This work of art delivers us the wonderful Wright family at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th Centuries. We see them in their daily lives, facing challenges, trying to progress and overcoming challenges that block their way. I loved their three main characters, Charles, Tabitha and Eloise, but I would have liked to learn more about them and I would have preferred if less of the more insignificant characters were introduced as I didn't feel they contributed much to the tale. It was a short tale, but an interesting one which I really enjoyed.

Although there is some beautiful descriptive prose in this book, this reviewer found it meandered a little too much to allow the reader to really keep track of the characters and the story, making it a tricky and a less than satisfying read. The story covers a period early in the 20th century when there were huge gulfs between the lives of the privileged and those who worked for them, and when women’s suffrage was becoming a big national issue in Britain. There is scope here for so much more by way of a flowing, directional narrative and a more convincing storyline, but the quality of the writing itself is excellent and at times really exquisite. Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for my review copy.

Such a beautifully written book. It is all in the detail with each sentence individually crafted to give you a a real sense of the period. I particularly liked the use of Manchester and the Lakes as a setting.

A story about wealth, privilege and how it was grewing up in privilege and it impacted you.
There's a lot of food for thought in this book but there's also a riveting and fascinating story.
The style of writing is excellent, the characters are well developed and the story flows keeping you reading.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I did like this for the most part but i feel like the whole book was too short and rushed for my liking. This could have been expanded on much more as the time jumps didn't work entirely for me and the first leap between the first time period and the second one was a bit too big. I also feel that the amount of characters was too much for how short this was and it didn't need to have so many side characters to the story. I did like the lead trio and felt that the 2 sisters and Charles were written really well. It isn't entirely what i expected but this was still a fun, short read.

Beautifully written but, for me at least, narratively underwhelming. There may well be a mismatch between my expectations and authorial intent here of course!
It’s difficult to put my finger on what didn’t gel, ultimately it felt like a series of vignettes across the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, without getting deep enough into the heart of the relationships, or the political upheaval. It’s all skipped last with a languid description. I’d cheerfully have read a whole book focused around the sisters in the immediate pre-war period, but as it is the book didn’t quite hang together for me..

Interested to see what o’riordan does next.

An elegant, enthralling novel. I found I couldn't stop reading this intimiste epic of social change in the years leading up to the First World War
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Falling Thread is a unique take on the historical family epic. O'Riordan picks out some defining scenes across decades of the Wright family's lives, painting a sweeping portrait of power and privilege in England at the cusp of the twentieth century.

Although the characters are all well-drawn, there is very little variation in the narrative voice, which means the shifts in time and perspective are often disorientating. As a reader you very much feel like an outsider, looking at a watercolour painting: it's beautiful, but indistinct, difficult to get drawn into the detail. You might get swept up by a scene, but not by the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the advance copy of this novel.

I really enjoyed the falling thread - truthfully not my usual genre or setting. The author conjured up such a captivating atmosphere within the first few pages, that I was gripped throughout. I read most of it in one setting. There's such an interesting mix of genres, and the final fifty pages really fly by. It's absolutely haunting, would definitely recommend.

Although there is some beautiful descriptive prose in this book, this reviewer found it meandered a little too much to allow the reader to really keep track of the characters and the story, making it a tricky and a less than satisfying read. The story covers a period early in the 20th century when there were huge gulfs between the lives of the privileged and those who worked for them, and when women’s suffrage was becoming a big national issue in Britain. There is scope here for so much more by way of a flowing, directional narrative and a more convincing storyline, but the quality of the writing itself is excellent and at times really exquisite.

Adam O’Riordan is recognised as a fine poet and short story writer. ‘The Falling Thread’ is his debut novel and a very good read it is too! Bookended by the First World War, the story proper begins in 1890. Bored Cambridge university student, Charles Wright, alone in the family home whilst his parents and two younger sisters holiday in Windemere, seduces their governess, Hettie Greenhalgh.
Following their lives over the next twenty or so years, O’Riordan explores the ways in which the privileged use their power, buoyed up by financial security and an innate sense of self-worth. Whilst the focus is, at first, on Charles and Hettie, O’Riordan’s exploration of women’s suffrage and the attractions of bohemian life are developed through the Wright sisters. Tabitha cares deeply about social inequalities whilst Eloise is determined to make her way as an artist.
Many passages in ‘The Falling Thread’ remind this reader of E M Forster’s novels about changing social conditions and floundering relationships. Perhaps the author could have explored Hettie’s position a little more; clearly life is very difficult for her even though her time is idly spent. Indeed, many of O’Riordan’s characters fail to connect, leading to stultifying marriages and awkward parent/child exchanges. Most endearing is the sisters’ bond. Whilst they are often made cross or frustrated, their mutual honesty and acceptance of each other’s differences signifies real love.
Tabitha says to Eloise, ‘You might want to look inside a book sometime, Ellie, it’s a wonder what ends up in there.’ Whilst some may argue that this novel brings little new to the literary canon, O’Riordan’s lyrical portrayal of a time in flux, peopled both by those who accept and those who question the status quo, is not only memorably written. He also encourages comparisons with important contemporary issues: social mobility; mental health; liberalism; capitalism, and the value of the artistic life. This is a novel to be savoured and pondered over.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Circus for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.