Review: The Fall

The Fall by Albert Camus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In concept, I think "The Fall" deals with some interesting ideas, philosophically and creatively.

It's told through a series of dramatic monologues addressed to (presumably) the reader. It's conversational, and the narrator has a clear and developing personality that shines through. The reader himself also has a slight personality that shines through, giving character. There are witty and quotable asides and stories,

On a philosophical level, it has a fairly interesting analysis of judgement and pleasure. A lot of the narrators' descriptions are very sharp and cutting. There is something sinister about him, something morbid, that becomes apparent as the novel goes on. This is then reflected back onto the world, onto the reader (not just the character of the reader, but the reader in life). This is disturbing and commands thought.

That is what is good, here is what is bad: it is tedious. The dramatic monologues, the constantly distracted narrator who will keep meandering. It is tedious. It gets boring. It becomes, almost, annoying. The lack of substance, of a hook, to keep you reading means that you have to work to read through this short book.

It is short enough that this "work" is not too exhausting. Still, a disappointingly presented novel.

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