The Falls: A Novel - Softcover

Oates, Joyce Carol

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060722290 ISBN 13: 9780060722296

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2005

Synopsis

It is 1950 and, after a disastrous honeymoon night, Ariah Erskine's young husband throws himself into the roaring waters of Niagara Falls. Ariah, "the Widow Bride of the Falls," begins a relentless seven-day vigil in the mist, waiting for his body to be found. At her side is confirmed bachelor and pillar of the community Dirk Burnaby, who is unexpectedly drawn to her. What follows is a passionate love affair, marriage, and family -- a seemingly perfect existence. But tragedy soon takes over their lives, poisoning their halcyon years with distrust, greed, and murder.

Set against the mythic-historic backdrop of Niagara Falls in the mid-twentieth century, this haunting exploration of the American family in crisis is a stunning achievement from "one of the great artistic forces of our time" (The Nation).

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

About this title

About the Author:

Joyce Carol Oates is a recipient of the National Medal of Humanities, the National Book Critics Circle Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Book Award, and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction, and has been several times nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. She has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including the national bestsellers We Were the Mulvaneys, Blonde, which was nominated for the National Book Award, and the New York Times bestseller The Falls, which won the 2005 Prix Femina. Her most recent novel is A Book of American Martyrs. She is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Princeton University and has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1978.

From AudioFile:

Anna Fields's skilled voice creates Niagara Falls as a living and unforgiving character, echoing and resonating in this family story. Opening with a startling courtship and marriage, Fields brings the characters and environment to life, building to a crescendo as powerful as the Falls themselves. (It's awesome to realize that a human voice can make so real the men, women, and children of this saga.) Be prepared for emotional moments as the story peaks, ebbs, and peaks again, and love is found in the most surprising places. In the end, you'll feel you know these people and share their sorrows and occasional joys. L.C. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0060722290
• ISBN 13: 9780060722296
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 512