Stone's Fall

by Iain Pears

{ 2009 | Spiegel & Grau | 608 pgs }

I added this to my list merely because it was featured on a book design blog I read. The cover is interesting, isn’t it? If you can’t tell, it’s a stock certificate with a small silhouette of a body with bloody spatter around it. Yes, the book is a mystery.

However, it’s divided into three sections – each is narrated by a different character, written at a different time. Only the final pages reveal the super-ultra-twist ending, and I was so blown away I sat open-mouthed for several minutes.

Stone’s Fall is historical fiction, and I was impressed with how well the author wrote the narration to sound like it fit the time period(s). There were times when the story moved a little bit slowly, but after the first such instance, things picked up so suddenly that I didn’t mind the next slow spot – I knew something exciting was coming soon. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed this book. I like the feeling of understanding at the end (despite the shock of how things came together); when I finished I felt like I had such a complete grasp and comprehension of the characters’ lives. It sounds a little ridiculous, because it is fiction, but I understood the situation so well! Some books and movies leave me feeling a little confused. Not so with Stone’s Fall.

It was slightly on the long side, considering how infrequently I was able to sit down to read. It probably took me about two weeks – and I think few other books have taken me so long. But I absolutely enjoyed it and absolutely recommend it.