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Lean Fall Stand

Lean Fall Stand

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  • Create Date：2021-04-20 00:51:23
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Jon McGregor
  • ISBN：000820490X
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Summary

When an Antarctic research expedition goes wrong， the consequences are far-reaching – for the men involved and for their families back home。
 
Robert ‘Doc’ Wright， a veteran of Antarctic field work， holds the clues to what happened， but he is no longer able to communicate them。 While Anna， his wife， navigates the sharp contours of her new life as a carer， Robert is forced to learn a whole new way to be in the world。
 
Award-winning novelist Jon McGregor returns with a stunning novel that mesmerizingly and tenderly unpicks the notion of heroism and explores the indomitable human impulse to tell our stories – even when words fail us。  A meditation on the line between sacrifice and selfishness this is a story of the undervalued， unrecognised courage it can take just to get through the day。

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Reviews

Jennyh ，

Station K in the Antarctic - three men checking their GPS survey and taking photographs - one mistake。Jon McGregor spins a web of normality throughout a story of life changing events， Every word is measured ， every minute detail documented。 This could lead to a slow paced novel， but I compare it to sitting in the garden with your eyes closed and concentrating on all the sounds around。A book to savour。

Kate Downey ，

I loved this。 It's clever and compassionate。 From the get-go， the title alerts us to the idea of different states of being， of attitude。 Since we spend all our lives on one or other of these positions， upright， prone or tilted in some way， I found the division of the novel into these sections very telling and satisfying。 McGregor's book is as much about the difficulties of communication which lead to a tragedy and the subsequent problems of articulation about this event， as about the ways the bo I loved this。 It's clever and compassionate。 From the get-go， the title alerts us to the idea of different states of being， of attitude。 Since we spend all our lives on one or other of these positions， upright， prone or tilted in some way， I found the division of the novel into these sections very telling and satisfying。 McGregor's book is as much about the difficulties of communication which lead to a tragedy and the subsequent problems of articulation about this event， as about the ways the body fails us or can be used to help us express a feeling or thought when language is elusive。 When communication fails during a sudden storm in the hostile terrain of the Antarctic， three men are left vulnerable to savage meteorological conditions and to their own physical limitations。 The ramifications of their separation and inability to connect are disastrous。McGregor explores the breaks in connection on all levels， from faulty radio transmission and the truncations of speech which may distort meaning， to the emotional connection between spouses， friends， offspring， colleagues， legal representatives and therapists。 This is a very thoughtful foray into the connection between mind and tongue， between idea and body， and between members of communities who come together to give voice to their shared stories。 I highly recommend it。 。。。more

SadieReadsAgain ，

I picked this book up purely for the author。 Even when I saw it was about an Antarctic expedition - something I wouldn't be interested in reading - I still went for it on the strength of the author。 McGregor's If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things is one of my favourite books， and so I wanted to see if I still loved his writing just as much。Being dubious about the Antarctic setting， I was surprised at how quickly I was drawn in and hooked by this book。 Three men carrying out studies from an isol I picked this book up purely for the author。 Even when I saw it was about an Antarctic expedition - something I wouldn't be interested in reading - I still went for it on the strength of the author。 McGregor's If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things is one of my favourite books， and so I wanted to see if I still loved his writing just as much。Being dubious about the Antarctic setting， I was surprised at how quickly I was drawn in and hooked by this book。 Three men carrying out studies from an isolated station find themselves in an unpredicted and incredibly dangerous situation。 One man， the only experienced member of the team， is incapacitated and fails to act to avoid a tragic outcome。 This section had me riveted， especially as it transpired what the nature of the incapacity was。The book then abruptly changes setting and pace， but I found it no less compelling， as McGregor takes us back to England and into the world of aphasia and rehabilitation。 We join a speech therapy group， and a wife struggling with her role as carer to a husband she has lived a very separate life to until he has to rely on her for almost his every need。This book is a raw and real look at how the health we often take for granted can change in a moment， the repercussions of which can and very often do extend further than just the person suffering。 There are no heroes or saints here， just a very realistic portrayal of how people are flung into either patient or carer mode with little prior warning， and how life changing that can be for both。 Identities， relationships and the importance of telling our stories are all at the heart of this book， wrapped in exactly the quality plot and prose which I knew to expect from this fabulous author。I was sent a Netgalley of this title from 4th Estate in return for a review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Jthbooks ，

This one started off so strong。 Incredibly strong。 It’s intense， it’s exciting， its dangerous and I was loving it。 Then there was a shift in the plot， and I was still really enjoying it and I was thinking it was going to be a five star book， but towards the end it just lost it for me。 I found myself skimming the pages。 It just lost my interest， I could see what the author was trying to do but it didn’t work for me。 Thanks to the publishers for my copy。 It’s out April 13th。

Ruth Brookes ，

Oh my goodness， this was good。 I read it at breakneck speed with a fizz of pleasure at a well told tale。Lean Fall Stand is primarily a novel about an accident and it’s fallout， about a marriage， and what happens when communication fails。 It is also a story grounded in the magnificence of nature， the power and fragility of language， and about courage， resilience and survival in all kinds of circumstances。 Filled with Mcgregor’s sparse yet lyrical storytelling， quiet tension and an astonishing sen Oh my goodness， this was good。 I read it at breakneck speed with a fizz of pleasure at a well told tale。Lean Fall Stand is primarily a novel about an accident and it’s fallout， about a marriage， and what happens when communication fails。 It is also a story grounded in the magnificence of nature， the power and fragility of language， and about courage， resilience and survival in all kinds of circumstances。 Filled with Mcgregor’s sparse yet lyrical storytelling， quiet tension and an astonishing sense of place， Lean Fall Stand is gripping， mesmerising， beautiful。 。。。more

Katie Lumsden ，

Beautiful， powerful， moving and just amazingly written。

Paul ，

This is one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve finished it。 A book which， for me at least， reveals more charms and qualities when you’ve finished it and you can see how it all fits together， the connections and foreshadowing of events yet to unfold。 There’s also much to enjoy during the reading， McGregor’s ability to write about landscape and settings is beautiful and often poetic。Much like Reservoir 13 I started reading thinking it was one type of book， only to have my expecta This is one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve finished it。 A book which， for me at least， reveals more charms and qualities when you’ve finished it and you can see how it all fits together， the connections and foreshadowing of events yet to unfold。 There’s also much to enjoy during the reading， McGregor’s ability to write about landscape and settings is beautiful and often poetic。Much like Reservoir 13 I started reading thinking it was one type of book， only to have my expectations subverted。 Again like Reservoir 13， if you can come to this book with as little information as possible I think it is a more rewarding experience。Beautiful and moving。 。。。more

Chris Haak ，

Beautiful and impressive novel about the wonderful， harsh world of Antarctica， about language and lacking the ability to properly communicate， and about roles in life that （need to） change。 Thank you Fourth Estate and Netgalley for the ARC。

Thomas ，

A brilliantly wrought novel about overcoming tragedy。 It follows the story of Robert who suffers a stroke on the ice in a horrible accident。 The repercussions are large and small。 There is the parallel story of his wife whose career is sidelined in order for her to care for Robert。 The writing is perfect and there is very little hand wringing which you could be wary of in a book like this。 Instead， McGregor zooms in on this moment in a couples life and explores humanity in an intricate manner。

Ben ，

An absorbing book about storytelling and particularly communication。 Split into three very different sections （titled Lean / Fall /Stand）， I'd recommend going in with as little knowledge as possible of the story。 My first McGregor novel and certainly won't be my last - some dazzling， affecting writing that kept me gripped throughout。 An absorbing book about storytelling and particularly communication。 Split into three very different sections （titled Lean / Fall /Stand）， I'd recommend going in with as little knowledge as possible of the story。 My first McGregor novel and certainly won't be my last - some dazzling， affecting writing that kept me gripped throughout。 。。。more

Rob Twinem ，

What a stunning novel。 Having just finished Lean Fall Stand I am still affected by the language and the theme of communication or not that runs through each chapter。 Robert， Thomas， and Luke are mapping and carrying out important research work in Antarctica， a virtually uninhabited， ice-covered landmass。 An area of extreme weather conditions where sunshine could turn to snowy stormy wipeout in minutes， clear visibility replaced by blindness。。。…”Glaciers and ridges and icebergs and scree， weather What a stunning novel。 Having just finished Lean Fall Stand I am still affected by the language and the theme of communication or not that runs through each chapter。 Robert， Thomas， and Luke are mapping and carrying out important research work in Antarctica， a virtually uninhabited， ice-covered landmass。 An area of extreme weather conditions where sunshine could turn to snowy stormy wipeout in minutes， clear visibility replaced by blindness。。。…”Glaciers and ridges and icebergs and scree， weathering and wind-form and shear。 The air so clear that distances shrank and all the colours shone”。。。。。。 When wipeout occurs the 3 colleagues are each involved in separate challenges。 Thomas， as the photographer， is cast adrift when the ice beneath him cracks and breaks。 Communication is impossible conversation replaced by broken static over the airwaves。 Fallout is swift and far reaching and as we move forward in the story Anna， Robert’s wife， is forced to reevaluate her everyday existence as she welcomes home a very traumatised husband。 Robert has suffered a stroke， he is bedridden as not only his body but his ability to speak has deserted him…。。”The effects of stroke include language impairments， reduced mobility， difficulties with swallowing， and cognitive deficits”。。。。。。Communication once so accessible has gone his thoughts are trapped within a damaged body， unable to connect with his wife Anna following the tragedy that happened in Station K。。。Communication once so easy no longer present。 And so begins the process of painful rehabilitation。 The human state of existence relies on the need to communicate and when this is gone， and replaced by breakdown and misunderstanding， chaos ensues。 Robert attends group therapy work making the acquaintance of fellow stroke victims all existing in their own bubble， a form of confinement…。。and gradually a different “living” begins to seem possible。It is inevitable that his illness will affect his relationship with his wife Anna。 A career woman and always supportive of her spouse she is now faced with a new reality…。life or a carer。。。both husband and wife slave to the stroke…。。”His frustration at not being able to speak kept tipping over into frustration with her for not understanding”。。。。。。 Understanding and support once the centre of their married life has deserted leaving sadness and heartbreak in its wake。 Ultimately Lean Fall Stand is a book of hope and the ability of the human spirit to accept and move forward introducing a different type of communication。 Many thanks to the good people of netgalley for a gratis copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and this is what I have written…。Brilliant， poignant， uplifting， and at times even funny and oh so highly recommended。 。。。more

Sarah ，

A strange book - it starts off as an Antarctic thriller; storm， negligence， death - all very intriguing。 Then there are pages of gibberish - I know this represents the confusion of the stroke and the circumstances but after three pages I had got the message， I did not need however many pages that followed。 The middle part of the book introduces the wife， Anna， whom I very much enjoyed。 Her ambivalence towards her husband and reluctance to become his nurse where realistic and understandable。 In t A strange book - it starts off as an Antarctic thriller; storm， negligence， death - all very intriguing。 Then there are pages of gibberish - I know this represents the confusion of the stroke and the circumstances but after three pages I had got the message， I did not need however many pages that followed。 The middle part of the book introduces the wife， Anna， whom I very much enjoyed。 Her ambivalence towards her husband and reluctance to become his nurse where realistic and understandable。 In the third part， the group therapy， one has to suspend disbelief and go with it。 I was expecting a bigger reveal and so felt frustrated by the ending。 It has me left longing for the the peace and reflection of a Friend's Meeting - I have not been for a few years and I am now moved to do something about this - so thank you！ 。。。more

Paul Fulcher ，

I’ve got a lot of work to do。 They’re going to have me filling out carer assessment forms。 I don’t want to be a carer; I never even really wanted to be a wife。Lean Fall Stand opens in the Antarctic and with an interesting nod to Rachel Cusk:Doc had gone off on the other skidoo and climbed up Priestley Head， to give the picture perspective。 Without someone in the frame there was no way to capture the scale of this place。 He’d been struggling with it since they’d first arrived。 In the pictures he’ I’ve got a lot of work to do。 They’re going to have me filling out carer assessment forms。 I don’t want to be a carer; I never even really wanted to be a wife。Lean Fall Stand opens in the Antarctic and with an interesting nod to Rachel Cusk:Doc had gone off on the other skidoo and climbed up Priestley Head， to give the picture perspective。 Without someone in the frame there was no way to capture the scale of this place。 He’d been struggling with it since they’d first arrived。 In the pictures he’d taken so far， everything looked too small。 The distant mountains。 The ridges on either side of the valley。 The glacier。 The icebergs creaking against each other， with the light turning bluely inside them。This phenomenon was first recorded by the photographer Herbert Ponting who in 1911 joined Captain Scott's， ultimately ill-fated， Terra Nova Expedition。 Stephen J。 Pyne in his The Ice: A Journey To Antarctica described the problem as one of “annihilated perspective”， a term that Cusk was then to use to describe her innovative Outline/Transit/Cusk trilogy。The Lean section of the novel tells the story of a modern day， but similarly ill-fated， polar trip。 Three researchers in a remote polar station get separated in a sudden storm， struggling to locate or even communicate with each other。 This part of the novel is a little Boys’ Own and when one of the party， ‘Doc’ （Robert）， is felled with a blow to the back of the neck seems to be heading to Ice Station Zebra territory。 But as Doc’s own thoughts and verbal communication become scrambled it becomes clear his assailant is internal， not external。The second section， Fall， was much my favourite。 It is a moving and realistic account， told from the perspective of Doc/Robert’s wife， of recovery from a stroke and the associated communication difficulties。She had to return a call from the speech and language service， and confirm the first home visit。 She had to contact someone at the Institute， and talk to them about Robert’s sick pay。 She had to apply for an extension on her compassionate leave。 She had to talk to somebody at the Institute about arranging a visit for Robert， who was desperate to get to the office and see people。 He was under the impression that he would soon be returning to work。 She had to find a way of discussing how difficult this might be。 She had to reply to Luke Adebayo， who had asked if he could visit。 She had to let Robert’s sister know when she could come and stay， and reply to a string of other text messages asking for news。 She had to pull out the dishwasher and unblock the drainage hose。 She had to wash the laundry again because she’d left it sitting too long in the machine。 When she made dinner she had to cook the onions in margarine because there was no oil and she couldn’t get to the shops。 She had to carry the dinner up to Robert on a tray， and cut up his food， and sit with him while he ate。 She had to air the room， again。 。。。‘Robert。 I’m not going to argue。 I don’t want us to argue。 But I’ve made some lunch and I’m not going to carry it upstairs。’ She turned around and left the room。 She went into the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water and screamed into a folded towel。The third and final section， Stand， builds on the themes of the earlier parts and provides a wider lens， as Robert attends a speech therapy and rehabilitation course with a number of other stroke victims。 The story is told with compassion and the exploration of both different communication difficulties （such as fluent aphasia） and different ways to overcome them （song， mime， dance） is interesting and feels well researched。 However in literary terms this was the least successful part of the novel for me， as I found the shifting points of view rather unsatisfactory and the climax， with the course attendees telling their stories via different mediums， felt rather better suited for （indeed perhaps aimed at？） a film script than the written page。Overall， a well-told and compassionate story but a little disappointing given the anticipation I had from the incredible Reservoir 13。 3。5 stars。 。。。more

Pickle Farmer ，

I knew nothing about this book other than it had something to do with Antarctica。 I REALLY enjoyed reading this， knowing nothing about it， because it made the unexpected twists and turns all the more enjoyable。 So， if this is a book you are interested in reading， I recommend reading as little as possible about it！（view spoiler）[The book's first section （the first 20% of so） begins with a storm in Antarctica， with three men in grave danger。 This was pretty gripping stuff。 It almost read as a thri I knew nothing about this book other than it had something to do with Antarctica。 I REALLY enjoyed reading this， knowing nothing about it， because it made the unexpected twists and turns all the more enjoyable。 So， if this is a book you are interested in reading， I recommend reading as little as possible about it！（view spoiler）[The book's first section （the first 20% of so） begins with a storm in Antarctica， with three men in grave danger。 This was pretty gripping stuff。 It almost read as a thriller at times， a survival tale。 McGregor's calm， controlled description of the landscape， the wind， and white-out conditions reminded me of his similarly controlled descriptions of the passing seasons and scenery in Reservoir 13。The book overall could be considered a survival tale， but not in the way you might think。 The main plot of the book （and this is where you MUST stop reading， if you don't want spoilers！） involves one of the men's attempts to recover from the stroke he suffers on Antarctica， which leaves him with aphasia。 He can no longer understand or express speech as he once did， and will never be the same again。 This is very rich material for any novelist - how do you communicate if language itself is not available to you？ How do you tell your story when you can barely construct a sentence？ As a brochure puts it blandly at one point， "Telling stories is part of what's difficult about living with aphasia。"One of the characters in his speech therapy group has fluent aphasia - a form of aphasia in which you can talk effortlessly， but the words themselves are meaningless （I'd never heard of it， and it definitely led me down a YouTube rabbit hole）。 In this novel， the character with fluent aphasia talks nonsense， words that sound eerily apocalyptic when strung together - prophetic， almost。 "Hello to you and you and watch the water as it comes upon us all。" It really made me think about language and meaning， and how as a society we are so CONDITIONED to be able to talk to each other。 The main parts of the book that were REALLY， REALLY strong to me were a） the passages from the wife's POV， and b） the sections about the speech therapy group。 I LOVED how the wife doesn't actually care for Robert that much， which puts her in a tough dilemma - how to now be a caretaker for a man who was never really around for their marriage （in fact his absence seems to have made their relationship a success）。 The passages about her daily duties as a caretaker - something SO many people have to do - are really powerful。 I love it when fiction focuses on the everyday invisible lives and jobs and routines of people。 There's some powerful social commentary here too about social cuts。 The title， as I understand it， feels like a commentary on Robert's journey in the book - leaning， falling， standing。 And how you can stand not on your own， but with help and support from others。 I found it very， VERY moving。 I loved the part where Robert acts out his accident in Antarctica with help from the movement therapists - the scene feels like it's trying to say something about testimony， and memory， and doing it via actions rather than words - finding different ways to 'talk' about trauma。I suppose the main 'conflict' is a plot thread throughout that involves the authorities （or whoever） trying to understand what exactly happened that night in Antarctica。 We the readers （or at least in my case） also don't have a clear idea of What Happened， as that passage was narrated primarily from Doc's POV in the initial throes of the stroke。 This must have also been an appealing challenge for McGregor - how do you write from the POV from someone who is literally losing their ability to speak and understand？ It can be a bit Joycean at times （and tbh in the moment it dragged a bit for me， mainly because I was impatient to know exactly what was wrong with him）， but overall it works。The setting of Antarctica is interesting because it obviously makes global warming an implicit theme。 It ties in with the book's bigger themes of language and communication - how do you communicate the idea that the world is ending？ What kind of language is appropriate？ "They could only establish the same things all over again， with ever-increasing certainty and detail。 Yes， there is a clear link between CO2 emissions and temperature rise。 No， there is no historical precedent。 Yes， immediate action is required。"Overall， a beautifully memorable book about language and caretaking。 I just loved this。 Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC。Quotes:You're right to be frustrated。 But we're starting to think about different ways of communicating， aren't we？ And you're each working to find your own techniques。 We don't always have the words。 But we can talk around things。 We can use gestures。He always had to reach for the words。 As though they'd been put on a high shelf in the stores。 Out of reach。 Or left outside， snowed under， needing to be dug out。 He used his hands to fill in the gaps， when he couldn't quite get to the words。 Show us， Robert。 Use anything。Aphasia affects all aspects of a person's communication but the ability to tell stories can be a significant loss。 Your loved one might struggle to talk about their day， or to tell grandchildren about key events in their lives。 We have been exploring ways of telling stories with all tools available。"Once。 Upon a--time。 Our stories。 Were told。 In--words。 Now we talk。 We talk in --new ways。"（hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Roman Clodia ，

It's hard to talk about things， Robert。 I know it's hard to put them into words。I'm struggling to put in words what I found underwhelming about this book - which is， ironically， entirely appropriate since issues about words and communication are what the text is all about。 From the mis-use and inadequacy of language （'people said these things， but the words didn't always fit'）， failed technical communications as radios and phones fail to work in the face of a polar storm， to the struggle to It's hard to talk about things， Robert。 I know it's hard to put them into words。I'm struggling to put in words what I found underwhelming about this book - which is， ironically， entirely appropriate since issues about words and communication are what the text is all about。 From the mis-use and inadequacy of language （'people said these things， but the words didn't always fit'）， failed technical communications as radios and phones fail to work in the face of a polar storm， to the struggle to recall linguistic proficiency following a stroke， and the deliberate refusal to communicate （'like， all shut down， monosyllabic'）， this is all about fractures and fisions in the way people interact via language。 I guess my issue is this is hardly saying anything new， is it？ There's some technical skill in showing the breakdown of language structure as someone is experiencing a stroke， and no doubt the sections showing the labour of recuperation and the burden on the family is well done but overall this never really came together for me。 There seem to be attempts to stir up some narrative pizzazz with a kind of pseudo-mystery structure - what really happened that day of the storm？ what are the implications of the first accident？ - and again with the drive towards the 'showing' to tell the story at the end but I'm afraid this never really carried me along。 Sorry， McGregor fans - this just didn't work for me。（Thanks to 4th Estate for an ARC via NetGalley） 。。。more

Louise ，

I almost felt like I had three books in one here。The first set in the Antarctic，always so fascinating，so bleak，beautiful and other worldly。Setting up the character of Doc nicely。 Who，why and what he is。The second part so full of confusion and frustration。Giving the book over to Anna ，Docs wife。She brings the whole story together，telling their history。Then the final part，that ties everything up。I've never met a McGregor book I didnt enjoy immensely。He has a wonderful skill of making you really fe I almost felt like I had three books in one here。The first set in the Antarctic，always so fascinating，so bleak，beautiful and other worldly。Setting up the character of Doc nicely。 Who，why and what he is。The second part so full of confusion and frustration。Giving the book over to Anna ，Docs wife。She brings the whole story together，telling their history。Then the final part，that ties everything up。I've never met a McGregor book I didnt enjoy immensely。He has a wonderful skill of making you really feel for his characters。 。。。more

SueLucie ，

I do so enjoy Jon McGregor’s writing and this one contributed to my Christmas feasting。 After a riveting， thrilling first section set in the Antarctic， atmosphere and tension throughout， I was expecting the second section to start where the first left off。 Instead I found a complete change of direction， equally enthralling for entirely different reasons and especially so for my personal family situation。 I would hate to spoil the book for anybody by saying too much more about the events he descr I do so enjoy Jon McGregor’s writing and this one contributed to my Christmas feasting。 After a riveting， thrilling first section set in the Antarctic， atmosphere and tension throughout， I was expecting the second section to start where the first left off。 Instead I found a complete change of direction， equally enthralling for entirely different reasons and especially so for my personal family situation。 I would hate to spoil the book for anybody by saying too much more about the events he describes and their aftermath。 The final third wraps everything up， by which I don’t mean to say that everything is in any way resolved， but it ties the first and second parts together so well with overarching themes。Two of these are sound and communication， the latter being one of Jon McGregor’s frequent interests。 In terms of sound we have the fractured radio transmissions of the Antarctic team， bursts of lucidity interspersed with static/white noise reflected in speech patterns later on。 Communications and intentions are rife with misunderstanding and misinterpretation。 Towards the end of the third section we experience a gradual ‘tuning in’ to communications from individuals in the group。 Jon McGregor’s feel for group dynamics is one of his greatest strengths and shown to great effect here。 An immersive and emotional， poignant read， highly recommended。With thanks to 4th Estate via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC。 。。。more

Neil ，

"Everyone’s story is important， she assured them"/ _ |Lean， Fall， Stand is a story about storytelling and about communication。I want to start by saying that， in my view， the book blurb communicates rather too much and does a bit too much storytelling of its own。 I would advise not reading it before reading the book itself， if you can possibly avoid it。 If you read the blurb， all the tension disappears from the first part of the book。 In truth this doesn’t really matter because that tension is a "Everyone’s story is important， she assured them"/ _ |Lean， Fall， Stand is a story about storytelling and about communication。I want to start by saying that， in my view， the book blurb communicates rather too much and does a bit too much storytelling of its own。 I would advise not reading it before reading the book itself， if you can possibly avoid it。 If you read the blurb， all the tension disappears from the first part of the book。 In truth this doesn’t really matter because that tension is a very minor part of the book， but the fact is you don’t know that whilst reading the book and it did taint the book a bit for me。I had to pause about two-thirds through the book and gather my thoughts。 And it was at this point that I realised the way the blurb had spoiled the tension of the first part didn’t really matter because the first part was about something other than a tense story。 The reason I had to pause was that I started to feel that I was almost reading three separate， but related， books。 That was in the early pages of the third part （the parts are call Lean， /， Fall， _， and Stand， |）， and it is that part the gives the key to the book and its themes of storytelling and communication。Part one （Lean， /） tells the story of an Antarctic expedition that goes wrong。 You maybe don’t notice it at the time， but it is full of miscommunications， white noise， broken lines of communication and the unraveling of one person’s ability to communicate at all。Speech therapy and alternative means of communication play an important role in part two （Fall， _）。 Again， there are multiple references to different forms of communication， often this time focusing on how difficult it can be to understand when you are on the receiving end （technical/medical talk， for example） or how much we are bombarded by communication in our lives （one character’s love of the silence in Society of Friends’ meetings is telling）。And the speech therapy theme develops in part three （Stand， |） which celebrates alternative forms of communication and ways to tell stories。There’s a lot， lot more in the book about storytelling and about people’s struggles to communicate。So， perhaps it is very deliberate on the part of the author and publisher to dissipate the tension of the story in part one so that other themes rise to the surface。 Perhaps I am being unfair in criticising the blurb。I can very much see this book as a movie。 It has the drama at the start， the emotion and struggle in the middle and the perfect cinematic ending。My thanks to 4th Estate and William Collins for an ARC via NetGalley。 。。。more

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer ，

He always had to reach for the words。 As though they’e been put on a high shelf in the stores。 Out of reach。 Or left outside， snowed under， needing to be dug out。 He used his hands to fill in the gaps， when he couldn’t quite get to the words。 / _ |A new Jon McGregor novel would be the highlight of any year – and this one will I can confidently say be a literary highlight of 2021。The wonderful Reservoir 13 starts as a missing girl mystery but almost immediately becomes an multi-voice explorati He always had to reach for the words。 As though they’e been put on a high shelf in the stores。 Out of reach。 Or left outside， snowed under， needing to be dug out。 He used his hands to fill in the gaps， when he couldn’t quite get to the words。 / _ |A new Jon McGregor novel would be the highlight of any year – and this one will I can confidently say be a literary highlight of 2021。The wonderful Reservoir 13 starts as a missing girl mystery but almost immediately becomes an multi-voice exploration of how quotidian dramas play out against the rhythmic seasons of village life and the natural world， while time continues to pass incessantly。This book his latest （due to be published in April 2021） starts as a book around polar exploration （the author having visited the Antarctic with the British Antarctic Survey around 20 years ago I believe） and about survival in a calamity in extreme conditions。 But over time it turns into an exploration of communication and story telling， and an examination of how true heroism can simply be found in the need to navigate and adapt to unexpected challenges of circumstance in normal life。 The blurb of the book already gives substantial information on the plot （perhaps even slightly too much – I would recommend not to read it as it dissipates some of the tension of the first part， which while not really the core of the book， still is an essential part of it） and at this stage （4 months prior to publication） I would not really want to add any more。 As I said communication and storytelling as a theme recurs through the novel – and in fact it’s the retrospective exploration of this idea that helped me realise the importance of the first section， we have: the contradictions of the initial training and its inability to map to a real world crisis; lost radios and then intermittent radio contact; uncharged and unused satellite phones; drifting GPS co-ordinates which tell a story which is not appreciated until too late; scheduled radio check ins with base which serve as a sign that all is well – with the absence of communication triggering an emergency。In the second section we see the difficulty of expressing oneself in a foreign language; Bridget as someone who would be a great listener if only she could stop talking; Robert’s incessant relaying of tales of his exploration on his trips home and Anna’s final and ominously prescient request for silence; Anna’s love of the silence of the meetings of the Society of Friends; the different languages and alien communications of medical and legal professionals and technical experts。; Anna’s son’s comments on her monosyllabic shut downs; the story telling of an inquest report （and the trade off between having a story that makes sense to the victim’s family and not having any apportionment or admittance of guilt）; speech therapy and communication workarounds （which then form the base of the third section）。One of McGregor’s greatest skills is his remarkable ability to voice the collective story of a community: the street in his debut novel “If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things”， the chorus of voices in the remarkable “Even The Dogs” and of course the village in “Reservoir 13”。 We see this perhaps most strongly in all of his writing in the book’s third section as the therapy group come together; by the final scene of the “showing” we are both able to identify immediately individual voices， and to understand the story they are trying to tell， even though a superficial examination of the voices would render them largely meaningless。 And what of course makes this replaying of his “signature” so apt here is that the group is all about individuals struggling to find a voice and to tell their story。 Other links to his previous books:Here of course we have a group of people who would very much like to speak of normal things （let alone remarkable ones） but struggle to do so。Readers of “Even The Dogs” will remember an inquest – and a man called Robert whose detailed and accurate testimony would be crucial but is missing （albeit for a very different reason）。Readers of “Reservoir 13” will see that the author’s ability to capture the natural cycles of an English village apply equally the breathtaking but harsh Antarctic landscape （and cleverly not just in the author’s own words but in his ability to capture the ability of Robert and a dancer， to capture this in slurred speech and mirrored movement。And some links to my own life: I have a couple of tangential links to the BAS via University; my first job was with an insurance company founded by the Society of Friends; but most importantly both my late father and mother have suffered strokes: my father several （and a brain haemorrhage） and my mother only 12 months ago which means much of the book rings very true indeed。Strongly recommended。/ _ |My thanks to 4th Estate and William Collins for an ARC via NetGalley 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Lean Fall Stand

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Lean Fall Stand&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Lean Fall Stand&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0