Dingley Falls (Paperback)

~ Malone (Author) "There was something the matter with Judith Haig's heart..." (more)
Key Phrases: dingley falls, highway connector, first selectman, Ernest Ransom, Judith Haig, Maynard Henry (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In the sleepy town of Dingley Falls, Connecticut, something funny is going on. Strange forces are pulling together the oddest of couples: a mild-mannered matron and a lascivious avant-garde poet; a sleek headmaster and a shy young curate; a hippie librarian and the wayward daughter of a local tycoon. What’s more, mailboxes are being stuffed with shockingly violent hate letters, even as a mysterious ailment takes the lives of perfectly healthy people. Not to mention the strange lights flashing in the depths of the forest…

With a sparkling range of characters who hurtle through an intricate and often hilarious journey, Michael Malone offers a sublime joyride in his classic novel.

About the Author

Michael Malone is the author of nine novels, one collection of short stories and two works of nonfiction. Educated at Carolina and at Harvard, he has taught at Yale, the University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore. Among his prizes are the Edgar, the O. Henry, the Writers Guild Award and the Emmy. He lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, with his wife, Maureen Quilligan, chair of the English department at Duke University. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402200072
• ISBN-13: 978-1402200076
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #413,642 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars beautifully, densely written, August 14, 2005

By	Rianna Seven "rianna7" (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews

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

33 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read, February 21, 1998

By	Kristi L. Sprinkle "Kristi Sprinkle" (Bastrop, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dingley Falls (Paperback)

This book compares favorably to The Shipping News and should have had more press. It is a delightful tale of a town through the eyes of the current generation and the woes of the previous one. The slimy and the sublime coexist in the small town that sits next to disaster and eats with it, drinks with it and revels in its lunacy. The watershed that feeds this lunacy could well be said to play a major role in its fabulous tale. Malone has done an excellent job.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Michael Malone is a joy to read, January 15, 2008

By	L. Honek "too many books, not enough time" (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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