The Shock of the Fall

Written by Nathan Filer

Narrated by OIiver Hembrough

WINNER OF THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2013

WINNER OF THE SPECSAVERS POPULAR FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2014

WINNER OF THE BETTY TRASK PRIZE 2014

‘I’ll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.’

There are books you can’t stop reading, which keep you up all night.

There are books which let us into the hidden parts of life and make them vividly real.

There are books which, because of the sheer skill with which every word is chosen, linger in your mind for days.

The Shock of the Fall is all of these books.

The Shock of the Fall is an extraordinary portrait of a young man’s descent into mental illness. It is a brave and groundbreaking novel from one of the most exciting new voices in fiction.

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‘A stunning novel. Ambitious and exquisitely realised, it's by turns shocking, harrowing and heartrending. The writing is so accomplished it's hard to believe it's a debut – it's clearly the work of a major new talent' S J WATSON

‘Nathan Filer is following in the footsteps of Mark Haddon’s genre-setting The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Both funny and painful… you’re going to love it’ DAILY MAIL

‘Bittersweet and wonderfully etched…perceptive and moving’ TELEGRAPH

‘A deeply moving (but also funny) first novel’ Kate Saunders, THE TIMES

‘A compelling story of grief, madness and loss. Filer has an ear for the dark comedy of life, and Matthew is a charismatic lead character who draws you in even as his world falls apart’

OBSERVER MAGAZINE

‘A tragic and comic account of living with schizophrenia. A must for fans of Matthew Quick’s The Silver Linings Playbook’

GQ

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jan 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9780007543410

Nathan Filer

Nathan Filer is a registered mental health nurse. He is also a performance poet, contributing regularly to literary events across the UK. His work has been broadcast on television and radio. The Shock of the Fall is his first novel.

Reviews for The Shock of the Fall

[pier50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting read. The author writes from a position of knowledge as he worked as a mental health nurse, and you can tell by his insight into the thought processes of the main character and the attitude and methods of the people running the psychiatric ward that he knows his stuff. I didn't find it quite as moving as some people have suggested, but it does provide an interesting insight into mental illness

[brokenangelkisses · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What would life be like if your brother communicated with you through the wind, the waves, the movement of a fox? What would life be like if he communicated with you despite being dead?Meet 19 year old Matthew Homes. He’ll tell you he doesn’t hear voices. But he does hear his brother. ‘I’ll tell you what happened because it’ll be a good way to introduce my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.’‘The Shock of the Fall’ is an accomplished debut novel from Nathan Filer, creative writing MA holder, performance poet and former mental health nurse.What’s it about?A young boy growing up into a young man while dealing with the early death of his brother and struggling with mental illness that leads to him being institutionalised. It’s about grief and loss and coping and how life is often bitterly cyclical.What’s it like?Very interesting. My synopsis risks making the book sound grim, but it isn’t. Matthew Homes, the book’s narrator, is matter-of-fact and occasionally angry, but the story is constructed in such a way that the reader is perpetually interested and intrigued.Filer aimed to create suspense throughout and he achieves this by revealing the fact of Simon’s death on page two but only gradually unveiling how he died and Matthew’s involvement. (Some reviewers have suggested readers are also meant to be ignorant of the name of Matthew’s illness until the end of the novel; I disagree as I think the symptoms – and therefore the nature of his disease – are clear throughout.)‘The Shock of the Fall’ has been compared to Mark Haddon’s ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ and I can see why: both approach difficult life events through a first person narrator with an unusual perspective. Both have an ‘offbeat’ narrative voice and make use of physical elements as well as verbal ones to tell their story. (‘The Shock of the Fall’ incorporates official letters and different fonts to help create a sense of time and place.) I think the comparison is well-justified and found both novels well worth reading.It’s easy to read but powerful, too, offering an insight into living with schizophrenia, especially the cyclical nature of the disease. (Although it’s perhaps worth noting that, when interviewed, Filer has refused to label Matthew’s particular brand of mental ill-health.) Matthew’s account of his time in an institution – “there is nothing to do. nothing” – and the efforts of his mental health team to support him make for very sad reading but the kind of sad that makes you want to do something rather than the kind of sad that just depresses you.Inevitably Matthew is not always the most easy to follow or reliable of narrators. The focus of the novel switches from past to present and back again repeatedly as Matthew types up the story of his life to date, interrupted by care workers reading over his shoulder and the requirements of his care plan. At one point he offers three versions of a key conversation and it is never clear which happened – though perhaps this is the point. No matter what stories we tell ourselves about the how or the why of things, the heart of certain happenings is unchangeable. It’s a testament to Filer’s skill that the reader never feels lost or confused, and it helps that there is a clear narrative movement towards a kind of resolution, even if it is, by necessity, an incomplete one. In fact, Matthew chooses where to stop his story, and it’s quite beautifully done.Final thoughtsThis novel has had a lot of hype and won the Costa Book Award’s ‘First Novel Award’ in 2013. I think having my expectations set so high actually meant I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as I could have done but I did find it genuinely interesting, especially the way Matthew frequently meditates on the fallible nature of his memories.The honesty of Filer’s portrayal of Matthew – or Matthew’s portrayal of himself – means he is not always likeable, though the reader is likely to feel tremendous sympathy for him. In fact, his first words to the reader tell us that ‘I am not a nice person’, but the innocence of his first recollection highlights that his ‘not-niceness’ is that of a typical human being rather than a genuinely unpleasant individual.I liked the way Filer avoids putting Matthew’s illness in a box; Matthew himself doesn’t speculate over the origins of his illness (though he refers in passing to what seems to be quite heavy cannabis use and a family history of vulnerable mental health). Instead, the narrative focus is on how Matthew experiences his illness and the effects this has on him and his family.Similarly, I appreciated that, although one could criticise certain aspects of the mental health service as it is presented in the book, Matthew’s own experiences are presented as personal rather than political. I feel this makes him a realistic character.I may reread this in future and I will keep an eye out for future offerings by Nathan Filer – if there are any. When interviewed he has been reluctant to commit himself to the idea of writing a second novel, suggesting that “there’s a degree of expectation [to write another novel]. But really, that expectation belongs to other people. I don’t actually have to.” If he feels he only has the one book in him, fair play – it was well worth writing.Recommended.

[jolerie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Writing about the past is a way of reliving it, a way of seeing it unfold all over again. We place memories on pieces of paper to know they will always exist. Page 306/7Matthew Homes isn't your average boy and neither is his brother. One night, they set off from their vacation home. Only one of them returns. What unfolds is a life long journey of learning to deal with grief, of letting go, of forgiveness, all while battling an enemy that is often untouchable but no less insidious. Books that can offer a perspective on subjects that are either unknown or unfamiliar to me are always an invaluable experience. Where the Moon Isn't is no exception. Delving into the subject of mental illness and all the struggles that are inherent in such an existence is both eye opening and terrifying, all at once. Filer gives us a glimpse of the daily struggles, the constant battles, and the unending journey of coping through the story of Matthew. A very poignant and worthwhile read. Recommended.

[jnwelch_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer, 19 year old Matt Holmes is a decent-seeming young man who is driven to aberrant behavior. "I have an illness, a disease with the shape and sound of a snake. Whenever I learn something new, it learns it too … My illness knows everything I know. This was a difficult thing to get my head around." He's schizophrenic, and a compulsive writer on an old typewriter his grandmother gave him. He also has artistic talent, and we get to see his drawings in the book, along with other visual elements (like hand-written letters and differing type fonts) that fit with his story. He's trying to deal with his deep sorrow and guilt over the death of his older, Down's Syndrome brother Simon, that happened on a family vacation when they were kids. He also struggles with the demands of the mental health system and the desirable/undesirable effects of his medication, while his family struggles with his swerve into strangeness.Simon haunts him everywhere, but it is a haunting he welcomes and lives for:"I stumbled into a new morning, blurred at its edges. The streets stirred to life under a cloudy sky. People were staring at me, pointing, or turning quickly away. Each of them had him inside; his many, many atoms, and each of them with his face, his beautiful smiling face.It wasn't frightening. It wasn't like that.It was glorious."Mental health might mean losing that connection with Simon. Hmm.The author is a registered health nurse and also a performance poet, and he's authored an unusual, genuine and engrossing book. Matt is good company, with all his problems, and the other characters are well-drawn - including his unstable mother and bonhomie father, and loyal grandma Nanny Noo. Matt manages to reach a surprisingly sweet but believable ending. This one won the Costa Book of the Year Award 2013 across the pond, and deserves to be better known in the U.S. and elsewhere. Four and a half stars.

[romonko · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Your heart will break for little Matthew Homes as you read this startling debut novel written by Nathan Filer. Mr. Filer is a mental-health nurse, and I think that he must be an outstanding one with loads of empathy and unlimited understanding of his patients as this novel so clearly portrays. This book provides the reader with a clear and merciless image of the workings of the mind of someone who suffers from schizophrenia. This story is written totally and completely by Matthew, and it begins and ends with the tragic death of Matthew's older brother Simon when Matt was 8 and Simon was 13. Simon was a Down's Syndrome child whose little life lit up the lives of all the people in his family. He was loving and happy and he adored his little brother Matthew. When Simon dies, Matt and his family do not get over it, and Matthew especially carries around his childhood guilt into adulthood. It follows him throughout his brave struggle with his disease which materializes when he is about 17. It follows him throughout his stays in the mental health wing of the hospital and in his flat where he goes when he is released from hospital. It follows him in his dealings with his parents and with the rest of his family. It never leaves him, and while he is carrying this guilt, he cannot begin to really get a handle on dealing with his illness. Matthew decides to face his demons and he goes back to where the terrible accident happened, and then, once he is there, and begins to see things in a grown up way, he actually begins to move forward with his recovery. This is a heartbreaking and lovely book that is both hopeless and hopeful at the same time. The strength of Matthew and his determination to face his demons makes you believe in the resilience of the human race. This is one of those rare books that will stay with you for a very long time.

[stephengoldenberg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I decided to read this even though it's part of a mini genre of fiction that I'm not greatly sold on - the 1st person narrative from a mentally disturbed child's point of view. However, I quite liked this up to about three quarters of the way through. The initial sections which build up his childhood home life and his relationship with his learning disabled brother are very good and quite moving. However, once he becomes a teenager in an institution battling with schizophrenia, I began to lose interest. But the narrative voice is very well sustained and the alternative narrative provided by letters also works well.

[riverwillow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An amazing debut novel. Beautifully written and peopled by compellingly flawed characters. Simon is a charming but unreliable narrator and, despite being about mental illness - Simon is a schizophrenic - and grief, this is not a depressing read, rather a beautifully haunting one. Jo Brand described this as 'one of the best books about mental illness', but it is so much more than that, as its about life, death, love and writing.

[janeyhoho · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GOOD READ.THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT.BRILLIANT WRITING.

[kiwifortyniner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Matthew and Simon were brothers but Simon died when they were on holiday at a young age. Matthew somehow seems to feel responsible, and has not been able to deal with it . As he gets older his life takes a downward spiral and we find him living with schizoprenia, having to tale medication, and spending time in phsyciatric wards. He decides to write his and Simon's story, and we finally learn what happened to Simon. This was a book I could not put down, beautifully writen. I think that the author did a great job of helping us see inside the mind of someone suffering from schizoprenia. I found the end of the book very moving.

[holly_85 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well I let the everything this book gave me sink in, and I think it's about time to leave a review. What can I say? Well first off if you like character driven books this is a prime example. Every character that was introduced to us was much more than simply two dimensional. Matt especially was a complex character who evoked much emotion from myself. His insights alone were enough to endear me to him, but with every piece of prime fiction, there was of course much more. He characterised how I personally feel, as I unfortunately have Multiple Sclerosis and am frequently unwell. He talked about how illness makes you selfish and that's exactly how I feel at times. Every great book will have a part of it that feels as if it was written especially for them, and this was it for me. ,Mental illness was tackled in a unique way here, and opened my eyes more fully to the inner struggles these people feel. There was a lot that is generaly described by such people, but also a lot that's not, giving the reader a unique insight. As the book went on I became more and more invested in Matt emotionally, and came to love all the subsequent characters uniquely. I especially felt for Matt's mother. Her grief was handled in such a way that it felt as if it was with effortless ease that she was communicated on the page. What I mean is, grief is such a complex emotion that it is not easy to communicate, but it didn't feel like that here. My only problem with this book is that it was far too short. After two months of only average reads, I just didn't want to give this book up! I actually think I'll read it again pretty soon!

[icolford · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nathan Filer’s Costa Book of the Year winning first novel chronicles the mental breakdown and guilt-ridden recovery process of Matt Homes, a young man whose childhood was wrecked by the death of his older brother Simon, who suffered from Down’s Syndrome. On holiday with their parents when Matt and Simon were children, an episode of mischievous nighttime tomfoolery instigated by Matt ends with Simon dead. Matt’s crushing guilt over the event is a contributing factor (one presumes) to his later diagnosis of schizophrenia, and the novel is framed as a document Matt is writing as part of his treatment to help himself and others understand what happened. The story proceeds in Matt’s at times matter-of-fact, at times funny, at times caustically sarcastic voice, a voice that effectively and entertainingly conveys his resentment, frustration, and occasional bewilderment with a psychiatric health care system that seems more concerned with following official procedure than with making lives better. Matt is perceptive, wise to his own coping strategies and those of the adults in his life. Sometimes amused, sometimes disheartened, he watches people struggle to deal with him and his disease, and decides to make it easy on them, or not. In his telling, Matt’s parents are sympathetic: kind and caring but ineffectual, his mother depressive and over-protective, his father helpless in the face of tragedy. Other characters do not come off so well, particularly the decision-makers—bureaucrats and psychiatrists—who are depicted as aloof and judgmental. What happened the night that Simon died is withheld until near the end: only revealed as Matt’s journey comes full circle and he accepts that people other than him must share responsibility for the tragedy. Filer’s accomplishment in this novel should be applauded. He writes convincingly in the voice of a 19-year-old man suffering from a devastating and debilitating illness. His indictment of the British health care system is not subtle, but oftentimes change does not result from subtlety. Filer is trained as a psychiatric nurse, so he is writing with his eyes wide open. Dramatically powerful, authentic and socially relevant, The Shock of the Fall is not an easy book, but its rewards are many.

[alisony-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fictional account of a young man’s struggle with grief, guilt and schizophrenia, this is an easy read in the style of [The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time]. Matt, the protagonist, blames himself for the death of his brother when they were young children, and as he grows into his teenage years and mental illness begins to take hold, this guilt and grief becomes interwound with his schizophrenia.This is a very poignant tale, well written, and an enjoyable page-turner. Although there was an element of suspense, there was nothing too surprising about how the plot unfolded. In many ways this was fitting - this is a snapshot in time of one person's difficulties living day in, day out with mental illness, which is drama enough in itself, and the climax of the novel was largely a positive one.All in all it was a nice read, and I devoured it fairly quickly, but it just lacked a bit of punch for me when compared with other books I've read this year.3.5 stars.

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have never read anything quite like this book before, it is a unique experience traveling along in the mindset of a mentally ill young man. I remember going to the theaters and seeing the movie "Beautiful Minds", I loved this movie, was completely blown away. That is how I felt at the end of this book. First time book for author Nathan Filer, and since he was a mental health nurse in previous years, he knew what he was writing about.Matthew, our unreliable narrator, has a voice that is very real and very innocent. After a tragedy in his family, from which he never really recovers, the trigger for his illness is set. We follow him as he tries to live in a life that is difficult and strange, for him things are never simple. His stays in a psychiatric wards and how his days are spent there, repeatedly going over the same things again and again, doing the same things , again and again. His courage and determination to get well, to write it all down so it could maybe make sense. Wanting to have a life, live on his own, the right to live in his own head if he wants too. Little victories, large set backs all poignantly rendered. It was impossible for me not to embrace this character, by books end we know almost everything about him and want everything to work out for him. In the beginning I wondered what was going on in this book but as the reader continues with the story , he is amply rewarded. More and more things are revealed as Matthews story goes back and forth. Wonderful first novel and look forward to many more.

[nuigurumi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ich hatte mir gar keine Gedanken darüber gemacht, was für eine Art Buch "Nachruf auf den Mond" ist, hätte es aber eigentlich besser wissen müssen. Alles, was ich vor dem Lesen wusste, war, dass Matt Homes in der psychiatrischen Abteilung eines Krankenhauses ist und dort seine Geschichte aufschreibt, in der es vor allem um den Tod seines älteren Bruders Simon geht, der während eines Urlaubs starb, als Matt neun Jahre alt war. Ich hatte wohl eine Art Familiengeschichte erwartet und das ist es irgendwie auch, aber hauptsächlich ist es die Lebens- und Krankengeschichte eines 19-Jährigen, der an Schizophrenie leidet – und damit genau die Art Buch, die ich eigentlich nicht mag…Der Leser begleitet Matt von dem schicksalhaften Urlaub an durch sein Leben. Man sieht, wie der Tod des älteren Sohnes die Familienstruktur zerstört und wie sich am Anfang vor allem die Mutter verändert, worunter Matt leiden muss. Dieser Teil hat mir am besten gefallen. Die Atmosphäre im Haus und Matts kindliches Unverständnis über das merkwürdige Verhalten seiner Mutter ist sehr einfühlsam erzählt und lässt sicher niemanden kalt.Matts Problem ist nicht nur, dass Simons Platz in der Familie leer bleibt, sondern auch, dass er sich an Simons Tod die Schuld gibt. Der Leser erfährt allerdings erst ganz am Ende des Buches, was wirklich passiert ist.Matt will Simon noch einen Wunsch erfüllen, den er nie bekommen hat, nämlich eine Ameisenfarm. Schon als Kind versucht er es erfolglos und als Jugendlicher verrennt er sich schließlich völlig in diese Idee. Seine Großmutter, die Erfahrung mit Schizophrenie hat, erkennt schnell, was mit ihm geschieht und sorgt dafür, dass er psychiatrische Hilfe bekommt.Matt wird mal in der Tagesklinik behandelt, mal über längere Zeit im Krankenhaus. Die Beschreibung des Alltags in der Psychiatrie hat mir gezeigt, dass dort der normalste Mensch wahnsinnig werden würde, obwohl alle sehr menschlich und freundlich sind. Das wird mich wohl noch länger verfolgen und ich werde mir darüber Gedanken machen."Nachruf auf den Mond" ist wirklich keine einfache Lektüre, weder inhaltlich noch vom Aufbau mit seinen Zeitsprüngen. Aber der Autor, der früher Krankenpfleger in einer psychiatrischen Klinik war, hat dafür gesorgt, dass ich mich in Matt hineinversetzen kann. Das war für mich bisher immer das Problem bei Büchern, in denen es um psychisch kranke Menschen geht, dass ich sie nicht verstanden habe und ihre Handlungsweise nicht nachvollziehen konnte. Bei Matt kann ich das und das macht dieses Buch so anders, und so beklemmend, ergreifend und aufwühlend.

[jayne_charles_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this confusing, though I suspect that was the author's intention. Told from the point of view of a man with mental health issues, it reflects the confusion in his head between events now and events some time ago, so that it was sometimes difficult to tell when things actually happened and in what order. What I did find fascinating was the insight into life in a mental hospital (the author is a nurse working in mental health so I've no doubt he knows his stuff). Sometimes it was the simple, bald statements ('there is literally nothing to do') that had the most impact.

[charlottejones952 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

'The Shock of the Fall' is the kind of book that will stay with you long after you read the final page. Some of the passages about grief and loss were particularly resonant and I found that the way the author tackled the issue of mental illness was extremely tactful, making the protagonist, Matthew, both relatable and distant to the reader simultaneously.

The plot and the way this was written took some time to get used to, because of the nature of the illness that Matthew has, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down and managed to read it in a day, almost all in one sitting. The jumbled plot and the revelations that the protagonist made are as much of a mystery to the reader as the illness is to Matthew and I think that this is one of the main reasons it is such a compelling story; it drags you in, makes you understand a little more about how someone with mental illness thinks, and urges you to read on, even through the more disturbing bits.

This book is definitely character-driven rather than plot based, which I think, for this kind of story, is perfect. It allows the reader access to the characters lives and makes you connect with them more because the plot doesn't distract from what's going on. In that way, this book reminded me of Mark Haddon's 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime' and I think that anyone that liked that would fall in love with this latest offering from Nathan Filer.

I have to say, the cover was what really drew me to want to read this book. The contrast between the black tree and the white background makes it stand out compared to other books, and overall the cover definitely reflects the story without giving anything away.

I will definitely be looking to read more of Nathan Filer's works in the future as this is a strong 5 out of 5 stars and I think that the book, although it does contain some swearing, would be suitable for both teenagers and adult readers. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a more characters-driven and emotional story, that will make you think, and stay with you long after you have finished reading it.

[eclecticdodo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What an excellent book, well deserving of all the attention. Matt is 19, living with schizophrenia, and writing his story as a form of therapy. We read all about his childhood and adolescence, and also his current experiences of NHS mental health services. The portrayal of mental illness and mental health services is very poignant and accurate at the same time. It combines the experiences of a service user with the insights of a professional.Later in the book Matt observes: "The worst thing about this illness isn't the things it makes me believe, or what it makes me do. It's not the control that it has over me, or even the control it's allowed other people to take. "Worse than all of that is how I have become selfish. "Mental illness turns people inwards. That's what I reckon. It keeps us forever trapped by the pain of our own minds, in the same way that the pain of a broken leg or a cut thumb will grab your attention, holding it so tightly that your good leg or your good thumb seem to cease to exist." "I'm stuck looking inwards. Nearly every thought I have is about me - this whole story has been all about me; the way I felt, what I thought, how I grieved."

[adrianghilder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A few reviewers have criticised this novel as the output of a creative writing course.
When you read the author Q&A at the end of the book it is clearly something else.
It is the output of someone who was serious and passionate enough about the story he wanted to tell to go on a creative writing course to be able to tell it properly.
Story first, ability to write it second.
End result is excellence.
Yes it is hard to follow in places as the memories are rearranged like furniture in Matthews mind (Nathan made up the furniture simile not me) and I think that is why it is chaotic in places. I'm taking that as a clever bit of creative writing to communicate the feel of Matthews condition and create suspense.
I don't normally read this genre of fiction but found it among the most compelling books I have ever read.
I spend enough time writing myself to be able to claim to be an amateur unpublished part time author (like 10,000's of others) and I'm going through the "desperate to tell a story and learning how to tell it properly process" myself.
Nathan's success here shows hope that it can be done.
(This review is also posted on Amazon)

[asxz-2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Mental illness and grief. This was unrelentingly depressing and while it did occasionally rise above the manipulative and mawkish, it was never actually enjoyable. I'm just pleased I managed to get through it in an afternoon.

[micahmom2002 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

written from the perspective of a schizophrenic young man in the form of a memior. He recounts the tragedy of losing his brother with Downs Syndrome as a child and follows his childhood and various hospitalizations.

[mnorfolk49 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting read - threw a new light for me on the impact of grief and a very interesting experience with the main character suffering with their mental health. Really enjoyed it.

[psutto_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

BrilliantMatthew has a mental illness that “sounds like a snake” and this is his story. Filer is a mental health nurse and now a Costa book winner and what a book, a well-deserved win. Filer obviously understands Schizophrenia and this neither mythologises or demonises the illness but gives Matthew space to tell his own story, in his own way. At the end of the book there is a Q&A and Filer says that his vision for the book would be a pile of untidy, different sized, papers, held together with string, paperclips and staples. The book is in a variety of fonts, to represent computer, letters, and typewritten parts as Matthew tells his story, in his own time, with constant interruptions. This is also a story about grief and family.:I’ll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after thatI will say no more about the plot. This is a very affecting, thought-provoking, emotional, intelligent and brilliantly written book. Filer’s style grabs you and won’t let go. I read this in a single day. It is one of those books where you may find that there is something in your eye in parts so bring a hankie to your favourite reading chair, snuggle up and dive right in.Overall – This very much deserves all the praise and hype, go and get a copy, now!

[kimkimkim-7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An edgy, anxious and sometimes uncomfortable read. But isn't that what mental illness can be about?! In the author's words, "Mental illness turns people inwards.....It keeps us forever trapped by the pain of our own minds, in the same way that the pain of a broken leg or a cut thumb will grab your attention, holding it so tightly that your good leg or your good thumb seem to cease to exist."

[infjsarah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this novel. It's a very quick read. Although the topic is not exactly a happy one, it's not a depressing read. And I too was glad that there was no magic cure at the end - that he will forever dance back and fore with mental illness. And his observations of the NHS were spot on!

[lynetterl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Matt never recovers from the death of his brother Simon, following an accident that occurred when they snuck out one night while on a family trip. His brother had Downs Syndrome, and I love the way the two of them got along. Matt believes the accident was his fault, and it changes him. His parents each deal with their own grief, but neither one talks much with Matt about anything that matters. Matt's family has a history of schizophrenia, so perhaps he would have ended up with that anyway, but clearly the visions he sees of his brother are part of how he is trying to cope with his loss. I liked that the ending gives some hope, while still making it clear that it's a cycle of improving and regressing. All in all, I enjoyed this story and will look forward to future writings from this author.

[thewasp_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Matthew was very close to his older brother Simon, but Simon dies while they are holidaying and 9 year old Matt's life begins to shift. By the time Matt is 19, he is battling to live with his schizophrenia and the sadness he feels for his lost brother. He commences writing his story of what happened to Simon and how his life has progressed. His story is sad, funny, insightful and worth reading. A different, but very enjoyable book.

[chrisway · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Stylistically, reminded me of a schizophrenic version of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, but it lacked the charm of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. While this was a ok book, it was also depressing and kind of bleak. I felt unsettled the whole time reading it. I think the unique format possibly got this book some extra attention and praise, but I feel somewhat deflated by the whole thing. The writing just wasn't able to carry the story for me and midway through I felt like I might need anti depressants after reading this.

[fatmashahin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

?Mental illness turns people inwards. That's what I reckon. It keeps us forever trapped by the pain of our own minds, in the same way that the pain of a broken leg or a cut thumb will grab your attention, holding it so tightly that your good leg or your good thumb seem to cease to exist.?

I'm trying to articulate exactly why I loved this book so much but I keep coming up short. See, I think what sets this book apart is the feeling you get when you read it. It's not so much an explicit thing you can point your finger at than it is an experience that you go through with the flawed but oh so lovable narrator, Matthew Homes. Right from the start, this book establishes an incredibly gripping and authentic narrative voice. It's simple, but it hits you hard. You can see this even from the first line of the book:
"I should say that I am not a nice person. Sometimes I try to be, but often I'm not. So when it was my turn to cover my eyes and count to a hundred - I cheated."
The Shock of the Fall is a book that resists neat, tidy definitions. Its narrative is fragmented and unabashedly messy. Matthew's life is tumultuous and difficult to read. This is a book which grapples with loss, grief and mental illness, concepts that are decidedly nebulous and touch different people in different ways. So, I'm going to try to avoid constraining this book to what will surely be an inadequate review, and instead invite you to please read it.

In the end, The Shock of the Fall really is like the shock of a fall: painfully acerbic, but in a way that wills you to open your eyes to some important, but not-so-comfortable realities.

[knittingmomof3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Where the Moon Isn’t by Nathan Fuller is quite a remarkable story and one I would recommend to anyone who has not yet had the chance to read this exquisitely written piece of literature.

[libsue · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

it took a bit to find the flow of this book but once I did I couldn't put it down. I'm not in the mental health field, but was fascinated by this glimpse into the schizophrenic mind. We'll done.