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    The Shock of the Fall
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    The Shock of the Fall
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    The Shock of the Fall
    Audiobook6 hours

    The Shock of the Fall

    Written by Nathan Filer

    Narrated by Bruce Mann

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    While on vacation with their parents, Matthew Homes and his older brother snuck out in the middle of the night. Only Matthew came home safely. Ten years later, Matthew tells us, he has found a way to bring his brother back...What begins as the story of a lost boy turns into a story of a brave man yearning to understand what happened that night, in the years since, and to his very person. Unafraid to look at the shadows of our hearts, Nathan Filer's rare and brilliant debut The Shock of the Fall shows us the strength that is rooted in resilience and love.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateNov 4, 2014
    ISBN9781633793200
    Unavailable
    The Shock of the Fall
    Author

    Nathan Filer

    Nathan Filer is a registered mental health nurse. He is also a performance poet, contributing regularly to literary events across the UK. His work has been broadcast on television and radio. The Shock of the Fall is his first novel.

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    Reviews for The Shock of the Fall

    3.5/5

    18 ratings35 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      Mental illness and grief. This was unrelentingly depressing and while it did occasionally rise above the manipulative and mawkish, it was never actually enjoyable. I'm just pleased I managed to get through it in an afternoon.
    • 4/5
      An edgy, anxious and sometimes uncomfortable read. But isn't that what mental illness can be about?! In the author's words, "Mental illness turns people inwards.....It keeps us forever trapped by the pain of our own minds, in the same way that the pain of a broken leg or a cut thumb will grab your attention, holding it so tightly that your good leg or your good thumb seem to cease to exist."
    • 5/5
      A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GOOD READ.THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT.BRILLIANT WRITING.
    • 4/5
      A few reviewers have criticised this novel as the output of a creative writing course.
      When you read the author Q&A at the end of the book it is clearly something else.
      It is the output of someone who was serious and passionate enough about the story he wanted to tell to go on a creative writing course to be able to tell it properly.
      Story first, ability to write it second.
      End result is excellence.
      Yes it is hard to follow in places as the memories are rearranged like furniture in Matthews mind (Nathan made up the furniture simile not me) and I think that is why it is chaotic in places. I'm taking that as a clever bit of creative writing to communicate the feel of Matthews condition and create suspense.
      I don't normally read this genre of fiction but found it among the most compelling books I have ever read.
      I spend enough time writing myself to be able to claim to be an amateur unpublished part time author (like 10,000's of others) and I'm going through the "desperate to tell a story and learning how to tell it properly process" myself.
      Nathan's success here shows hope that it can be done.
      (This review is also posted on Amazon)
    • 4/5
      An interesting read. The author writes from a position of knowledge as he worked as a mental health nurse, and you can tell by his insight into the thought processes of the main character and the attitude and methods of the people running the psychiatric ward that he knows his stuff. I didn't find it quite as moving as some people have suggested, but it does provide an interesting insight into mental illness
    • 4/5
      Very interesting read - threw a new light for me on the impact of grief and a very interesting experience with the main character suffering with their mental health. Really enjoyed it.
    • 5/5
      Well I let the everything this book gave me sink in, and I think it's about time to leave a review. What can I say? Well first off if you like character driven books this is a prime example. Every character that was introduced to us was much more than simply two dimensional. Matt especially was a complex character who evoked much emotion from myself. His insights alone were enough to endear me to him, but with every piece of prime fiction, there was of course much more. He characterised how I personally feel, as I unfortunately have Multiple Sclerosis and am frequently unwell. He talked about how illness makes you selfish and that's exactly how I feel at times. Every great book will have a part of it that feels as if it was written especially for them, and this was it for me. ,Mental illness was tackled in a unique way here, and opened my eyes more fully to the inner struggles these people feel. There was a lot that is generaly described by such people, but also a lot that's not, giving the reader a unique insight. As the book went on I became more and more invested in Matt emotionally, and came to love all the subsequent characters uniquely. I especially felt for Matt's mother. Her grief was handled in such a way that it felt as if it was with effortless ease that she was communicated on the page. What I mean is, grief is such a complex emotion that it is not easy to communicate, but it didn't feel like that here. My only problem with this book is that it was far too short. After two months of only average reads, I just didn't want to give this book up! I actually think I'll read it again pretty soon!
    • 3/5
      I decided to read this even though it's part of a mini genre of fiction that I'm not greatly sold on - the 1st person narrative from a mentally disturbed child's point of view. However, I quite liked this up to about three quarters of the way through. The initial sections which build up his childhood home life and his relationship with his learning disabled brother are very good and quite moving. However, once he becomes a teenager in an institution battling with schizophrenia, I began to lose interest. But the narrative voice is very well sustained and the alternative narrative provided by letters also works well.
    • 5/5
      "an illness with the shape and sound of a snake. It slithers through the branches of our family tree", November 9, 2014This review is from: The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer (2014) Paperback (Paperback)I started reading this morning...and just read and read all day till I finished (300 pages but quite quick reading.)It's narrated by teenage Matt as he looks back on his childhood and the death of his Downs Syndrome brother (we're kept waiting till the end to find out the details on that one).As Matt leaves school (and his grief stricken mother) and begins sharing a flat and using drugs, his brother starts to take over his thoughts..."There is weather and there is climate.If it rains outside, or if you stab a classmate's shoulder with a compass needle, over and over, until his white cotton school shirt looks like blotting paper, that is the weather.But if you live in a place where it is often likely to rain, or your perception falters and dislocates so that you retreat, suspicious and afraid of those closest to you, that is the climate."A compelling read and an insight on how it may feel to have schizophrenia...the side-effects of the medication, that cause sufferers not to take it and life in the mental health system.I did fear it was about to have an unrealistic, 'happy ever after' ending, but Mr Filer keeps things realistic.Recommended.
    • 5/5
      This is a beautifully written, effortlessly smooth and utterly compelling debut novel. Written by a registered mental health nurse, it's about a little boy called Matt whose brother Simon dies while they're on holiday; writing his story down ten years later, Matt chronicles his family's grief and recovery, and his own quiet descent into schizophrenia. It sounds really heavy when you put it like that, but it's not at all. The prose is gorgeous but easy to read, and as he slowly unfurls Matt's history, Filer drops the pieces into place with precise and perfect timing. I breezed through it in two or three days, thoroughly enjoyed every page, chuckled a few times, and had a little weep or two along the way as well. It's perfect.
    • 3/5
      The story of Matthew and his struggle to come to terms with both the loss of his brother and his own developing mental illness. The reader is drawn into Matthew's world, trying to make sense of it as he is. This is the author's first novel and the Costa Book of the Year for 2013. Engaging and thoughtful, the story draws you in and has you hoping that Matthew finds a way to get past his demons and begin to cope more effectively with his illness.
    • 4/5
      Writing about the past is a way of reliving it, a way of seeing it unfold all over again. We place memories on pieces of paper to know they will always exist. Page 306/7Matthew Homes isn't your average boy and neither is his brother. One night, they set off from their vacation home. Only one of them returns. What unfolds is a life long journey of learning to deal with grief, of letting go, of forgiveness, all while battling an enemy that is often untouchable but no less insidious. Books that can offer a perspective on subjects that are either unknown or unfamiliar to me are always an invaluable experience. Where the Moon Isn't is no exception. Delving into the subject of mental illness and all the struggles that are inherent in such an existence is both eye opening and terrifying, all at once. Filer gives us a glimpse of the daily struggles, the constant battles, and the unending journey of coping through the story of Matthew. A very poignant and worthwhile read. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      Your heart will break for little Matthew Homes as you read this startling debut novel written by Nathan Filer. Mr. Filer is a mental-health nurse, and I think that he must be an outstanding one with loads of empathy and unlimited understanding of his patients as this novel so clearly portrays. This book provides the reader with a clear and merciless image of the workings of the mind of someone who suffers from schizophrenia. This story is written totally and completely by Matthew, and it begins and ends with the tragic death of Matthew's older brother Simon when Matt was 8 and Simon was 13. Simon was a Down's Syndrome child whose little life lit up the lives of all the people in his family. He was loving and happy and he adored his little brother Matthew. When Simon dies, Matt and his family do not get over it, and Matthew especially carries around his childhood guilt into adulthood. It follows him throughout his brave struggle with his disease which materializes when he is about 17. It follows him throughout his stays in the mental health wing of the hospital and in his flat where he goes when he is released from hospital. It follows him in his dealings with his parents and with the rest of his family. It never leaves him, and while he is carrying this guilt, he cannot begin to really get a handle on dealing with his illness. Matthew decides to face his demons and he goes back to where the terrible accident happened, and then, once he is there, and begins to see things in a grown up way, he actually begins to move forward with his recovery. This is a heartbreaking and lovely book that is both hopeless and hopeful at the same time. The strength of Matthew and his determination to face his demons makes you believe in the resilience of the human race. This is one of those rare books that will stay with you for a very long time.
    • 4/5
      Nathan Filer really sucks you into mental illness in a tragic tale with a hopeful ending. A promising debut.
    • 5/5
      What an excellent book, well deserving of all the attention. Matt is 19, living with schizophrenia, and writing his story as a form of therapy. We read all about his childhood and adolescence, and also his current experiences of NHS mental health services. The portrayal of mental illness and mental health services is very poignant and accurate at the same time. It combines the experiences of a service user with the insights of a professional.Later in the book Matt observes: "The worst thing about this illness isn't the things it makes me believe, or what it makes me do. It's not the control that it has over me, or even the control it's allowed other people to take. "Worse than all of that is how I have become selfish. "Mental illness turns people inwards. That's what I reckon. It keeps us forever trapped by the pain of our own minds, in the same way that the pain of a broken leg or a cut thumb will grab your attention, holding it so tightly that your good leg or your good thumb seem to cease to exist." "I'm stuck looking inwards. Nearly every thought I have is about me - this whole story has been all about me; the way I felt, what I thought, how I grieved."
    • 4/5
      I have never read anything quite like this book before, it is a unique experience traveling along in the mindset of a mentally ill young man. I remember going to the theaters and seeing the movie "Beautiful Minds", I loved this movie, was completely blown away. That is how I felt at the end of this book. First time book for author Nathan Filer, and since he was a mental health nurse in previous years, he knew what he was writing about.Matthew, our unreliable narrator, has a voice that is very real and very innocent. After a tragedy in his family, from which he never really recovers, the trigger for his illness is set. We follow him as he tries to live in a life that is difficult and strange, for him things are never simple. His stays in a psychiatric wards and how his days are spent there, repeatedly going over the same things again and again, doing the same things , again and again. His courage and determination to get well, to write it all down so it could maybe make sense. Wanting to have a life, live on his own, the right to live in his own head if he wants too. Little victories, large set backs all poignantly rendered. It was impossible for me not to embrace this character, by books end we know almost everything about him and want everything to work out for him. In the beginning I wondered what was going on in this book but as the reader continues with the story , he is amply rewarded. More and more things are revealed as Matthews story goes back and forth. Wonderful first novel and look forward to many more.
    • 5/5
      This was a beautifully written book about Matthew whose brother Simon died when they were little boys and Matthew is now 19 and living with schizophrenia. Matthew "sees" his brother in the ocean tide, the wind, the birthday candle flames and when he tries to reach out for him he only succeeds in attempting to kill himself. The book is written in different fonts and writing styles with pictures and drawings all adding to the frame of mind Matthew is in while he is writing the book. I guess I didn't say that...that the book is written by Matthew, from his perspective. It takes you through his thought processes on any given day in the life of a person with mental illness. I couldn't put the book down. It just flowed so beautifully.
    • 4/5
      it took a bit to find the flow of this book but once I did I couldn't put it down. I'm not in the mental health field, but was fascinated by this glimpse into the schizophrenic mind. We'll done.
    • 5/5
      An amazing debut novel. Beautifully written and peopled by compellingly flawed characters. Simon is a charming but unreliable narrator and, despite being about mental illness - Simon is a schizophrenic - and grief, this is not a depressing read, rather a beautifully haunting one. Jo Brand described this as 'one of the best books about mental illness', but it is so much more than that, as its about life, death, love and writing.
    • 4/5
      Matthew and Simon were brothers but Simon died when they were on holiday at a young age. Matthew somehow seems to feel responsible, and has not been able to deal with it . As he gets older his life takes a downward spiral and we find him living with schizoprenia, having to tale medication, and spending time in phsyciatric wards. He decides to write his and Simon's story, and we finally learn what happened to Simon. This was a book I could not put down, beautifully writen. I think that the author did a great job of helping us see inside the mind of someone suffering from schizoprenia. I found the end of the book very moving.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this novel. It's a very quick read. Although the topic is not exactly a happy one, it's not a depressing read. And I too was glad that there was no magic cure at the end - that he will forever dance back and fore with mental illness. And his observations of the NHS were spot on!
    • 4/5
      I found this confusing, though I suspect that was the author's intention. Told from the point of view of a man with mental health issues, it reflects the confusion in his head between events now and events some time ago, so that it was sometimes difficult to tell when things actually happened and in what order. What I did find fascinating was the insight into life in a mental hospital (the author is a nurse working in mental health so I've no doubt he knows his stuff). Sometimes it was the simple, bald statements ('there is literally nothing to do') that had the most impact.
    • 4/5
      Matt never recovers from the death of his brother Simon, following an accident that occurred when they snuck out one night while on a family trip. His brother had Downs Syndrome, and I love the way the two of them got along. Matt believes the accident was his fault, and it changes him. His parents each deal with their own grief, but neither one talks much with Matt about anything that matters. Matt's family has a history of schizophrenia, so perhaps he would have ended up with that anyway, but clearly the visions he sees of his brother are part of how he is trying to cope with his loss. I liked that the ending gives some hope, while still making it clear that it's a cycle of improving and regressing. All in all, I enjoyed this story and will look forward to future writings from this author.
    • 3/5
      written from the perspective of a schizophrenic young man in the form of a memior. He recounts the tragedy of losing his brother with Downs Syndrome as a child and follows his childhood and various hospitalizations.
    • 2/5
      Stylistically, reminded me of a schizophrenic version of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, but it lacked the charm of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. While this was a ok book, it was also depressing and kind of bleak. I felt unsettled the whole time reading it. I think the unique format possibly got this book some extra attention and praise, but I feel somewhat deflated by the whole thing. The writing just wasn't able to carry the story for me and midway through I felt like I might need anti depressants after reading this.
    • 5/5
      Matthew was very close to his older brother Simon, but Simon dies while they are holidaying and 9 year old Matt's life begins to shift. By the time Matt is 19, he is battling to live with his schizophrenia and the sadness he feels for his lost brother. He commences writing his story of what happened to Simon and how his life has progressed. His story is sad, funny, insightful and worth reading. A different, but very enjoyable book.
    • 5/5
      'The Shock of the Fall' is the kind of book that will stay with you long after you read the final page. Some of the passages about grief and loss were particularly resonant and I found that the way the author tackled the issue of mental illness was extremely tactful, making the protagonist, Matthew, both relatable and distant to the reader simultaneously.

      The plot and the way this was written took some time to get used to, because of the nature of the illness that Matthew has, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down and managed to read it in a day, almost all in one sitting. The jumbled plot and the revelations that the protagonist made are as much of a mystery to the reader as the illness is to Matthew and I think that this is one of the main reasons it is such a compelling story; it drags you in, makes you understand a little more about how someone with mental illness thinks, and urges you to read on, even through the more disturbing bits.

      This book is definitely character-driven rather than plot based, which I think, for this kind of story, is perfect. It allows the reader access to the characters lives and makes you connect with them more because the plot doesn't distract from what's going on. In that way, this book reminded me of Mark Haddon's 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime' and I think that anyone that liked that would fall in love with this latest offering from Nathan Filer.

      I have to say, the cover was what really drew me to want to read this book. The contrast between the black tree and the white background makes it stand out compared to other books, and overall the cover definitely reflects the story without giving anything away.

      I will definitely be looking to read more of Nathan Filer's works in the future as this is a strong 5 out of 5 stars and I think that the book, although it does contain some swearing, would be suitable for both teenagers and adult readers. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a more characters-driven and emotional story, that will make you think, and stay with you long after you have finished reading it.
    • 5/5
      ?Mental illness turns people inwards. That's what I reckon. It keeps us forever trapped by the pain of our own minds, in the same way that the pain of a broken leg or a cut thumb will grab your attention, holding it so tightly that your good leg or your good thumb seem to cease to exist.?

      I'm trying to articulate exactly why I loved this book so much but I keep coming up short. See, I think what sets this book apart is the feeling you get when you read it. It's not so much an explicit thing you can point your finger at than it is an experience that you go through with the flawed but oh so lovable narrator, Matthew Homes. Right from the start, this book establishes an incredibly gripping and authentic narrative voice. It's simple, but it hits you hard. You can see this even from the first line of the book:
      "I should say that I am not a nice person. Sometimes I try to be, but often I'm not. So when it was my turn to cover my eyes and count to a hundred - I cheated."
      The Shock of the Fall is a book that resists neat, tidy definitions. Its narrative is fragmented and unabashedly messy. Matthew's life is tumultuous and difficult to read. This is a book which grapples with loss, grief and mental illness, concepts that are decidedly nebulous and touch different people in different ways. So, I'm going to try to avoid constraining this book to what will surely be an inadequate review, and instead invite you to please read it.

      In the end, The Shock of the Fall really is like the shock of a fall: painfully acerbic, but in a way that wills you to open your eyes to some important, but not-so-comfortable realities.
    • 3/5
      Nathan Filer’s Costa Book of the Year winning first novel chronicles the mental breakdown and guilt-ridden recovery process of Matt Homes, a young man whose childhood was wrecked by the death of his older brother Simon, who suffered from Down’s Syndrome. On holiday with their parents when Matt and Simon were children, an episode of mischievous nighttime tomfoolery instigated by Matt ends with Simon dead. Matt’s crushing guilt over the event is a contributing factor (one presumes) to his later diagnosis of schizophrenia, and the novel is framed as a document Matt is writing as part of his treatment to help himself and others understand what happened. The story proceeds in Matt’s at times matter-of-fact, at times funny, at times caustically sarcastic voice, a voice that effectively and entertainingly conveys his resentment, frustration, and occasional bewilderment with a psychiatric health care system that seems more concerned with following official procedure than with making lives better. Matt is perceptive, wise to his own coping strategies and those of the adults in his life. Sometimes amused, sometimes disheartened, he watches people struggle to deal with him and his disease, and decides to make it easy on them, or not. In his telling, Matt’s parents are sympathetic: kind and caring but ineffectual, his mother depressive and over-protective, his father helpless in the face of tragedy. Other characters do not come off so well, particularly the decision-makers—bureaucrats and psychiatrists—who are depicted as aloof and judgmental. What happened the night that Simon died is withheld until near the end: only revealed as Matt’s journey comes full circle and he accepts that people other than him must share responsibility for the tragedy. Filer’s accomplishment in this novel should be applauded. He writes convincingly in the voice of a 19-year-old man suffering from a devastating and debilitating illness. His indictment of the British health care system is not subtle, but oftentimes change does not result from subtlety. Filer is trained as a psychiatric nurse, so he is writing with his eyes wide open. Dramatically powerful, authentic and socially relevant, The Shock of the Fall is not an easy book, but its rewards are many.
    • 5/5
      In The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer, 19 year old Matt Holmes is a decent-seeming young man who is driven to aberrant behavior. "I have an illness, a disease with the shape and sound of a snake. Whenever I learn something new, it learns it too … My illness knows everything I know. This was a difficult thing to get my head around." He's schizophrenic, and a compulsive writer on an old typewriter his grandmother gave him. He also has artistic talent, and we get to see his drawings in the book, along with other visual elements (like hand-written letters and differing type fonts) that fit with his story. He's trying to deal with his deep sorrow and guilt over the death of his older, Down's Syndrome brother Simon, that happened on a family vacation when they were kids. He also struggles with the demands of the mental health system and the desirable/undesirable effects of his medication, while his family struggles with his swerve into strangeness.Simon haunts him everywhere, but it is a haunting he welcomes and lives for:"I stumbled into a new morning, blurred at its edges. The streets stirred to life under a cloudy sky. People were staring at me, pointing, or turning quickly away. Each of them had him inside; his many, many atoms, and each of them with his face, his beautiful smiling face.It wasn't frightening. It wasn't like that.It was glorious."Mental health might mean losing that connection with Simon. Hmm.The author is a registered health nurse and also a performance poet, and he's authored an unusual, genuine and engrossing book. Matt is good company, with all his problems, and the other characters are well-drawn - including his unstable mother and bonhomie father, and loyal grandma Nanny Noo. Matt manages to reach a surprisingly sweet but believable ending. This one won the Costa Book of the Year Award 2013 across the pond, and deserves to be better known in the U.S. and elsewhere. Four and a half stars.