This question has generated a long string of notes about the landing pattern & few about the stall.
One important factor is speed: As we all know, aircraft fall if a wing or a large part of it goes too slow.
Why would an intelligent, thoughtful pilot like us go too slow when close to the ground (turn to final)?
Because of the vection (false motion) illusion.
At 1000ft/300 meters, the ground passes by slowly. At 200ft/60 meters, the ground passes more swiftly and *it feels as though we have sped up*!
Only with frequent glances at the ASI can we be confident of not having to respond to one of Tom Knauf's six signs of the stall. The seventh of which is the ground rushing up and the controls being all floppy.
This is independent of the shape of the circuit pattern...