The Fallen Man

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Summary: Did Hillerman really write this??? Or was it an intern.
Review: I love reading Hillerman. When you live in New Mexico you know first hand what he's writing about. That is until I was at page 4 of the "Fallen Man" and Hillerman described the autumn sun as being "far to the north" and "the shadow of Ship Rock .... stretched southeastward". That stopped me in my tracks right there and I had to read it again several times.

First of all, the sun sets far to the south in autumn and the shadows stretch northeast. The only way I could explain this error is perhaps Hillerman placed the scene in the late spring in an earlier draft, then changed the season without changing other details. I was disappointed that Hillerman didn't catch this.

In Roswell, New Mexico, I watch the summer sun set behind El Capitan Mountain that sits on the most northern point of the suns path through the sky. El Capitan looks like a pyramid and acts as a buffer from the strong rays of the setting sun. As the sun travels back to the south on the western horizen in the fall, I am very aware of its position because it shines right in my face as I drive home. That is first hand knowledge for you.

This small detail might not be important to a lot of people, but it was a glaring (forgive the pun) error on the writer's part.

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Summary: Just like being in New Mexico
Review: I read Hillerman's books because he brings the New Mexico to life. Few writers can evoke the cold, the heat, or the beauty of the New Mexico high desert the way Hillerman does. Fallen Man is a particularly good example. Hillerman's description of the arrival of winter is spellbinding -- I could almost feel the cold wind and see the dark clouds. The plot is almost incidental to Hillerman's wonderful descriptions of New Mexico. Jim Chee is still confused about his love life and intimidated by Joe Leaphorn, who is as inscrutable as ever. The other characters receive light treatment and the plot and homespun justice are somewhat implausible. But, who cares. I can hardly wait for his next book.

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Summary: VINTAGE HILLERMAN
Review: I read The Fallen Man with great anticipation and was not disappointed. Hillerman's new developments with Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn brought great satisfaction. The unique style of writing takes me back to the southwest so vividly. Great plot, great characters and a very exciting conclusion.

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Summary: I can't figure out how he died!
Review: I really like Hillerman, and I look forward to each new book. I love the Chee/Leaphorn relationship. But this mystery (which I devoured in a weekend) left me confused. I know who did it; I know why; but I can't figure out how the victim died. Unusual problem for a mystery. If someone wants to enlighten me, please RSVP to Joan (My husband doesn't want to be thought the idiot in this family.

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Summary: An Attempt to Name the Lack
Review: I've read some of the complaints about this novel, ranging from general dissatisfaction with the tiny payoff of the rustling subplot to a very specific confusion over how, exactly, the "fallen man" died. I hope to pinpoint the trouble somewhere between the two.

There seem to be two ways Hal Breedlove could have died, and it is no accident that they hinge on Eldon Demott's accounting for it. If he is lying, then he probably would have stranded his friend on the ledge. That would account for the intact bones. Yet the rock is not so isolated, as even the book suggests, that no one could have heard his cries; moreover it is possible to die from a fall without breaking bones--due to internal injuries, brain damage, etc.

Add to this Elisa Breedlove's recounting of her brother's genuine-looking shock and the weight comes down in favor of Demott's explanation. The author's decision not to break Hal Breedlove's bones, on the other hand, is a little harder to understand. Halfway through the novel people are still qualifying their references to the "so-called" Fallen Man. This appears to allow Leaphorn and Demott to develop their Biblical allusion, my only complaint being that it is done to no purpose. Hillerman has always taken pains to characterize the clash between cultures, Navajo and white, but here he seems to pull back from his own terrain.

Not to put too fine a point on it the Biblical "Fall" is, after all, a choice of knowledge over blissful ignorance, and Lieutenant Leaphorn's private objection, in Chapter 17, to Demott's simplistic analysis hardly constitutes presence of this moral theme. The lack may easily have spilled over, undermining the otherwise vintage resolution of the subplot, both cases only proving what is no mystery: that two negatives don't make a positive.

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Summary: Chee needs a vacation
Review: In Sacred Clowns, the plot was rather lame but the writing was still vintage Hillerman. In this novel, the plot is much better, but the adjective that came to my mind time and again was "perfunctory": from the completely interchangeable rock climbers in the prologue, to Jim Chee's love troubles with the latest culturally incorrect girlfriend. A disappointment overall; Hillerman is capable of much better, but his last few novels have been well below standard.

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Summary: compelling mystery, sense of place, environmental bent
Review: It was so nice to catch up with Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee again that the story was almost secondary. Joe has always been my favorite of the two, but Jim Chee's character really captivated me in this one. Every part of this book has something to recommend it. The mystery is intriguing. The process of solving the mystery is very interesting. And the resolution is perfect when considered in the light of the Navaho search for harmony and balance. All in all, a great read. Now, if Mr. Hillerman could just write them as fast as I read them, all would be well.

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Summary: Like Visiting Two Old Friends
Review: It was so nice to catch up with Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee again that the story was almost secondary. Joe has always been my favorite of the two, but Jim Chee's character really captivated me in this one. Every part of this book has something to recommend it. The mystery is intriguing. The process of solving the mystery is very interesting. And the resolution is perfect when considered in the light of the Navaho search for harmony and balance. All in all, a great read. Now, if Mr. Hillerman could just write them as fast as I read them, all would be well.

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Summary: Hillerman Back, Entertaining Tho Not Top Form
Review: Jim Chee & Joe Leaphorn lovers will sigh over the latest addition to the series. The characters are back and yet something's missing. The plot in this mystery is paper thin, though Hillerman's writing remains impeccable. Chee's personal problems never seem to disappear while Joe Leaphorn is retired from the force and comes back as an unofficial PI. The story focuses on mountain climbing and the discovery of a skeleton on a mountain. The skeleton goes back to a case years before but somehow comes to life again. It ends with justice for the criminal and yet justice for other people, too. But questions remain: can anyone imagine Joe Leaphorn letting this case go unsolved all those years? And what happened to the lady friend HE had at the end of the last book in this series? Author Tony Hillerman returned after a bout with a serious illness and a diversion into a a non-series book, but he clearly rushed this one and it showed. He gets more personal with Jim Chee and some of the white characters in the book but the cost is focus on the Navaho culture which is what made the series so good to begin with. If you love Hillerman, you'll like this book, but it'll be a little like leaving Thanksgiving dinner halfway through: you don't come away as full as you expected to...Jorge Ribeiro ([e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Hillerman Back, Entertaining Tho Not Top Form
Review: Jim Chee & Joe Leaphorn lovers will sigh over the latest addition to the series. The characters are back and yet something's missing. The plot in this mystery is paper thin, though Hillerman's writing remains impeccable. Chee's personal problems never seem to disappear while Joe Leaphorn is retired from the force and comes back as an unofficial PI. The story focuses on mountain climbing and the discovery of a skeleton on a mountain. The skeleton goes back to a case years before but somehow comes to life again. It ends with justice for the criminal and yet justice for other people, too. But questions remain: can anyone imagine Joe Leaphorn letting this case go unsolved all those years? And what happened to the lady friend HE had at the end of the last book in this series? Author Tony Hillerman returned after a bout with a serious illness and a diversion into a a non-series book, but he clearly rushed this one and it showed. He gets more personal with Jim Chee and some of the white characters in the book but the cost is focus on the Navaho culture which is what made the series so good to begin with. If you love Hillerman, you'll like this book, but it'll be a little like leaving Thanksgiving dinner halfway through: you don't come away as full as you expected to...Jorge Ribeiro ([e-mail]