All Fall Down is a 1960 novel by James Leo Herlihy, which was adapted into a 1962 film of the same name directed by John Frankenheimer.

Plot introduction

The wealthy Williams family is torn apart from within once they invite Echo in.

Explanation of the novel's title

The novel's title is meant to draw attention to the effect of the self-motivated, destructive passions unleashed within the family home in the course of its story.

Plot summary

When the hedonistic Berry-Berry Williams deserts his pregnant lover, Echo O'Brien, his younger brother Clinton's blind faith in him shows signs of waning, while his parents are disgusted by Berry-Berry's actions. The book goes back and forth from third person to first person (Clinton's diaries).

Characters

Film adaptation

Release details