I had not got on at all with McGregor's much-lauded Reservoir 13, but this book had me hooked from the outset. As a caveat, the latter two-thirds is very different to the opening section, but no less intriguing, albeit in a very different way. Lean Fall Stand begins with the separation of three men working at a research base in Antarctica, becoming separated in a storm. The unique territory of the country and its curious charm is captured excellently. Of the three characters, one undergoes a stroke in the stress of the event. The remainder of the novel occurs back in the UK, narrated mostly from the perspective of his wife and illustrating the reset to life inevitable after such an event: the transition from falling to standing. Just as Antarctica is a remote physical territory, aphasia is equally as remote mentally. For new perspectives on a diverse range of topics handled well, this novel is a must-read. I'm coming to understand too McGregor's literary approach. In both Lean Fall Stand and Reservoir 13, the premise is exogenous shock followed by living with the consequences, however mundane at a surface level (even if much more complex on an underlying basis).
By Jon McGregor