The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer

"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."writes Matt Homes a diagnosed schizophrenic struggling to cope with the loss of his Down syndrome brother, and the guilt he might have contributed to his death. Using writing as therapy after having been sectioned, Matt describes in detail the unutterable boredom of psychiatric hospitals, the interminably of time, and the tick tock of pills that mark the passing of the day.  Written in various type face, with sketches and the feel of a journal 'put together' this book of a journey into a mind is interesting and depressing.  Matt's family are well drawn, their love and fragile mental states suggested at.  

The book generated a good discussion about mental health, perceptions of mental illness, and what guilt can do to the mind.  A number of us found the protagonist difficult to 'like' and were hoping for more of a clear cut description of schizophrenia, other loved the terse phrasing and clever descriptions of the illness cleverly linked in with the story line.

Thank you Carolyn for all the lovely eats - thank goodness we hadn't eaten, and for the wonderful post book discussion of politics, religion and prostitution!

Words used to describe the book:
realistic description, bit blah, unengaging but, enlightening, interesting,

Marks out of 10 - between 5 - 8 so quite highly marked.

Next book 

Germania by Simon Winder

Next Meeting (excluding X'mas dinner on 17th December)

Thursday 15th January

at

126 Harbord St