Falling (Provoost novel)

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Falling (1994)[1] (orig. Dutch Vallen) is a novel by the

Falling
Flemish author Anne Provoost.

Contents
1 Background
2 Plot summary
3 Awards and nominations
3.1 1995
3.2 1996
3.3 1997
3.4 2000
4 Publishing history
5 Footnotes

Background
The English edition of Falling
This was Anne Provoost's second novel and quickly gained Author Anne Provoost
an international reputation. Among the awards it won were
Original title Vallen
two for young people's literature, representing the area of
speciality that the author has made her own. In this case it Translator John Nieuwenbuizen
addresses the threat posed by the racist ideology of right- Cover artist Ruth Grner
wing parties following the recent electoral successes of the Maikka Trupp
Vlaams Blok after its shift to an aggressive policy on
immigration. Anne Provoost was later to make the plea not Country Belgium
to try to protect the young by shielding them from discussion Language Dutch
of uncomfortable issues in her essay Hopelessness and Genre Novel
consolation; growing up, willing or not (2000).[2] She has
Publisher Houtekiet/Fontein
also perceived the additional threat to civil liberties by forms
of right-wing religious fundamentalism and advised Publication date 1994
organising to resist this danger too.[3] Published in 1997, by
English Allen & Unwin
Plot summary Media type Print (Hardback &
Paperback)
Anne Provoost's novels are invariably related from the point
Pages 288 pp
of view of a young person caught up in problems of adult
making which they have difficulty comprehending. In this ISBN 1-86448-444-6
case, the teenage Lucas is taken on a long summer visit to his OCLC 40659153
late grandfathers home in the Ardennes by his mother. He
has been brought up by her in ignorance of the fact that
during World War II his grandfather had informed on the nuns in the local convent who were harbouring Jewish
children. He is therefore at a loss to understand the conflicting attitudes he encounters in the town. He is
particularly targeted by the political activist Benoit, for whom his grandfather was a hero, and persuaded to take
reluctant part in a couple of right-wing actions against the Moroccan immigrants who have taken over a run-
down quarter of the town.
In the meantime he has befriended the young American-born Caitlin, who dreams of becoming a dancer. She is
in fact the daughter of one of the children betrayed by his grandfather, all of whom had survived Auschwitz.
She also stands for liberal attitudes and as an outsider too is not tainted by the small-town narrow mindedness
from which Lucas has to suffer. Just as he is preparing to commit himself to Caitlin and what she stands for, she
is involved in a crash and Lucas is only able to rescue her from the burning car by sawing off her trapped foot.
At first he is treated as a hero, but Benoit, fearing denunciation by Lucas, uses his position as a journalist to
question his actions.[4]

The plot of the novel has three times been adapted for theatre: in Brussels (1997), Hamme (2003) and
Amsterdam (2006). In addition it was made into an English-language feature film in 2001 by Hans Herbots.[5]
Among the liberties taken with the text was the decision to move the scene of action, rather more credibly, to
the south of France and the hint of a resolution through forgiveness not present in the novel.[6]

Awards and nominations

1995

The Woutertje Pieterse Prijs

The Boekenleeuw
The Gouden Uil
The Zilveren Griffel
Listed on White Ravens (a premium label for books of international interest which deserve a wider
reception)

1996

Honour List IBBY

de Interprovinciale Prijs voor Jeugdliteratuur

1997
Nominated for the Prix du Lecteur from Mans and Sarthe in France

2000

Lavki-award

Publishing history
1994, Belgium, Houtekiet (ISBN 978-9052402789), pub date 1994, paperback (Vallen first edition in
Dutch))
1997, UK, Allen & Unwin (ISBN 978-1864484441), pub date 1 September 1997, paperback (first edition
in English)

Footnotes
1. Preview of the English translation's opening pp.9-33 onGoogle Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=0w16ZLMk
XLQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22Anne+Provoost%22&hl=en&ei=e1F2T sTCJI-78gPEh5HrAw&sa=X&oi=book_r
esult&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false)
2. Available online (http://www.anneprovoost.be/en/index.php/Essays/Uitzichtloos)
3. Atheist Sermon (http://www.anneprovoost.be/en/index.php/BemindeOngelovigen/BemindeOngelovigen)
4. The book is discussed at greater length inThe Babel Guide to Dutch and Flemish Fiction(ed. Theo Hermans), Oxford
2001, pp.152-4
5. A trailer and three excerpts are availableonline (http://www.anneprovoost.be/en/index.php/Verfilmd/Verfilmd)
 6. International movie data base(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272087/plotsummary)

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Categories: 1994 novels Belgian novels Dutch-language novels Novels set in Belgium

This page was last edited on 8 June 2017, at 18:58.

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