The Fell
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- Create Date：2021-11-24 08:51:21
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Sarah Moss
- ISBN：1529083230
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Summary
At dusk on a November evening in 2020 a woman slips out of her garden gate and turns up the hill。 Kate is in the middle of a two week quarantine period， but she just can't take it anymore - the closeness of the air in her small house， the confinement。 And anyway， the moor will be deserted at this time。 Nobody need ever know。
But Kate's neighbour Alice sees her leaving and Matt， Kate's son， soon realizes she's missing。 And Kate， who planned only a quick solitary walk - a breath of open air - falls and badly injures herself。 What began as a furtive walk has turned into a mountain rescue operation 。 。 。
Unbearably suspenseful， witty and wise， The Fell asks probing questions about the place the world has become since March 2020， and the place it was before。 Sarah Moss's novel is a story about compassion and kindness and what we must do to survive， and it will move you to tears。
But Kate's neighbour Alice sees her leaving and Matt， Kate's son， soon realizes she's missing。 And Kate， who planned only a quick solitary walk - a breath of open air - falls and badly injures herself。 What began as a furtive walk has turned into a mountain rescue operation 。 。 。
Unbearably suspenseful， witty and wise， The Fell asks probing questions about the place the world has become since March 2020， and the place it was before。 Sarah Moss's novel is a story about compassion and kindness and what we must do to survive， and it will move you to tears。
Reviews
Leona
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Not much merit in this at all。。。
Aloka - allys_bookshelf
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The Fell – Sarah MossI recently read and discovered Sarah Moss’ writing and have loved it。 The Fell is written in her signature style， loads to love about it， the breathless stream of consciousness and the singular insights into her characters。 Having said that I think the first time’s the charm as the first book I read by her summerwater is still my favourite。The Fell takes place during the second Covid lockdown in the UK。 The story is from the perspective of 4 characters one of whom， Kate， the The Fell – Sarah MossI recently read and discovered Sarah Moss’ writing and have loved it。 The Fell is written in her signature style， loads to love about it， the breathless stream of consciousness and the singular insights into her characters。 Having said that I think the first time’s the charm as the first book I read by her summerwater is still my favourite。The Fell takes place during the second Covid lockdown in the UK。 The story is from the perspective of 4 characters one of whom， Kate， the mother of Matt， a teenager， breaks quarantine and decides to go for a walk on the Fells， falls and has to be rescued。While I haven’t broken quarantine as such we have all had our moments of desperation when home feels like prison and not being able to leave it can drive you nuts。 I know older people who just have not been able to cope and have begun an unstoppable downward spiral。 Alice an elderly lady and Kate’s neighbor is one of the main characters and her reflections are quite endearing。 The whole state vs us as individuals can really be suffocating specially for a generation that has enjoyed quite a bit of freedom and has not had to compromise much as compared to our predecessors。The urgency of Sarah Moss’ writing coupled with the topic makes it quite a compelling read。 Having said that I don’t think it’s the best by her compared to the two I read before this but loved it all the same。 Thank you @netgalley for the e arc 。。。more
Zoe
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4。5， probably 5 if I'd had the luxury of reading it in one go。 Brilliantly written。 Moss manages to perfectly capture the mood of her settings and situations。 4。5， probably 5 if I'd had the luxury of reading it in one go。 Brilliantly written。 Moss manages to perfectly capture the mood of her settings and situations。 。。。more
Lisa Spicer
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How do you portray so much with so few words？ I am learning to understand the power of a well written short novel。 Sarah Moss does not waste a single word and I am still feeling the latent power of her profoundly lyrical prose， days after finishing this perfect book。A pandemic novel told with such intimacy that our four protagonists float from the page and their lives weigh heavy。 The inner dialogue is such that they feel like family， people that you have known a lifetime。 You feel the lonelines How do you portray so much with so few words？ I am learning to understand the power of a well written short novel。 Sarah Moss does not waste a single word and I am still feeling the latent power of her profoundly lyrical prose， days after finishing this perfect book。A pandemic novel told with such intimacy that our four protagonists float from the page and their lives weigh heavy。 The inner dialogue is such that they feel like family， people that you have known a lifetime。 You feel the loneliness， the futility， the panic， the anxiety。 Yet at the same time Moss manages to convey the mood of the masses; the fear， the distrust， the confusion。 But there is humour here too， there is light with the shade。I am struggling a little; this may have been too soon for me to read it， certain parts felt very close to home， but this is a book that i am glad has crossed my path。 Yes， this tells the story that is still all too fresh in our minds， but it is more than that， it is a tale of humanity; it is about making mistakes， it is about forgiveness and understanding， it is about acceptance and being respectful of others。For me， Kate， the woman who takes that fateful walk and her neighbour Alice， are the core of this piece but it is Rob， one of the mountain rescue team who purveys its message:' This is why he does it， because no one has to apologise to him， because when you've utterly fucked up and you know it is when you need someone who doesn't ask you to be sorry。'Read this book， it is perfect。 Thanks to #netgalley and Pan Macmillan for this advance copy is exchange for a review。 。。。more
Anne Fenn
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How interesting， my first covid book！ The author closely follows three characters， mother， son and neighbour， in lockdown UK over one day or night。 It’s highly charged drama， much pressure coming from the restrictions of life in quarantine。 It’s short， powerful stuff by a writer famous for her ability to create empathy in the reader。 How good to see such a huge event finally make it into a novel。
Tracey
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I need to sit with this one for a day or 2 before recording my feelings about it
Mags
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A wonderful prose filled description of life during lockdown with the illness never bei g named。 There is Matt the son and Kate， the mother who goes missing on the fell。 An emotional must read。
Motherbooker
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I'd never have believed you if you'd told me last year that I'd be desperate to read a book about the pandemic。 Yet here we are。 Sarah Moss' The Fell became one of my most anticipated novels of 2021 despite being set in the UK's lockdown during November 2020。 Although there is no explicit mention of Covid， so I guess there is a slight vagueness to the story。 Meaning it might age a little better than a straight Covid novel。 The pandemic is the context for the story rather than the defining featur I'd never have believed you if you'd told me last year that I'd be desperate to read a book about the pandemic。 Yet here we are。 Sarah Moss' The Fell became one of my most anticipated novels of 2021 despite being set in the UK's lockdown during November 2020。 Although there is no explicit mention of Covid， so I guess there is a slight vagueness to the story。 Meaning it might age a little better than a straight Covid novel。 The pandemic is the context for the story rather than the defining feature。One evening Kate， a single mother who lives in the Peak District， sets out on a walk。 It's a walk that she's taken countless times before and her backpack is well-stocked。 The only problem is， Kate is in the middle of a two-week quarantine after coming into contact with somebody who has Covid。 Unable to cope in the house any longer， Kate makes a break for freedom。 When she doesn't return， it becomes a race against time to find her。I've read a few reviews of this book that claim it's promoting anti-social distancing and anti-mask sentiments。 It really isn't。 Anybody who bothered to read beyond the first few lines of the synopsis would know that。 Instead， this is a book about the unseen consequences of those measures。 The potential toll on people's mental health。 The unseen and unspoken issues fester behind closed doors as people do as they've been advised。 As I said， this isn't a book about the Coronavirus but human beings。The narrative switches between four different and distinct perspectives: Kate; her son， Matt; their shielding neighbour， Alice; and Rob， a member of the mountain rescue team。 Each of them has been struggling through the lockdown in their own way and we learn just how difficult life has been。 Normally I'm not a fan of multiple perspective novels but I think it works here。 The distinct voices help to create that sense of isolation that everyone is feeling。 The lack of human contact that we all dealt with as we stayed home。Far from being a book that wants to provoke revolution， this is a story that wants to shift the focus from stats and politics。 This is a story that speaks of the enduring human spirit and how easy it is for that to falter。 The pandemic affected every single person but it didn't affect everyone equally。 It is easy to see Kate's actions as reckless and selfish but， viewed with an empathetic eye， it is a desperate act of a struggling woman。 As we learn more of Kate's history， we start to see her motivations and it becomes harder to condemn her actions。Sarah Moss has done a remarkable job of writing a novel that speaks so much of our present times whilst also making it somehow timeless。 Her writing is captivating and sensory。 The descriptions of nature in Kate's chapters are beautiful。 She also manages to capture the different emotional states of each character。 This is effortless writing that is effortless to read。 。。。more
Martha Hudson
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Really interesting to read a book set during the Covid pandemic， when we are still living with the virus to such a degee。 The book was set during lockdown， which is still very recent to us all。 I loved the writing style， stream of conciousness type， compelling and tightly woven。 Following the lives of our excellently drawn main characters we hear of their fears during the lockdown period， and also their hopes for the future。 I really enjoyed this and woould like to read it again in 5 and 10 year Really interesting to read a book set during the Covid pandemic， when we are still living with the virus to such a degee。 The book was set during lockdown， which is still very recent to us all。 I loved the writing style， stream of conciousness type， compelling and tightly woven。 Following the lives of our excellently drawn main characters we hear of their fears during the lockdown period， and also their hopes for the future。 I really enjoyed this and woould like to read it again in 5 and 10 years time to see what a moment it captured。 Definitely recommend。 。。。more
Katie {awonderfulbook}
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Rating: 8/10Sarah Moss’ recent work has focused on contemporary Britain post-Brexit。 She has explored attitudes to women， immigrants， Brexit itself， and thoughts on ageing， connection， health， and other concerns facing British people in the twenty-first century。 This latest novella takes place almost in the present moment， specifically November 2020， and explores reactions to the Covid 19 pandemic and restrictions imposed for the sake of public health。 It’s a story that presents a wide array of Rating: 8/10Sarah Moss’ recent work has focused on contemporary Britain post-Brexit。 She has explored attitudes to women， immigrants， Brexit itself， and thoughts on ageing， connection， health， and other concerns facing British people in the twenty-first century。 This latest novella takes place almost in the present moment， specifically November 2020， and explores reactions to the Covid 19 pandemic and restrictions imposed for the sake of public health。 It’s a story that presents a wide array of viewpoints without making a moral judgement about characters’ behaviour。Kate has been told to self isolate after coming into contact with a co-worker who tested positive for Covid。 She and her son Matt must stay home for 14 days， but Kate feels herself going stir crazy。 She decides to go for a walk up the fell near her home thinking no one will notice she’s gone and she won’t meet anyone。 But Kate falls， necessitating a search-and-rescue operation that could cause huge problems for Kate， who has broken quarantine illegally， and her son， who is waiting anxiously at home， and for the rescue team， pulled from their lives to help a woman who could be Covid positive。What the story does exceptionally well is present pictures of isolation。 Kate， her son Matt， their neighbour Alice， and a mountain rescue team member named Rob each get a voice in the story。 We are privy to their thoughts about the pandemic， their families， their health， their connections to others， and their feelings and behaviours in this immediate crisis around Kate’s accident。 The book is quite short， as all of Moss’ recent works have been， but， like those other stories， it also packs a lot in。 In a story about the pandemic， Moss has cleverly and realistically drawn on ideas and feelings of isolation to create a sense of tension and immediacy that will connect with readers who engage with this book as the pandemic continues。 For those reading this when the pandemic is finally over， this story will present an accurate depiction of pandemic life， the fear， the resistance， and the need for connection and kindness and togetherness that characterises this time so well。What is also extraordinary about the story is the lack of judgement of Kate’s behaviour。 She does not mean to put anyone else in danger when she leaves her home， but her actions do have dire consequences。 It’s interesting to read the thoughts of the other viewpoint characters， all of whom are going through their own issues relating to the pandemic; none of whom blame Kate for needing to escape。 What’s lovely about the story is the kindness and concern at its heart。 They all care what happens to Kate， and their generosity with their time and their well wishes for Kate in the midst of such a desperate situation for everyone is heartening to read。It’s a hopeful book， then， but it’s also quite sad in places。 There are moments of uncertainty and sadness that I will never forget。 In the midst of the pandemic， people have other issues going on in their lives that Moss reminds us of so well and so movingly here。Initially， I wasn’t sure what I thought of this book。 I didn’t like it as much as Ghost Wall， the first Moss novella I’d read。 The story made me uncomfortable because of its immediacy and the fact that we’re still living through the pandemic。 Thinking about it more as I write this， though， the story is growing on me。 It will be an interesting book to read again when the pandemic has been over for a while。 It’s difficult to read a pandemic story in the midst of a pandemic， especially one as truthful as this。 In some ways， though， the difficulty and discomfort of the reading experience is a testament to Moss’ skill as a writer。 She writes tension and atmosphere like no one else， and her characters here are particularly memorable for me。Many thanks to the publisher， Picador， and the author for providing an advance reader’s copy via NetGalley for review。Blog: awonderfulbook。com | Instagram: katiemotenbooks | Twitter: katiemotenbooks 。。。more
Nicola Smith
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The Fell is the story of the Covid lockdown and its far-reaching effects on three people。 Kate and her teenage son， Matt， are in quarantine， confined to the house after contact with somebody with the virus。 Feeling well during this time only heightens Kate's feelings of being a prisoner in her own home， unable to get out onto the hills near her home。 Unable to cope with the oppression any longer， she makes a decision: she will go out anyway。 It's quiet out there， nobody will see her。 She needs t The Fell is the story of the Covid lockdown and its far-reaching effects on three people。 Kate and her teenage son， Matt， are in quarantine， confined to the house after contact with somebody with the virus。 Feeling well during this time only heightens Kate's feelings of being a prisoner in her own home， unable to get out onto the hills near her home。 Unable to cope with the oppression any longer， she makes a decision: she will go out anyway。 It's quiet out there， nobody will see her。 She needs this for her sanity。The other main character is Alice， Kate and Matt's next door neighbour， and in Matt's hour of need she is there for him， despite her own status as vulnerable and shielding from the virus at home。 I felt the different statuses of the characters portrayed so well those months of staying at home， never knowing when or if freedom would come。This is a short book but so much of life is between the covers。 Sarah Moss has an unusual and unique way of writing。 It's a stream of consciousness from the point of view of each character， delving deep into their psyche， their inner feelings， and hitting on everybody's feelings about the difficulties of lockdown， albeit in varying degrees。 She hits the nail on the head， from Kate's struggles to Alice's loneliness。 I must admit that I didn't always find the writing style easy; I think it needs a lot more concentration because you can't easily pick out dialogue， for instance。Moss writes searing and perceptive narratives which get to the heart of the situation she is writing about。 As Kate is stuck on the fell in the dark， injured， mountain rescue are sent to look for her and we follow their rescue operation along with Kate's increasingly scrambled and pain-induced thoughts， Matt's worry about his mum's whereabouts， and Alice's sheltered life on the other side of the wall。What I enjoy most of all about Moss's writing are her descriptions of the minutiae of life， the everyday details。 She does it incredibly well。 The Fell focuses on just a few hours on a November evening， and is an intense and thoughtful read。 。。。more
Kim
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Amazingly bad and offensive even。 Kate sneaks out of her house despite being in lockdown for exposure to Covid。 Who cares right？ She just has to get out。 Heaven forbid she stay home so we can all stay safe。 Oh no， she must go out。 The house is lava apparently。 Forget that her teenage son is left there to fend for himself。 And then he goes and exposes the elderly neighbor who is a cancer patient， all because his selfish immature mother can’t stay home during lockdown。 And this is only November 20 Amazingly bad and offensive even。 Kate sneaks out of her house despite being in lockdown for exposure to Covid。 Who cares right？ She just has to get out。 Heaven forbid she stay home so we can all stay safe。 Oh no， she must go out。 The house is lava apparently。 Forget that her teenage son is left there to fend for himself。 And then he goes and exposes the elderly neighbor who is a cancer patient， all because his selfish immature mother can’t stay home during lockdown。 And this is only November 2020。 What a selfish whiny woman Kate is。 This whole book was a joke。 It feels like the author is promoting sneaking out of lockdowns。 My copy was provided by NetGalkey for review and I have no idea how this mess got published。 。。。more
Mandy
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An excellent pandemic novel， thoughtful， realistic and insightful。 Kate is supposed to stay at home， but with her beloved Peak District fells just outside her door， is tempted out on a hike。 After all， what harm could it do？ Even though it is technically against the law。 Inevitably things don’t go according to plan and it becomes impossible to keep her infringement of the rules a secret。 Multiple voices and multiple viewpoints make this an immersive read， which deftly captures our new strange wo An excellent pandemic novel， thoughtful， realistic and insightful。 Kate is supposed to stay at home， but with her beloved Peak District fells just outside her door， is tempted out on a hike。 After all， what harm could it do？ Even though it is technically against the law。 Inevitably things don’t go according to plan and it becomes impossible to keep her infringement of the rules a secret。 Multiple voices and multiple viewpoints make this an immersive read， which deftly captures our new strange world。 Sarah Moss is so good at everyday intimacies and everyday relationships， and is never judgemental – as opposed to some of her characters。 And yet we all dealt with lockdown as best we could given our individual circumstances， and this immersive novel will strike a chord with everyone。 。。。more
Merryn
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A little too early for Covid fiction; that says， I love Sarah Moss’s writing！
Judy King
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Set in England， right now。 In the midst of the pandemic。 A struggling， single mom was barely surviving the isolation of lockdown。 After contact with a sick client， the enforced two-week quarantine and the threat of a $10，000 pound fine for leaving the house throws her over the edge。 And secretly， silently， out the door to hike the hills as she has always done。 What makes this book so perfect and so vital and so reassuring are her mental monologs。。。sharp， funny， wise， sarcastic， desperate and mos Set in England， right now。 In the midst of the pandemic。 A struggling， single mom was barely surviving the isolation of lockdown。 After contact with a sick client， the enforced two-week quarantine and the threat of a $10，000 pound fine for leaving the house throws her over the edge。 And secretly， silently， out the door to hike the hills as she has always done。 What makes this book so perfect and so vital and so reassuring are her mental monologs。。。sharp， funny， wise， sarcastic， desperate and most of all familiar。。。its clear we've all been sharing the same head since March of 2020。。。right down to the attempted craft projects， the cleaning and cooking and the shedding of our bras。 I love this short book。。。even knowing it is not all fun and shared games。 I love knowing that my mental foibles during isolation are shared。 At least by a talented writer half way around the world。 If not for what seemed to be a premature ending。。。a conclusion that felt like withdrawal， I would be searching to give the book 6 stars instead of a mundane 4。5。 。。。more
Duncan Chadwick
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A classic Sarah Moss novel。 Sparse， simple， short and with perceptive inputs from affected characters who orbit like satellites around the main character， in this case Kate， weighed down by lockdown， the pandemic and other pressures。 A good read but I felt could have been developed further。 I was left wanting more and to learn more about Alice， Matt， Rob and Kate。 I get that this is part of the Moss approach to writing so am not surprised。 Just wanted a bit more…。
Annanya
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A pandemic novella on emotions of ordinary peopleOur lifestyle changed so much since the beginning of Covid 19 and personality my perspective on so many aspects changed since last year。 I live with a big family and felt little bored during the lockdown period but when I hear from people living alone， living in place faraway from their family， I think my year was so much better！！What was the main impact for you during lockdown period？𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒔Kate， a struggling waitress and single mo A pandemic novella on emotions of ordinary peopleOur lifestyle changed so much since the beginning of Covid 19 and personality my perspective on so many aspects changed since last year。 I live with a big family and felt little bored during the lockdown period but when I hear from people living alone， living in place faraway from their family， I think my year was so much better！！What was the main impact for you during lockdown period？𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒔Kate， a struggling waitress and single mom breaks her quarantine unable to stand being stuck at home any longer。 She thinks she can just climb the peaks and be back soon and no one needs to know 😉。 Though she intends it to be uneventful， she falls and the threat of getting caught， the problems with society for breaking quarantine becomes a reality。A short， suspenseful story， gives insight to the minds of normal people in the community， how the lockdown played with our mind！We get the story narrated by Kate （fallen in mountain）， a worried teenager struggling to identify priorities， life of a mountain rescuer and worrying neighbour giving insights to the minds of ordinary people in extraordinary situation。 The book can invoke so much emotions to the readers。The author has the ability to make recognise the emotions and circumstances which the characters experience！ I have so much more to say about the insightful writing but I would recommend that You read this！ A very short， masterpiece ❤️This book is phenomenal and I now want to read her other books ❤️Thank you @netgalley and @panmacmillan publishers for my copy ❤️❤️ 。。。more
Sam Moore
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Timely ReminderA serious read and a reminder about the effects of the pandemic on lives。Kate and her son Matt are in isolation for 14 days， Kate is conscientious， but the isolation gives her too much time to think， so she goes for a walk on the Fells， forgetting her phone but taking her hiking backpack。 Her son Matt realises what has happened when she does not return， he contacts the police after visiting his shielding neighbor。Search and Rescue are called， but not before we suffer with Kate as Timely ReminderA serious read and a reminder about the effects of the pandemic on lives。Kate and her son Matt are in isolation for 14 days， Kate is conscientious， but the isolation gives her too much time to think， so she goes for a walk on the Fells， forgetting her phone but taking her hiking backpack。 Her son Matt realises what has happened when she does not return， he contacts the police after visiting his shielding neighbor。Search and Rescue are called， but not before we suffer with Kate as she tries to crawl along suffering from very serious injuries， she is tormented by delusions， worries about her son and the consequences of breaking her isolation。Rob is in the Search and Rescue team， he has to leave his daughter alone， much to her disgust as he only sees her at weekends， he does some soul searching while searching for Kate。Kate and Matt's neighbor Alice is recovering from cancer has relied on the two for shopping， she tries to keep up contact with her daughter and Grandchildren， but finds it difficult， left alone she questions her parenting skills。This is a story which needs to be told， to remind us of restrictions and the hardships we suffered。 。。。more
Chiara Liberio
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This short， interesting novel effectively captures the mood and state of mind many people have experienced through the COVID lockdown。 One of the issues constantly appearing in the news was restrictions being difficult to enforce， which is reflected in the novel as we see Authorities threatening fines and asking the population to report breaches of the lockdown rules。 The problems related to lockdown afford the author an opportunity to explore questions of responsibility and personal freedom。Kat This short， interesting novel effectively captures the mood and state of mind many people have experienced through the COVID lockdown。 One of the issues constantly appearing in the news was restrictions being difficult to enforce， which is reflected in the novel as we see Authorities threatening fines and asking the population to report breaches of the lockdown rules。 The problems related to lockdown afford the author an opportunity to explore questions of responsibility and personal freedom。Kate， the protagonist， lives with her teen son。 She has lost her job due to the pandemic， is worried about paying the bills and feels she cannot take it anymore。 She reasons that a short stroll in the mountains would do nobody any harm。 However， not everything goes according to plan and a massive rescue operation has to be organised。 I was hit by the fact the Moss nails exactly what many people phantasized about or even did， not thinking that there could be consequences （I remember， for example， people breaking the rules to drive to their holiday homes， assuming that there would be no harm and not thinking that they would have social contact when going shopping， for fuel etc）。 Indeed， she seems to ask: in a world that seems to grant infinite freedom of choice to the individual， how do we react to boundaries and social responsibility or limitations that ensue？ A crucial issue regarding movement restrictions， but also mask-wearing， social distancing and other different situations of collective crisis。 Moss tells the story through the points of view of four different individuals。 She effectively enters into her characters’ heads， putting us in touch with the protagonists’ mental states and stream of thoughts and letting us judge their behaviour for ourselves， which feels disquieting。 By doing so， she crafts an original complex picture of modern-day malaise right from the inside – a picture that extends beyond COVID issues: from climate change， societal crisis， aging and mortality to the unreality of life mediated by social media。 She is indeed a gifted storyteller who excels at creating imperceptibly tense situations but， while the sense of unease and anxiety builds up to some degree， there is less of the suspense and brooding menace that made her previous novel Summerwater stand out for me – even if the rescue operation would have granted ample opportunity for that。 Nevertheless， a worthy book to read in one sitting。 My thanks to the publisher for a proof of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Drea
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My first by this author， The Fell made me feel like I was in this small town in England quarantining by law。 I felt the claustrophobic suffocation。 I felt the quiet and the internal almost panic。 The writing was interesting - kind of stream of consciousness with paragraphs lengths that added to the feelings described above。 I’ll be thinking of this for quite some time and am looking forward to reading more of Ms Moss’ work。 Heartfelt thanks to Farrar， Straus and Giroux for the advanced copy。
Jo Rawlins
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Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of 'The Fell' by Sarah Moss。4。5 Stars rounded down to four。Kate can't bare being stuck indoors in isolation any more and 'harmlessly goes for a walk up the fell。 She falls and leaves her son alone。 I really sympathised with these brilliantly sincere characters。 A great， tense plot。 Best read in one sitting。 Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of 'The Fell' by Sarah Moss。4。5 Stars rounded down to four。Kate can't bare being stuck indoors in isolation any more and 'harmlessly goes for a walk up the fell。 She falls and leaves her son alone。 I really sympathised with these brilliantly sincere characters。 A great， tense plot。 Best read in one sitting。 。。。more
Polly-Alida
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4。5 starsAnother terrific Sarah Moss title。 Honestly， my first thought was that it’s too soon for a pandemic book and considered not finishing it after a few pages。 Perhaps that was just my mood that day？ Glad I did stick with it。 It’s a quick read， written in a stream of consciousness style， similar to Moss’ previous novel Summerwater。 It captures the essence of how Covid & lockdowns have affected the main characters。 As with Summerwater， I found the end abrupt。 Regardless， a book to ponder and 4。5 starsAnother terrific Sarah Moss title。 Honestly， my first thought was that it’s too soon for a pandemic book and considered not finishing it after a few pages。 Perhaps that was just my mood that day？ Glad I did stick with it。 It’s a quick read， written in a stream of consciousness style， similar to Moss’ previous novel Summerwater。 It captures the essence of how Covid & lockdowns have affected the main characters。 As with Summerwater， I found the end abrupt。 Regardless， a book to ponder and perhaps to read in a few years。 Highly recommended。 Thanks to author， publisher and NetGalley for a preview copy。 。。。more
Eric Anderson
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How can writers capture the feeling and repercussions of the pandemic in their fiction？ As early as May 2020 an anthology called “Tools for Extinction” came out which included work from writers around the world responding to the ongoing crisis and Ali Smith's “Summer” included the pandemic as part of its storyline。 It's curious to see how such recent events are embedded in a past which is now being fictionalised – especially as there's the possibility we could return to a state of lockdown and q How can writers capture the feeling and repercussions of the pandemic in their fiction？ As early as May 2020 an anthology called “Tools for Extinction” came out which included work from writers around the world responding to the ongoing crisis and Ali Smith's “Summer” included the pandemic as part of its storyline。 It's curious to see how such recent events are embedded in a past which is now being fictionalised – especially as there's the possibility we could return to a state of lockdown and quarantine at any time。 Although we usually go through our lives with little sense that we're living through history most people understand that these extraordinary times have significantly and permanently altered the world。 Having so many people isolated in their homes has led to enormous emotional， financial and physical consequences。 It's often remarked that writers need a sufficient distance from events to fully encapsulate their larger meaning in literature， but that depends on the strategy the author takes。 In her new novel Sarah Moss' tactic is to embody the immediate thoughts and actions of four different characters in a village。 “The Fell” is set in November 2020 during the second national lockdown in England when residents were ordered not to leave their homes。 Kate is a single mother who recently lost her job at a cafe because of the pandemic and now worries about how she'll pay her bills。 Although she knows she's breaking the rules， Kate leaves her adolescent son Matt at home to go for a solitary stroll across the countryside。 She does this despite the threat of government fines and citizens being encouraged to inform upon any neighbours who break the rules。 It says something about her state of mind and the pressure she's under that her feet seem to lead her outside and that she doesn't return even when it's getting dark and she knows the sensible thing would be to turn back。 Though the risk is small， the stakes are high。 And this is the dilemma we've all faced over the past two years when for many people it's more a question of personal responsibility than any outside pressure to follow the rules。Things go badly wrong for Kate and it changes what's only been a theoretical crisis into a real crisis。 The narrative revolves between the perspectives of Kate， Matt， their older neighbour Alice who is shielding at home and rescue worker Rob。 It movingly follows the mental process many of us have gone through when confined at home with all the attendant fear， boredom， frustration and self-pity as well as feelings of guilt for reacting like this when we reason that there are other people who are suffering in more severe ways than we are。 Read my full review of The Fell by Sarah Moss on LonesomeReader 。。。more
Jan Hills
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remembering lockdown - a different one This really brings back lots about lockdown a very different experience to mind but thought provoking。 Short read and did fell like I wanted to know more at the end
Chris Haak
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Another great novel by Sarah Moss！
Claire Thorpe
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I love Sarah Waters books - they are so descriptive and atmospheric and really draw you in。 This is set during the pandemic and describes the claustrophobic time that 3 characters experience and echoes a lot of what people went through， it delves deeply into the characters and their thoughts about this strange and odd time that we experienced。 Its a thought provoking read。 Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book。
Joseph
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The lovely minimalist black， brown and white cover which graces this edition of The Fell declares that this is a novel by “the author of Summerwater”。 For this reader， this is not really a selling point。 I had loved Sarah Moss’ Ghost Wall， with its quasi-folk-horror vibes， but been less impressed with Summerwater。 So I’m happy to report that I lapped up The Fell， which I found at once thoughtful and gripping。The plot’s premise is simple and， as in Summerwater， it unfolds over a single day。 The n The lovely minimalist black， brown and white cover which graces this edition of The Fell declares that this is a novel by “the author of Summerwater”。 For this reader， this is not really a selling point。 I had loved Sarah Moss’ Ghost Wall， with its quasi-folk-horror vibes， but been less impressed with Summerwater。 So I’m happy to report that I lapped up The Fell， which I found at once thoughtful and gripping。The plot’s premise is simple and， as in Summerwater， it unfolds over a single day。 The novel（la） is set in November 2020， in a remote village in the Peak District， during the UK’s Covid lockdown。 Kate， one of the quartet of main characters， finds herself increasingly restless in the middle of a two-week mandatory quarantine period。 Neither she nor her teenage son Matt are actually infected， but they are obliged to stay at home in view of a contact with a Covid-positive person。 Surely， Kate thinks， a visit to the fells she loves so much will hardly hurt anyone？ On impulse， she leaves home for what is meant to be a quick walk， but matters get complicated when she falls and sustains an injury。As in John McGregor’s Lean， Fall， Stand， the ensuing rescue operation and race against time give The Fell the trappings of a thriller， but that is not really the point of the novel。 What makes The Fell particularly interesting is a technique Moss also uses in Summerwater， that is， the alternating of different points of view， conveyed in almost stream-of-consciousness style， as we are drawn into the thoughts of the protagonists， all of whom have been， in different ways， affected by the Covid pandemic。 There is Kate herself， feeling increasingly confined at home， the claustrophobia of her little house accentuating her feelings of inadequacy。 There is Matt， torn between reporting his missing mum and risking her getting a fine which they cannot afford。 There is Alice， their pensioner neighbour and possible the character I liked best， musing about mortality and privilege; and also Rob， one of the rescue team， who juggles daring rescues with the stress of family life。 Their thoughts and feelings， and such dialogue as there is， have an authentic feel to them。 The Fell feels timely but， once the pandemic is （hopefully） past， it will also serve as an important historical document albeit in the context of a fictional story。 Moss is highly observant， conveying with startling empathy the minute details of life in lockdown and quarantine。 She does not judge。 While at times， the novel seems to suggest a frustration at Covid measures， this is no anti-vaxxer manifesto and its approach is balanced and understanding both of the need for the enforcement of Covid measures， and the disruption and difficulties that these inevitably bring。Out on the moors， missing her choir practice， Kate sings Thomas Ravenscroft’s “Remember O thou man”。 The choice of music is probably an oblique hint at the deeper themes of the novella – “Adam’s fall” and his subsequent redemption， as mentioned in this Renaissance carol， reflect Kate’s physical fall， but also raise philosophical questions about life and death， actions and consequences， guilt and absolution。 https://endsoftheword。blogspot。com/20。。。 。。。more
Jen
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At first I thought this novel might be a little much - or too close to home - as it is about how characters deal with the isolation of recent lockdown。 It's the first book I've read that addresses the situation in so much detail but it's the way its done that is so enticing。Wonderfully written， it has nail-biting moments and hones in on human nature when put in uncomfortable situations。 A book of our time - one that will hopefully be read in the future as a mark of a distant era。 At first I thought this novel might be a little much - or too close to home - as it is about how characters deal with the isolation of recent lockdown。 It's the first book I've read that addresses the situation in so much detail but it's the way its done that is so enticing。Wonderfully written， it has nail-biting moments and hones in on human nature when put in uncomfortable situations。 A book of our time - one that will hopefully be read in the future as a mark of a distant era。 。。。more
Kate Wilson
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Another exceptional book by Sarah Moss。 She dives into the internal lives of the people in her novel， creating flawless characters。 Her writing is so well crafted and thoughtful and this novel is no exception， exploring the realities of the impact of the pandemic and lockdowns on this small community。 I completely disagree with another commenter who suggest this book is problematic because it's about one character who breaks the pandemic rules。 It is an exploration of the real difficulties and l Another exceptional book by Sarah Moss。 She dives into the internal lives of the people in her novel， creating flawless characters。 Her writing is so well crafted and thoughtful and this novel is no exception， exploring the realities of the impact of the pandemic and lockdowns on this small community。 I completely disagree with another commenter who suggest this book is problematic because it's about one character who breaks the pandemic rules。 It is an exploration of the real difficulties and lasting impact of isolation on people throughout the pandemic， and not a way of advocating either for or against "the rules"。 。。。more
Kaye Fraser
，
I thought this was going to be a ‘bandwagon’ book， no doubt one of very many on the theme of surviving a 21st century pandemic。 But it is more than that - the writing has a depth and candour that must resonate with all of us who have not succumbed to the virus， but have suffered the anxiety， isolation and boredom that it has brought into our lives。 The stream of consciousness style of the writing was just a little irksome at times， but insight into the minds of the characters Sarah Moss is writi I thought this was going to be a ‘bandwagon’ book， no doubt one of very many on the theme of surviving a 21st century pandemic。 But it is more than that - the writing has a depth and candour that must resonate with all of us who have not succumbed to the virus， but have suffered the anxiety， isolation and boredom that it has brought into our lives。 The stream of consciousness style of the writing was just a little irksome at times， but insight into the minds of the characters Sarah Moss is writing about and the empathy with which she writes makes a little effort worthwhile， and the story itself is compelling enough to keep the reader engrossed until the end of the book。 It centres on Kate， single parent of a teenage son， who cannot take the restriction of compulsory quarantine any longer and rashly decides to head for the hills of the Peak District as night begins to fall。 The consequences of this are predictable， but the inner monologues of Kate， her son， her neighbour and her rescuers are real and compelling and make for a read with plenty of momentum。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Fell
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Fell&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Fell&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0