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A review by michbo
Liars by Sarah Manguso
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Swallowed by motherhood and marriage, Jane juggles life as a wife, mother and writer. The novel focuses on her life with John and their son, and the downfall of her relationship with John, delivered though through almost diary-like entries of reflections of her days. It made for an interesting way to view their relationship, but took a little adjusting to when I first picked up the book.
Overall it was a tough but good read - uncomfortable content at times, but artfully written. It was pretty fast paced, mostly powered by Jane's palpable rage. The first half of the book or so had me hating everyone and internally shouting DIVORCE HIM every other paragraph, but that's sometimes how it is when you're painted a such a painful story about the burden of invisible labour and traditional gender roles in the home and hetero relationships in general. The Afterword section was cathartic.
The title of the novel and certain passages left me wondering whether how much the title was directed at John, and how much was shared by Jane, and I'm not sure exactly how to feel about that.
Best read when you're in the mood for something that will fire you up, if you can deal with the pity and sadness you feel at the same time. You for sure won't walk away without feeling something from this.
Overall it was a tough but good read - uncomfortable content at times, but artfully written. It was pretty fast paced, mostly powered by Jane's palpable rage. The first half of the book or so had me hating everyone and internally shouting DIVORCE HIM every other paragraph, but that's sometimes how it is when you're painted a such a painful story about the burden of invisible labour and traditional gender roles in the home and hetero relationships in general. The Afterword section was cathartic.
The title of the novel and certain passages left me wondering whether how much the title was directed at John, and how much was shared by Jane, and I'm not sure exactly how to feel about that.
Best read when you're in the mood for something that will fire you up, if you can deal with the pity and sadness you feel at the same time. You for sure won't walk away without feeling something from this.