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A review by kimberlyf
Liars by Sarah Manguso
5.0
The story centers around Jane—artist, wife, mother—who is growing slowly and ever more resentful of her distant, unhelpful, lazy partner; growing slowly more depressed; feeling more and more vexed with the minutiae of her every day life. Her husband, John, is prideful, insecure, a bully, and insists on cutting his wife down through his many manipulations.
“Calling a woman crazy is a man’s last resort when he’s failed to control her.”
This novel lacks any kind of typical structure or formatting, working in staccato sentences in an almost stream of conscious fashion. I expect that the reason behind Manguso writing this novel the way that she did is to really show—as another reviewer mentions—how Jane has fallen in to autopilot: moving through the motions of marriage and daily life while feeling completely and utterly dejected. I found the lack of thought given to the character names—John, Jane (which we hear only a time or two), and “the child” as he is often referred to—an intriguing and brilliant choice. Jane is so in her own head constantly and I loved it.
This all just felt too real and, in parts, achingly familiar. I needed to remind myself a few times that this book is being classified as fiction and not non-fiction because it read very like a memoir on nuclear family and divorce. I could understand and empathize with the narrator’s pain and frustration while also understanding her reasons for wanting to stay in a hopeless marriage. It was heartbreaking to witness. My e-book is heavily annotated with astute observations of a failing marriage and a woman filled with rage.
Thank you NetGalley for my digital copy. Pick yours up when it's out on 07/23/2024.
“Calling a woman crazy is a man’s last resort when he’s failed to control her.”
This novel lacks any kind of typical structure or formatting, working in staccato sentences in an almost stream of conscious fashion. I expect that the reason behind Manguso writing this novel the way that she did is to really show—as another reviewer mentions—how Jane has fallen in to autopilot: moving through the motions of marriage and daily life while feeling completely and utterly dejected. I found the lack of thought given to the character names—John, Jane (which we hear only a time or two), and “the child” as he is often referred to—an intriguing and brilliant choice. Jane is so in her own head constantly and I loved it.
This all just felt too real and, in parts, achingly familiar. I needed to remind myself a few times that this book is being classified as fiction and not non-fiction because it read very like a memoir on nuclear family and divorce. I could understand and empathize with the narrator’s pain and frustration while also understanding her reasons for wanting to stay in a hopeless marriage. It was heartbreaking to witness. My e-book is heavily annotated with astute observations of a failing marriage and a woman filled with rage.
Thank you NetGalley for my digital copy. Pick yours up when it's out on 07/23/2024.