To The Last Page

Danielle McLaughlin’s debut novel works on two levels – maybe more but let’s stick with two for now for the sake of keeping a review of The Art of Falling simple. On one level, sadly, it’s about the banalities of domestic life; sadly, I suppose because we all have to live with and deal with them. On another level however there’s something else going on beneath the surface of all these domestic tensions, but even that could be said to be similarly banal, since anger, resentment, bitterness and disappointment all come as part of the package. Lest that make it seem like The Art of Falling is a rather dull and tedious, there’s always another way of viewing such matters and we all have different ways of getting through the little and big trials that life throws our way. Often it drives us to find solace, a sense of understanding and kinship with others or seek to find a way to express and elevate those difficult circumstances into something more tangible and manageable, and often that’s t...