Dans le cadre du projet Atelier des Récits, une classe de première du lycée Blaise Pascal à Charbonnières-les-Bains a lu Falling Animals de l’autrice irlandaise Sheila Armstrong et a créé une chronique, des biographies et des illustrations, parues dans Atelier des récits, le magazine du festival Littérature Live.

C’est maintenant à vous de découvrir Sheila Armstrong à travers leur travail, si vous ne l’avez pas encore fait :

• Biographies (cliquez sur les liens) :

biography_Criminal

Poetic_biography

biography_Comics

biography_Waves

 

• Chroniques :

Review 1:

Beneath the calm surface of a small coastal village lies a mystery, beginning with the discovery of a dead man on the beach and an old shipwreck.

In Falling Animals, Irish author Sheila Armstrong crafts a compelling and engaging novel that draws the reader in from the very start. She transports us to rural Ireland through vivid and detailed descriptions of landscapes that are as mysterious as they are beautiful, while also opening the story to more distant and exotic destinations. The setting plays a crucial role, shaping an atmosphere that is at times intriguing and at others more tense, as the narrative explores themes of human connection, mystery, and even touches of the fantastical surrounding the investigation of the man found dead on the beach.

One of the novel’s most striking features is its use of multiple perspectives. The story unfolds through different characters, whose lives intersect at key moments, each offering their own interpretation of events. This narrative structure allows the reader to piece together the mystery gradually, making the plot both more complex and more engaging.

From the very first pages, the novel leaves a lasting impression — an effect that is only strengthened by the fact that Armstrong drew inspiration from a real-life story. As the mystery unfolds, the reader is drawn to question not only what happened, but also what it truly means — are you ready to uncover it?

 

Review 2:

A novel about a mysterious man found on a beach in Ireland…

At first, Falling Animals by Sheila Armstrong may seem like a crime story, but it is more than just a case to be solved. The story begins when a body is discovered sitting on the sand, and nobody really knows who he is or how exactly he died. The police try to understand the situation, but the mystery is never fully resolved; instead, the focus shifts to the people who knew him or whose lives he briefly touched.

The story is told through different characters, each sharing their own personal connection to the dead man. Each chapter offers a new point of view, creating a subtle but effective sense of suspense. We learn small details about him, but never the full picture, which keeps the reader curious and engaged. At times, the shifts in narration can be slightly confusing, but once immersed in the story, the reader begins to feel what the characters feel. This encourages us to keep reading, wondering how the man died, who he really was, and what his life was like before.

Occasionally, a slightly unsettling atmosphere emerges, while in other chapters, the reader may feel a stronger emotional connection to the characters. Overall, the atmosphere remains calm yet mysterious, with frequent links between nature — especially animals and the sea — and the characters’ emotions and memories.

This novel is not only about solving a mystery, but also about loneliness, memory, and the unexpected ways in which lives can be connected.

 

• Illustrations :

Par Lilly-Anne :

Par Sheryne :

 

Les lycéen·nes ont pu échanger avec Sheila Armstrong et s’exercer à l’interprétariat lors d’une rencontre à la Médiathèque MédiaLune de Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, le vendredi 22 mai, dans le cadre du festival Littérature Live.

Pour feuilleter le magazine complet d’Atelier des récits, c’est par ici.