The Pier Falls: And Other Stories

The Pier Falls is a collection of short stories by author Mark Haddon. They are very well written, maybe even brilliant - Haddon can build amazing mind pictures with his words… And yet…and yet…despite the beauty of these stories, or perhaps because of it, this is one of the hardest reviews I’ve written because I’m not sure who I would recommend this book to. At the very least, any recommendation I could give would come with a strong trigger warning about the emotional effects these stories will likely have because, seriously, they are all consistently and unremittingly dark. Death, despair, and sorrow run through every story. Perhaps, my feelings about these stories can best be summed up by this quote from one of the stories, show more The Woodpecker and the Wolf:

There is something wrong with all this but she cannot put her finger on what it might be

So, in the end, I will only say if you love short stories with beautiful writing, lots of tension, and the kind imagery that stays with you long after for better or worse, this is definitely worth the read but be prepared for the emotional impact. You’ve been warned. show less

Judging by this collection of short stories, Haddon is clearly a very gifted writer, but he seems to have an almost unremittingly bleak view of the world and of human nature. Most of the stories are in one way or another about how people react to the extreme physicality of violence and suffering when it breaks unexpectedly into their lives. The context and the approach vary from story to story - in "The pier falls" the style is so journalistic that it's a surprise to find that this isn't a description of an actual event; "Wodwo" brings figures of medieval myth into a contemporary magic-realist setting; "The Island" takes a legend in its own terms and strips the magic away from it; "The woodpecker and the wolf" seems to be magic-realist show more sci-fi; "The boys who left home to learn fear" is Rider Haggard/Conan Doyle adventure; whilst "Bunny", "Breathe" and "The gun" are good old-fashioned council-estate drab. But every time we know that at some point in the story we are going to get dismemberment, violent death and soiled underpants. But with enough real feeling that it's never merely grotesque grand guignol.

If you like this sort of thing, then this is the sort of thing you will probably like. show less

These stories by Mark Haddon are worlds in themselves. In each, it took me a few paragraphs to get orientated before finding myself immersed in a curious blend of intimacy and overview. This blend of perspective seems to be what links the stories. Other than that, the stories are entirely different. I would go as far saying almost from different literary genres. The intimacy comes from extremely personal perspectives (often at the point of death) that can't help but be moving or at least thought provoking. The overviews remind me of the way in which characters in Tom Tykwer's film film Run Lola Run are given rapidly unfolding fates - as if a series of camera snapshots. I could revisit each story but I'd just be looking for evidence to show more confirm these thoughts. Mark Haddon is a truly gifted writer. Thanks for sending me this Jim. show less

Mark Haddon has said, “It seems to me that if you are writing a short story and it is not more entertaining than the stories in that morning’s newspaper or that evening’s TV news, then you need to throw it away and start again, or open a cycle repair shop." His vision is apparent in this collection of nine quite bizarre stories. The settings vary; the subjects are eclectic; and the plots are surprising. They have commonalities, however: all are unconventional, most characters are unlovable, and each story is unremittingly dark and lacking in any reverence for human life or even ordinary decency. These issues aside, the collection is remarkable entertaining.

These stories did not work equally well for me. A rough order of their show more appeal from best to worst might be as follows:
"The Gun" tells of two adolescent boys who steal a loaded gun and embark on an adventure that rapidly turns sour. There is a nexus where, with a few very minor changes, outcomes could have been very different and would have profoundly altered their lives forever. One seems to realize this, but the other is oblivious.
In “The Weir,” Ian is despondent because his wife has left him and taken his son. He rescues Kelly from a suicide attempt by drowning in the Thames. They manage to develop a strange, but mutually depressive friendship. “…they will all go down into the dark eventually… the river will keep on flowing… and the buzzard will still be circling above the wasteland.”
“Wodwo” is a novella that starts with a family Christmas that morphs into a bizarre story of a mythic wild man who intrudes to the party. He challenges the family to a game that ends with him being shot by the egotistical Gavin. The intruder warns that he will be returning on the following Christmas for another round of the game. Over the subsequent year, Gavin’s life changes dramatically from success to utter failure while he anticipates the second coming of the stranger.
“The Woodpecker and the Wolf," tells of a team of astronauts stranded on Mars. Death by starvation and suicide seem to be their fate, but strangely, new life emerges. Clare Hogg wonders, “There is something wrong with all this, but she cannot put her finger on what.”
“The Pier Falls” chronicles in excruciating detail the collapse of a seaside amusement pier from the failure of its first rivet to the ultimate collapse with the loss of 65 lives. Lives go from lighthearted enjoyment of a sunny afternoon to unbearable devastation leaving one with the thought that disasters often begin with convergences of fairly minor events.
In "The Island," a Greek princess assists a captive warrior to escape while killing her deformed brother. He repays her foolishness by abandoning her on a deserted island where she is ill equipped for survival. She comes to realize that her privileged life “deprived her of the one skill that she needs now."
“Bunny” is morbidly obese. He wastes his life immobilized while eating junk food, watching bad television, playing video games and building military dioramas. Unfortunately, Bunny finds Leah, a troubled woman who cares for him until something better comes along. Her solution is tragic, but almost seems to have been Bunny’s fate all along.
“Breathe” is the story of Carol, the daughter who left home but returns to belatedly care for her widowed and depressed mother. Robyn, the sister who stayed put, looks on with disgust. The climax seems abrupt and too contrived to make for a very satisfying ending.
"The Boys Who Left Home to Learn Fear" embark on a rescue mission to a jungle that is inhabited by a vicious and deadly creature. Although it has a “Heart of Darkness” flavor, it lacks all of the moral ambiguity of the Conrad tale.

These stories are not for the faint of heart. Many people die in horrible ways. The themes are morbid. These are not fatal flaws, however, because the stories are generally well constructed and totally engaging. This collection is so dark that it may best read in small doses. show less

It took me a very long time to finish this collection because I didn't want it to be over, a rare occurrence. Each story was like a little present to be unwrapped and astonished by and mull over later; I understand perfectly why some of these tales were prize-winners. This book has made me stop hating short stories, which I had really become antagonistic toward lately.

A big fat thank you to the Penguin Random House who sent me this ARC which I savoured thoroughly.

Another pretty darn good book of short stories. The first story is the title story and I loved it, how he showed how people's lives changed in an instant. What happened after, the journalists, people whom were there and survived and those, who didn't, but he also showed how quickly things, people and their lives go back to normal. How the collapsed pier just becomes background. So true to life. Also loved Bunny, a story with a surprise ending that packs a punch. In the Boys who left home to learn fear, a rescue mission in the jungle goes horribly wrong. I think there were only two stories that I didn't care for, the rest were great. Connections to people, what lengths people will go and how one incident can completely change a life show more seemed to be unifying themes.

Loved his novel, [book:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|1618], and equally in awe of his short story telling ability.

ARC from Netgalley. show less

"The Pier Falls" was my first introduction to Mark Haddon. He is clearly a talented author -- deftly managing to capture tension and drama, and honing in on the complexities of human relationships. However, this collection provided a mixed experience for me.

The first, and title story, about the collapse of a pier in a seaside town is brilliant. I held my breath while listening to the audio. Haddon had transported me onto that pier and made me experience the terror right along with the characters in the vignette. "Bunny" about the relationship between an unloved and unlucky girl and her 500 lb. neighbor is so unlike anything I've ever read. "Breathe" will resonate with those faced with caring for an aging parent.

Unfortunately, the show more other stories didn't capture my interest. They contained moment of poignancy, but for me they felt too "stiff".

3 stars over all, but 5 stars for the three stories mentioned specifically.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. While I received a galley of the book, I ended up listening to the audio version. show less