On a foggy summer night, eleven people–ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter–depart Martha’s Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are the painter Scott Burroughs and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul’s … family.
Was it by chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something more sinister at work? A storm of media attention brings Scott fame that quickly morphs into notoriety and accusations, and he scrambles to salvage truth from the wreckage. Amid trauma and chaos, the fragile relationship between Scott and the young boy grows and glows at the heart of this stunning novel, raising questions of fate, morality, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.
Kristin Hannah raves, “Noah Hawley really knows how to keep a reader turning the pages… a complex, compulsively readable thrill ride of a novel.”
Winner of the 2017 Edgar Award for Best Novel and the 2017 International Thriller Writers Award For Best Novel
From the Award-Winning Creator of Fargo Comes “One of the Year’s Best Suspense Novels” (New York Times).
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Disclaimer: When I started Before the Fall, I thought it was a Life of Pi–style survival story. I guess I heard plane crash + ocean and my mind just went there?
But alas, this is not a thriller about floating around at sea, which I was quite looking forward to — it focuses on the investigation/media frenzy following the crash and the passengers’ lives in the lead-up to it. Overall it was quick & gripping read, but perhaps not a memorable one.
It was especially hard for me to connect with the many characters, who seemed to represent types of people (honest painter, crass news anchor) rather than actual people.
I was impressed though by the cinematic touches in the writing: A businessman blusters about wealth in a restroom but can’t work the automatic fixtures, finally giving up and wiping soap into his expensive suit pants. The doomed plane’s pilot gets a nosebleed before his final flight, drops of blood splashing into his tea. I’d read more from Hawley for these small moments alone.
I finally finished Before the Fall. It was so much different than I expected it to be — less of a thriller and more a commentary on the American news cycle (among other things).
The actual reason for the plane crash was much less sinister and much more depressing than I expected, although I didn’t have any clue what it was until the last 25% or so.
I didn’t necessarily like or dislike this book. I found myself reading mostly because the writing was so cinematic (as @Nadia aptly stated in her review), and I wanted to finish it before it eventually gets adapted for screen.
I heard that this was the “thriller” of the summer. While the plot was intriguing (a private plane goes down and only one man and a boy survive) I found that the story lacked the hallmark twists of a true thriller; rather, Hawley marches through each character’s back story until the true events unfold (and even then are not completely explained). I think a few of the characters were interesting but found myself wanting to know more about some and wishing others were left out completely. That being said, this book was a nice “beach” read.
Just finished “Before the Fall”. Loved it.
I recommended this book to my book club, I liked it so much. A private plane with several aboard crashes into the ocean with one man and one small boy, the only survivors. Their harrowing swim across miles to shore, and the subsequent equally harrowing media hype rings true, as the lead up to, and the crash itself are slowly revealed in flash backs. Don’t worry, honor wins out in the end.
Could not put this book down….devoured it in two sittings. Interesting commentary on the state of how the media spins events & the people caught up in events that they had no control over.
Hooked me from day 1 still a few chapters left but I love looking at the crash from all different perspectives as well as learning the back stories of all the people involved.
I struggled with the ending. The story itself was more interesting than the actual ending. I expected a much bigger ending. I don’t hate the ending because it shows how one bad decision can change everything for people but not what I expected.
Before the Fall Currently reading
This is a great book for a rainy day, because you’ll want to stay inside and keep reading. The plot keeps thickening. Better get pizza or Chinese delivered…you won’t want to stop reading long enough to fix anything to eat.
I read this book in about 13 hours – I literally could not put it down. It has everything: great heroes, perfect villains, gripping plot, and so much more. Even the side characters were quirky and wonderful. What especially loved was how well-written it was for something so plot-based. Usually these books are not written to be remembered. This one was! It’s is a great read for a plane ride, vacation, or anytime you can sit and read undisturbed.
So 85% of this book is amazing, such great character building and perspectives, and bam!! The ending which you have been waiting for the WHOLE is rushed and wrapped up in just a couple of paragraphs!! Seriously dissapointing!! Why Noah why!!
I was always waiting to get back to reading this one. A visceral examination of today’s modern world told across the perspectives of a handful of fascinating and real characters, all with the underlying questions: why did the plane crash? I loved every page.
This was very well written, as much character study and character interaction as a traditional thriller, but that’s a good thing. Nice to read about real people in real situations. Good, clear, strong writing, sentence by sentence, too!
Written by a well know TV Writer turned author, while I was reading this, I could see it on the screen in my head. Great description and and detail. Must read!
The book takes an important and scathing look at the media, perception vs. reality, and how the news twists information to suit its audience.
I was hooked from the first page. I found this book to be extremely realistic. Felt like I was reading a true firsthand account of a plane crash survivor. Noah Hawley captured true heart and grit with this novel. I feel like I went through the events of this book with the main character. Fighting for survival, ignoring the doubts of others, feeling the guilt of surviving when others did not and hoping for a better future.
Scott Burroughs made me believe that heros do indeed live in this world… sometimes, unfortunately, tragedy is the only way for them to see it in themselves. I’m excited to see what Noah Hawley writes next.
In this suspenseful, character-driven novel, a struggling artist gets a ride from two wealthy families on a private airplane returning from Martha’s Vineyard. The plane crashes into the ocean and there are only two survivors – the artist and a young boy. Noah Hawley unfolds the story in cinematic style, drawing on his screen writing experience. As such, the book is visual and compelling. Really liked it!
Could barely stop reading this once I began. It’s an elegantly written thriller wrapped within a poignant commentary on the role of media in modern society. There are so many uncomfortable parallels between this and the current rage machine that exists on cable news and social media, that it’s every bit as disturbing as it is entertaining. Highly recommended.
Very good story and have recommended it to others
This book starts out with a plane crash, and then goes back to each character’s lives in the days before the crash. It was fascinating. I never guessed the reason for the crash. Can’t wait to read more of this author’s works.