loveee a litfic about motherhood/wifehood/womanhood in general, so I knew this was going to be a win for me. this reminded me of My Husband, but looking at it from another side of the coin.

overall this was addictive, devastating, and all too familiar.

3.5 stars

Liars is Sarah Manguso's ninth novel but it's the first of hers that I've read. It's written with an urgency, almost in the style of short diary entries, and it's a retrospective on a marriage and its disintegration.

Writer and critic Jane meets John, falls in love, and believes that she has found everything she has ever wanted: a handsome man, a fellow artist and a thrilling and dynamic attraction that she hopes will stand the test of time. They go on to have a child and as time moves on, the realisation dawns on Jane that she has sacrificed everything to become a wife - her career, her self-esteem, her independence and ultimately, her pride.

Gripping and brimming with vitriol and rage, Liars feels semi-autobiographical, such is the specificity and clarity of thought throughout. Some of the insights into the marriage and how the separation transpires are so shocking and yet so typical too - during the moment of their separation when Jane is struggling to process the split, John offers to call an ambulance for her, implying that she is mentally unstable. I know someone who went through this exact experience. John's gaslighting and narcissism will be relatable to many I fear.

A very good read. It's not a favourite, but the intensity of the story and the quality of the writing meant I looked forward to picking it up at every opportunity.

Many thanks to the publisher Picador for the arc via @netgalley. Liars was published in August 2024. As always, this is an honest review. 3.5/5 stars

This compelling novel delves into the intricate roles of being a wife, mother, and artist, showing how marriage can sometimes shatter dreams.

Jane, an aspiring writer, marries filmmaker John Bridges. At first, their marriage is a harmonious blend of creativity and happiness, but Jane soon finds herself eclipsed by John’s ambitions. As her career takes off, their marriage begins to deteriorate, ultimately leading to John’s departure.

This book offers a profound exploration of the sacrifices and challenges faced by women artists within a traditional family structure. It’s a must-read for anyone who enjoys an emotionally charged story about love, ambition, and the stark realities of marriage.

Really enjoyed this book. Excited to see what comes next from the author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read it!

Liars started out as a three-star read for me untill about halfway in. From there it slowly progressed to a four-star read, untill at ninety percent it, surprisingly, turned into a five-star read all the way to the end.

There are mainly two reasons why Liars was a slow start for me. There are no chapters. The entire book is one long chapter. At least it's a short read, so eventually it no longer mattered to me that there weren't any chapters to give me a stop or start point, especially once I got pulled deeper into Jane's life and got wholly engrossed in her innermost thoughts and feelings.

The second thing was that Jane's point of view jumped around a lot and it disoriented me as I struggled to get a grip on where in the timeline of her marriage or life we are. Eventually it started making sense and became easier to follow, but for the first half of the book I felt rather lost.

That aside, there are a ton of things I liked about this novel, though I won't be discussing all of it. My interest started peaking in the second half of Liars once I found my footing. First of all I liked that these aren't clear-cut characters. Their imperfections and flaws make them completely lifelike and relatable.

Secondly, I liked the MC's brutal, raw honesty about marriage and relationships. She holds nothing back, doesn't sugarcoat anything, and calls a spade a spade. Having been married twice in my life, one terrible marriage and one really great one, I could relate on so many levels with Jane about the beauty and the ugliness of such a union. Being a parent myself, I felt she absolutely nailed it with her views on the good and bad of being a mother.

Lastly, it was hard to ignore her perspective on how relationships make liars of us all in countless ways; to each other and ourselves. Her view on this is spot on. I loved that this got me thinking and questioning some things about my past relationships. Are we really in happy relationships, or are we deceiving ourselves, following the narrative set by our spouse, the expectations of family, and society in general?

I recently finished Weike Wang's Rental House which also offers an eye-opening perspective on marriage and several other important topics. That was a four-star read for me and another interesting book I enjoyed. However, Liars offers an even more in-depth and hard-hitting insight into marriage, being a mother and wife, and how we are slowly but steadily conditioned to only see what your life partner and society as a whole wants you to see about the wife's role in a marriage and as a mother. Of course, this doesn’t apply to every single marriage or mother or career woman out there, but is rather a viewpoint shared in the broader sense.

This might seem like a cynical outlook on marriage in general, and might even sound like a boring read. I assure you though, it's neither, and book clubs and discussion groups will have a field day with this multi-faceted novel. There were so many times I re-read sentences and entire paragraphs because the truths of what Jane was pointing out was so powerful, it struck a chord with me. I wanted to commit it all to memory.

Admittedly, there were also several instances where I had to stop reading and ask myself if Jane is even a reliable narrator. That, for me, was one of the most intriguing parts of the book: is what she says true, or is the reader slowly being manipulated to see things her way?

The author skilfully explores Jane and John's marriage from every single angle, which by the end culminates into a really clever and thought-provoking read. It won't appeal to everyone, but I do recommend giving it a chance as Liars exposes every nuance of how many couples allow themselves to live a lie.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

Fun and gripping reac

Liars by Sarah Manguso is the story of Jane, a creative, a wife, a mother. A woman whose career began to soar while her husbands resentment grew with it, culminating in his leaving her and the devastating effect and her powerful regeneration into her true self

A sad reflection of the reality of toxic masculinity, but a stunning account of determination and fortitude in the face of adversity.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan | Picador and the incredible Sarah Manguso for this outstanding ARC

I have been on an absolute tear through divorce memoirs in 2024, and though fictional, Liars fit the vibe perfectly. The whole book shimmers with anger and offers plenty of interesting material to chew on in a book club discussion. At times I sympathised deeply with the narrator, sharing her fury at what a let down her husband was - at other times I was ready to throw the book at the wall, so frustrated was I that the protagonist wouldn't take more responsibility for her situation and just leave. Kept me ruminating until the final page

I thought this was a really interesting and accomplished novel about desire and marriage told over a number of years, I think it skewers the fantasy of the creative life but also shows how easily one can let go of being in control of one’s own life. I can tell that it will be a book that a lot of people will see themselves in and while it dipped slightly towards the middle there was a recklessness about it that overall made it a compelling read.

I remember someone (an agent possibly?) telling me that no one is interested in reading about someone’s marital breakdown and divorce, but with the increasing appetite for relatibility among readers, maybe that’s not quite true. Although at times I felt like shaking the narrator for being so blind and misguided as to not spot the red flags – but, hand on heart, have we always been wise in our own relationships? This sounded very true indeed to me and was also quite painful to read.

It has been a long time since I read a book with a male character who was so utterly and completely infuriating. The book was quick to read but it was a story that was really rich in character and gave a full insight into the slow and painful breakdown of the marriage.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

This book gripped me from the first page- the bitter and fractured relationship between the two main characters in a horrible union that they both want to escape was very well done- full of nuance and tension, as well as some wit.

I thought that the narrative tone was perfectly realised- a bitter and sardonic tone of a woman who has reached every limit but is unsure how to continue, whilst also remembering the good times.

Great fun, and very sharply observed.

Disturbingly readable, you’re never quite sure where you are and who to believe in this novel, which I’m sure is the point. Left a nasty taste but in a good way. I couldn’t not finish it.

I really enjoyed this novel - more of a novella in length but very rich and complex in material, incredibly absorbing and very much evokes the emotions of a disintegrating marriage and divorce. Highly recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

OMG I hate books about men who blame the women in their life for their problems. Not a fan of this story. If someone whose had a marriage they didn't want to stay in this could be really triggering.
I wasn't a fan. I skimmed the last portion of it.

This read almost dystopian in that it showcases a story of an abusive and manipulative marriage, and your're let into the deepest and darkest thoughts of a wife and mother as she suffers from her marriage with a literal man child. While frustrating to read, I couldn't put this book down and I feel that's a testament to how well this book was written. The reality of misogyny in out modern world was intricately captured and all the frustration built up to a relieving "happy" ending when our main character finally found clarity. I really enjoyed this one and am excited to read more of Sarah Manguso's work

Beautifully written. I found myself hearing the complaints of many of my female friends when reading this ultimately depressing novel. However, that's not to say I wouldn't recommend it because I absolutely would. It's a rallying cry to women, a feminist masterpiece.

Brilliantly crafted, utterly infuriating tale of a marriage and its disintegration.

Feels raw and full of rage. I have no doubt this book will resonate with its audience.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I found this a very interesting but also slightly frustrating read. It does a good job at exploring how women often end up losing themselves in marriage despite being aware of the potential dangers, and how emotional abusers can hide in plain sight. However, it felt very repetitive - I'm not sure if this was a device to indicate how we can go through the same experiences again and again before managing to escape (i.e. how we lie to ourselves as well as others), but for a short novel it definitely felt draggy in places. It would be an interesting companion piece to read alongside something like A Room Of One's Own, given the focus on art and how marriage and children can be particularly detrimental to women's artistic careers. I'll look forward to reading what Manguso does next.

This was a great read! Manguso perfectly captures the essence of frustrated characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it was such a rich tapestry of built up lies that pile.