The Rain Before It Falls
Encyclopedia
The Rain Before It Falls is a lyrical novel written by British author Jonathan Coe
. It describes the history of three generations of women directly or indirectly affected by events in post-war London and rural Shropshire
. The novel contrasts with Coe's previous works in that it is almost apolitical, examining both the welcome and the undesirable legacies parents leave their children.
The title comes from a tune by jazz composer Michael Gibbs.
Most of the story is told through recordings of an old lady called Rosamond who describes on tape twenty photographs that represent a family's history. The main part of the book consists of descriptions of the various photographs, framed by a background story. While each of these descriptions comprises a chapter there is also a central chapter interrupting this structure which gives a piece of the background story.
The book was first published in 2007 by the Penguin Group
.
Jonathan Coe
Jonathan Coe is an English novelist and writer. His work has an underlying preoccupation with political issues, although this serious engagement is often expressed comically in the form of satire. For example, What a Carve Up! reworks the plot of an old 1960s spoof horror film of the same name...
. It describes the history of three generations of women directly or indirectly affected by events in post-war London and rural Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. The novel contrasts with Coe's previous works in that it is almost apolitical, examining both the welcome and the undesirable legacies parents leave their children.
The title comes from a tune by jazz composer Michael Gibbs.
Most of the story is told through recordings of an old lady called Rosamond who describes on tape twenty photographs that represent a family's history. The main part of the book consists of descriptions of the various photographs, framed by a background story. While each of these descriptions comprises a chapter there is also a central chapter interrupting this structure which gives a piece of the background story.
The book was first published in 2007 by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group
The Penguin Group is a trade book publisher, the largest in the world , having overtaken Random House in 2009. The Penguin Group is the name of the incorporated division of parent Pearson PLC that oversees these publishing operations...
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