We All Fall Down (Peter Barry, Transit Lounge)

We All Fall Down is the second novel from Peter Barry, author of I Hate Martin Amis et al. Where Amis focussed on the literary world, We All Fall Down critiques the advertising industry through the story of Hugh Drysdale, a successful Sydney ad agent. At first glance Hugh appears to have it all: a high-paying job, a loving young family and a bright future. But like the industry in which he works, superficial appearances can hide deeper cracks. Work is demanding but Hugh reminds himself that working the extra hours is necessary to provide for his family. His wife doesn’t understand. She’s now stuck in their new country home, alone but for the two-year-old son she must raise on her own. It is in these depictions of family life, alternately heart-warming and heartbreaking, that Barry’s writing is at its best. Where We All Fall Down fails is in the descriptions of life at the agency. It may have been a deliberate ploy to illustrate the shallow advertising world but the one-dimensional characters populating Hugh’s agency appear mere mouthpieces for Barry’s anti-consumerism views. It’s a pity, as there is much to like in We All Fall Down.

Andrew Rankin is national bookshop co-ordinator for the Australian Council of Educational Research

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Category: Reviews