#BookReview of #FallingAnimals by Sheila Armstrong | @Sheela_no_gig | @BloomsburyBooks

‘The disquieting story of an unidentified man as told by those who crossed paths with him on the last day of his life‘
– Falling Animals

[ About Falling Animals ]

On an isolated beach set against a lonely, windswept coastline, a pale figure sits serenely against a sand dune staring out to sea. His hands are folded neatly in his lap, his ankles are crossed and there is a faint smile on his otherwise lifeless face.

Months later, after a fruitless investigation, the nameless stranger is buried in an unmarked grave. But the mystery of his life and death lingers on, drawing the nearby villagers into its wake. From strandings to shipwrecks, it is not the first time that strangeness has washed up on their shores.

Told through a chorus of voices, Falling Animals follows the crosshatching threads of lives both true and imagined, real and surreal, past and present. Slowly, over great time and distance, the story of one man, alone on a beach, begins to unravel. Elegiac and atmospheric, dark and disquieting, Sheila Armstrong’s debut novel marks her arrival as one of the most uniquely gifted writers at work in literary fiction today.

[ My Review ]

Falling Animals by Sheila Armstrong publishes today May 25th with Bloomsbury. Described as ‘haunting, lyrical and darkly suspenseful’ this really is an exquisite reading experience. A debut novel already receiving great plaudits and all very much deserved, Falling Animals is quite unlike anything I have read before.

‘An immensely impressive debut from a major literary talent.’ JOSEPH O’CONNOR, author of Shadowplay

‘Lush, lyrical and cleverly-constructed. A beautiful book.’ Louise Kennedy, author of Trespasses

On June 16th, 2009, the body of a man was discovered on a beach in Sligo and, to this day, how he ended up there is shrouded in mystery. Sheila Armstrong was inspired by this event, using it as the stepping stone for her novel. But she is quick to point out that the back story she created is pure fiction and is in no way related to this man, who was named as Peter Bergmann.

“Falling Animals begins as a mystery: the who, how and why of one man’s death. But if somebody picks it and skips to the last page for the answer, they’ll probably be disappointed. My hope is that readers won’t be too concerned with the man’s identity by the end – the other characters will have become just as important, their stories just as gripping. But any book is a conversation, and you can only hope that you’ve created something compelling enough that that your reader wants to listen.“
– Sheila Armstrong

Sheila Armstrong published her first collection of short stories, How to Gut a Fish, in February 2022 and although Falling Animals is her debut novel, it’s extraordinarily constructed in the form it takes. Featuring a number of different characters, each chapter is from a different viewpoint as lives intersect like a spider’s web, crossing back and forth, with a staggering attention to detail and an astonishing structure.

Each character is given a dedicated chapter with unique titles like the collector, the witness, the firestarter, the diver and so forth. As you explore each chapter, the meaning becomes clear and it all ties expertly together.

Falling Animals is not a book to be rushed. There are numerous moments that require contemplation and silence, unfathomable moments when you need to just consider the sheer expertise and clarity of Sheila Armstrong’s words. I really cannot even begin to describe the quality of the writing as it haunts, provokes, evokes, and stimulates the mind.

Falling Animals is staggeringly beautiful, both inside and out, with a most striking cover, a work of art in its own right. It is a novel of rare artistry and elegance, a really unique and sublime experience, one not to be missed!

[ Bio ]

Sheila Armstrong is a writer from the northwest of Ireland. She spent ten years in publishing and now works as a freelance editor. Her first collection of short stories, How To Gut A Fish, which was longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize, was published in 2022. 

Falling Animals is her debut novel.

Twitter ~ @Sheela_no_gig