so publicly to the author herself. But I was excited when I opened the cover and knew, when the first line grabbed me, that I would enjoy it. The next day, I wrote to Kylie on Twitter, blaming her for keeping me up late the night before. Her fault, for writing such a gripping story. (As an aside, I think for a writer to have that immediate feedback from her readers must be thrilling. Judging by all the smiley faces that suddenly appeared on Kylie's Twitter updates, I think she would agree.)
Megan
4 comments:
Hmmmm! Now ur making me spend money on books that are *not* text books!!! I will need to buy!!!
Can't wait for my copy to arrive now!
Oh! Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!! I have only just seen this- have been at work all day, which blocks Twitter, come home in the 35 degree heat feeling grumpy, thought I'd check Twitter before starting dinner (as you do) and wow. Thank you so much! I had no idea you were doing this and am so touched- because you loved the book, and that's the greatest feeling ever for anyone trying to be a writer, that someone got and enjoyed their book. You have made my day.. weekend... month!
And also that you liked the first line.. :) That came to me while I was pushing my daughter on a swing at the park and wasn't even *thinking* about writing a novel, and I never changed it at all, though the first few chapters got radically edited.
Thanks Megan. I love to write, but it can be tough at times... crap pay, rejections, uncertainty that what you're doing will be any good or fnd an audience, bad reviews (and my first review for ATF would make your hair curl, it was so awful)- but having someone like what you've done and stay up to read it makes it all worthwile. In spades. Thank you!
Oh I love the sound of this book...have 3 books going at once at the moment! But I'm still going to purchase it, thanks for the tip.
Post a Comment