Amy Falls Down

At least one guaranteed chortle of delight every 25 pages! I found this book and author in the Brown U magazine and what a discovery! Seems very roman a clef - Amy is a forgotten, formerly acclaimed writer of short stories and novels living in a peaceful California backwater. Amy is still numb from the death of her gay husband/best friend and engages only with her basset hound Alphonse and a few students in a workshop she teaches. Then she takes a tumble in her backyard, hits her head on a birdbath, gives an outrageously confused interview, and we're off to the social media races!

A lot of parody of writers, TV personalities, bloggers, etc, but most engaging. Many stories document the climb from nowhere to success. This one winds from show more oblivion to top of the world, at Amy's pace and style. Hilarious redemption and I can't wait to read her other books! show less

Hilariously funny, while still managing to be moving and insightful

This book is so funny I kept losing my place because I was laughing so hard, and I almost never laugh out loud while reading. Amy Gallup is an aging, has-been novelist, who never really broke through to the big time anyway, but that’s fine with her. Amy embraces her uncompromising lack of ambition and, far from seeking fame, she arranges her life for complete anonymity, even burying links to her out of print novels behind a series of obscure questions on her website. She has her opinionated Basset Hound Alphonse, her devoted writing students--not that she craves anyone’s admiration, but she does need an income and a little company--and a nice quiet life. Then she’s show more interviewed while still not quite in her right mind after falling and hitting her head and the world begins to take notice. One thing leads to another until, horror of horrors, she becomes a sought after celebrity expected to fly around the country to do media appearances and conference speeches.

Though the story sounds like it might be just absurd, it has more substance than that. It’s elevated by Amy’s piercingly apt and intelligent (and usually, yes, hilarious) observations about the world and people around her, and by Amy’s need to confront past issues she had years ago chosen to avoid.

Amy Falls Down is the second book Jincy Willett has written featuring Amy Gallup, but while I now can’t wait to get my hands on the first it was fine to read them out of order. The other Amy novel is a murder mystery, which has really piqued my interest because, at least on the surface, that’s very different from this second book and I want to see how the author handles it. show less

adult fiction - humor (after a series of accidents, washed-up writer/hermit has a high-publicity adventure and learns to take down walls between herself and her would-be friends).
There are some laugh-out-loud moments here, and a lot of did-she-just-say-that? moments. It's refreshing to hear what a character will say when she truly doesn't care what people think of herself. Other times the story dribbles a bit, but overall it's a fun, flippant read.

After a slow start I really found myself enjoying the witty (though very dry) humor in this book. Amy grows on you as you discover more of her character and background. I especially enjoyed the names of the chapters, trying to see if I could find the relationship as I read. Another part I liked was the “topics” Amy lists as story ideas/titles. They give another clue to Amy’s persona. Amy’s students are delightful, clearly and carefully drawn.
While the entire book is a put down of pretentious authors, it is also the story of a very human woman who has great sorrows to surmount. As is true with all good humor, there is also tragedy to provide contrast. Willett deals well with both. (spoiler alert – Maxine’s recovery is the one show more deviation from realistic outcomes in an otherwise well-paced and plotted tale.)
Anyone who enjoys a “good read” and, equally, a “bad read,” will enjoy this writer’s delight. If you are a potential novelist, there is much food for thought.
Book groups will have a field day with a variety of topics – truth vs fiction, honest criticism, how you see yourself as opposed to how others see you, marriage of convenience, dealing with rude/stupid/ignorant people (and being rude/stupid/ignorant yourself), personal growth and change, phobias and others. show less

Jincy Willett has written a humorous and somewhat profound story about fictional author Amy Gallup. Amy lived her life as if in a cocoon, fearing many things. She basically had writer's block for years and produced nothing after her original post-college flurry of work. A lengthy marriage to a gay man provided a sense of security for her that crumbled after he died, resulting in a hurried marriage to someone incompatible with her. That marriage ended in divorce. Then on New Year's Day, Amy fell down while carrying a Norfolk pine through her garden and hit her head on her birdbath. Her brain waves were slightly scrambled, and she when she gave an already-scheduled interview to a reporter, the results were garbled. The interview went show more viral among the media, and Amy's life began to reinvent itself. She became a sort of media celebrity and writing guru whose opinion was valued by all. More importantly, her creativity was unleashed within her enabling her to write again after all those years. This novel is a great look at how we sometimes become trapped within ourselves. Anyone who enjoys reading about the book industry or who writes will especially enjoy this book. show less

This was a staff picks at the local library. I chose it due to a comment by Augusten Borroughs, a favorite author who raved about it. Jincy is definitely a seasoned storyteller and Amy is likely similar to her since its the tale of a writer gone dormant for years who upon having a minor accident in the backyard spouts new story ideas continuously. Like a line of dominoes, events created by her agent Maxine lead to notoriety and along the way she reminisces about ex-husbands and her life. I'm not sure why Augusten felt it was so funny; compared to his books its not though there are elements of humor throughout. Overall its OK, but nothing to write home about.

Amy Falls Down is the story of Amy Gallup, who falls down, hits her head on a birdbath and then comes awake just in time to give an interview while concussed. The interview is very peculiar and sets off a firestorm of interest in Amy and her writing, but mostly in Amy and her way of stating, what to her, is obvious. This is a very funny book. It is all about writing and the publishing industry, but is also about a person who lived like a hermit for 30 years suddenly rediscovering the human race, and liking it....for the most part. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy and have a fairly odd sense of humor. I think, if people look close, they can learn a lot from this book and not just about writing.