Dingley Falls

List Price: $15.00 Discount Price: $4.68

Customer Reviews:

beautifully, densely written [Posted on 2005-08-14]
This book is beautifully written - each character has a very distinct voice. It gives an interesting glimpse into a small Connecticut town in 1976. Each of the characters has his or her own demons, some more than others, and it is interesting to follow each of them as they wrestle with them. Some of the characters are more sympathetic than others, although I did not find myself rooting for one or another character as one might in another novel. I recommend this book just for the sheer enjoyment of the writing - Malone obviously loves using words and seeing how they work together and in differing combinations.

great quirky book [Posted on 2007-10-05]
This book is not only well written but it is a dlightful story of a bunch of quirky peoople in a small town.

Michael Malone is a joy to read [Posted on 2008-01-15]
I was thrilled to find Malone and am wondering where he is today and why he isn't writing another one of these wonderful, bizarre novels. Dingley Falls has a strange premise, a government facility infecting the townspeople of Dingley Falls. Dingley Falls, a strange little town whose citizens include a midget, a gay clergy member, poets and artists, wealthy matriarchs and even a communist-loving rapist. How he manages to make this odd assortment of people amusing is a marvel. Handling Sin is definitely his best(I haven't read them all yet), so far. And if you loved Handling Sin, you will surely enjoy Dingley Falls. Michael Malone reminds me of Richard Russo and John Irving put together with a lighter humorous touch.

Not a very interesting read  [Posted on 2008-01-23]
First if all this book has so many charachters with not so interesting lives that even after reading 300 of the about 700 pages I still was not drawn to continue. This was a book that 8 fellow friends tried to read and we all felt similar, one or two of us even shot to the end to see if there was anything groundbreaking that would make us want to continue. Sadly not. Of the 6 books we have read together so far this was the only stinker.

great writer, some disturbing characters [Posted on 2008-11-14]
Malone is a very talented author. Some reviews on this site have compared his book to the Shipping News. I would not go that far but find him a unique talent. I enjoyed the idea of a story following one town in 1976 during it's homage to it's past but experiencing the growing pains of a new era. I found some of the story lines and graphic writing disturbing( especially the final scene with the police chief's wife.)There is great development with most of the characters but others seem only to fit the stereotype that will forward the plot.When I read the reviews and bought the book I was expecting something along the lines of The Shipping News. This was much darker and edgier and dealt with deeper issues. It also brought out the issues of have vs. have not in an old established town. Having grown up in New England,I am familiar with this culture and Malone has hit the nail on the head. I only wish he had not been so graphic with some of the more violent aspects of the story. It seemed gratuitous to me. I would love to see a sequel to this book(what happens to the young people)? On the whole, I enjoyed this book very much.

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