...in this beautifully written book, we are exposed to questions that we may never have even thought to ask ... The journal entry format is an interesting and effective choice; as readers we are at once incredibly close to the action and characters while simultaneously being held at arm’s length. I was inside Jacob’s head, witnessing his innermost thoughts and feelings, but also removed from anything outside of it ... The glimpses into the Amish community are a welcome change from the typical speculative fiction narrative. Williams presents something fresh and new with this choice, and while I can’t speak to the accuracy of the community’s portrayal in this novel, it felt real and vivid ... It’s rare to find a debut novel as finely crafted as When the English Fall.
When the English Fall is an apocalyptic oddity of a book: a dystopian take on the utopian world of the Amish ...first-time novelist David Williams describes Pennsylvania 'plain folk' grappling with catastrophe — the destruction of the global power grid in the wake of a solar storm — even as they continue on with more tranquil activities like gathering eggs and making jerky ...novel takes the form of his diary, and his sentences proceed with Amish forbearance: His words are simple and, like a buggy-tugging horse, each pulls its weight ... When the English Fall is, slyly, a parable for climate change and for the horrifying threats it poses to the global order.
...a quiet, brilliant little novel begging for a Netflix adaptation ... I never realized I wanted a postapocalyptic Amish novel, but the premise is so perfect I can’t believe that it’s never been done before — or that someone did it so well on the first try ... It’s a gorgeous, moving book that’s creepier than you might expect. Williams’ use of tension, suspense and compression is masterful, calling to mind the distilled prose of Ron Rash. In the past decade, pop culture may have become oversaturated with postapocalyptic stories, but this one is fresh, unique and unforgettable.
It’s a tale that’s quietly told, with a double handful of isolated characters who have little way of getting news beyond the borders of their well-tended acres. But Williams creates an impressive sense of dread that builds like the piles of garbage growing by the day on the city streets ... When the English Fall is thoughtful and the events are believable – even if the members of the Order are a little too saintly to be so. (The hypocritical, unhappy, or judgmental members of the community remain firmly off-screen.) And Williams lets his characters avoid truly wrenching ethical dilemmas, which might have deepened the novel. But Jacob is written as a witness, not a man of action – and he is so likable Williams just about gets away with it.
Williams might have seen fit to question whether a society where subsistence is the highest earthly good really does morally outrank the messy, doomed glory of American civilization, but doesn’t quite. He does let a number of mysteries linger: What is the Sun Storm, exactly? Why does Sadie have premonitions? We’re not told, which is a relief ... perhaps some honest wrongdoing would have given Williams’ characters a little more depth. But the totality of When the English Fall is surprisingly moving, and Jacob a sympathetic and compelling guide to a world that feels closer every day.
The diary format means the scientific details of the storm’s effects are vague and the most horrifying events are only rumored; this increases tension and keeps the narrative from becoming as dehumanizing or shockingly violent as other tales of the end of the world. The unique spin draws readers into an alarmingly plausible story of contemporary civilization’s demise.
