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.

Honestly, I'd class this as a horror story. Sarah Manguso has so perfectly captured the frustrations and injustices shared by countless wives - the near-total loss of self, of freedom, of joy. It's a deeply harrowing read that will completely consume you from the get-go. A powerful and vital read.

Liars raised my blood pressure and continued to compound the belief that most men suck and the ones who say they don’t suck the most. Manguso doesn’t mince words. [full review on youtube as linked below]

O.M.G!! WOW!! My head is spinning … I was just blown away … So captivating and addictive… Had me on the edge of my seat … Just incredible!!

There was much to admire and enjoy in this book, but I think it was a case of personal taste, because I didn't quite click with it. Too much heteropessimism for me, maybe? I will read more from this author though.

So thrilled to read the new novel from the author of 300 Arguments and find that once again she has blown any expectations out of the water. Don't read the synopsis, just read the book.

The emotional power of this book is extraordinary - I started it intending to just take a look and it completely consumed me over the short time it took to read. The stripped back prose perfectly delivers the tirade of rage, bitterness, sadness and disappointment that the protagonist unleashes. It's very involving, triggering at times, and as well as empathy there are moments when the reader is likely to feel intense frustration and despair at at her passivity and just going along with this man's incessant, narcissistic demands. But I blame society, not the women who find themselves in this situation - walking away is not easy. A novel full of universal truths and relatable observations - even if fortunately it doesn't always have to be this way.

"Liars" by Sarah Manguso is a stunningly introspective work that delves into the intricacies of truth, deception, and the complexities of human relationships. Manguso’s prose is both sharp and lyrical, capturing the nuances of everyday life while exploring deeper philosophical questions about authenticity and self-perception.

The narrative weaves personal anecdotes with broader observations, creating a rich tapestry that reflects on the nature of lies—both those we tell ourselves and those we share with others. Manguso’s ability to articulate the tension between reality and illusion is compelling, inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences with honesty and vulnerability.

Each chapter is meticulously crafted, blending memoir with essay-like reflections that are both poignant and thought-provoking. The writing is incisive, often layered with wit and insight, making it an engaging read from start to finish.

Overall, "Liars" is a profound exploration of the human condition that resonates long after the final page. Sarah Manguso invites us to confront our own truths, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in the complexities of honesty and identity. Highly recommended!

this is well-written i suppose but i just found it really baffling.

i think it's maybe a gay thing idk but i find books about women who hate their husbands so boring. i'm trapped in the throes of the patriarchy! babe leave him.

well crafted, but the material just left me cold. it's probably a me problem.

This compelling novel by Sarah Manguso offers a stark portrayal of a marriage that evolves from challenging beginnings to a bitter end. Written in a burst of inspiration after her husband unexpectedly left after twenty years, it centers on Jane, an aspiring writer, and her charismatic husband, John Bridges, a filmmaker. Initially united by their creative ambitions, their relationship deteriorates as John's shifting priorities take precedence.

From the outset, John embodies a series of red flags, exhibiting manipulative behavior that Jane fails to recognize. He belittles her success, undermines her teaching, and exerts dominance as their lives intertwine. Despite his toxic traits—such as gaslighting and contempt—Jane marries him and they have a child, gradually succumbing to an abusive dynamic.

Manguso's prose features a diary-like quality, capturing Jane's daily struggles with a precision that mirrors her earlier non-fiction work. The relationship echoes the themes in The Yellow Wallpaper, with Jane's health issues being weaponized by John, who labels her "mad" when she questions his behavior. As John further isolates Jane from her support network, she rationalizes her sacrifices in the name of motherhood.

Jane’s apparent acceptance of her situation may seem like self-immolation, yet it reflects a common response to abuse, shaped by societal expectations that prioritize men's needs over women's. This cultural critique resonates beyond American borders, as evidenced by the global reception of works like Paris Paloma’s Labour, which critiques the burdens placed on women.

Overall, Manguso crafts a powerful, nuanced exploration of the gradual erosion and rebuilding of a woman's selfhood, marked by instances of muted brutality and systemic betrayal. It's an exceptionally compelling novel that captures the complexities of abusive relationships.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

Intense and brilliant.

An exceptional exploration of a coercive relationship.and an inevitable divorce.

I read this in just over 24 hours. It made me feel so much rage for Jane, the protagonist. I want all my married friends to read it. And those who are thinking about it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

A painfully raw novel, Liars is a through the keyhole peek into the blossoming of love and the slow unravelling of the marriage that ensues. It's equally addictive whilst being ever so slightly repellent in its wholly unvarnished, warts and all, truthfulness on the ins and outs of any relationship. I've not read anything quite so honest and authentic.

Jane and John are both artists who meet, become entangled in each other and eventually marry. Jane narrates this novel much like vignettes or diary entries. She shares happenings in their lives and her thoughts which many of us might, in an unguarded moment, indulge in but would never voice to another person. Her view is utterly unflattering and flawed, emotion driven but full of gut instinct inclinations she would have done well to pay closer attention to. John isn't the best husband and their relationship seems to descend into the level of Jane being his PA, moving house at the drop of a hat, and sorting all details so life runs smoothly for him. He is selfish and though Jane sees that, she reminds herself that their up and down marriage is better than that of any of their acquaintances.

There is much to be concerned about as time passes and the road gets bumpier for them. Liars is well crafted and wholly observant of the messiness of adult life. Like driving slowly past a car accident, the reader looks on in horror hoping it's not as bad as it seems but knowing it will inflict life-altering changes on the victims. I couldn't put it down.

I enjoyed this book, and related to the protagonist. I really disliked John and struggled to understand what could have drawn anyone to this man.

I related to her general struggles as a parent, the daily slog but beauty and rewarding nature of parenting.

I found the relationship between Jane and John difficult to witness through her eyes but enjoyable to read about.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I finished this book maybe about a month ago and I still keep thinking about it. It had me absolutely hooked in a compulsive can't-look-away-from-the-car-crash sort of way. I felt anger, I felt anxiety, I felt hopelessness, all encompassed in such a straightforward, precise book which knows exactly why it's been written and what it sets out to accomplish. There's something about it that made me so deeply uncomfortable because of how real it felt, and I think that's a good and a bad thing.
It hits the perfect note between making all the bright red flags shining upon her marriage so perfectly obvious to an outside perspective, while also making us understand that this is a perspective Jane does not have, and the intense bursts of abuse or disillusionment that she experiences are just blips to her, until they start to spiral down with increasing speed and close in on her, at which point the only choice left is only between imploding her whole life or turning to denial, daydream, and other coping mechanisms.
I have seen way too many women in this exact situation for this to not resonate intensely and viscerally and I can only praise the force and rawness with which this book manage to create such an infuriatingly realistic story.

I'm Billy No Mates here. Really didn't connect with the book at all. Unlikeable characters and I found myself questioning why anyone would continue with the marriage.
Lots seem to have loved it so, we are all different but not for me

Thank you to Hogarth and NetGalley for a ebook copy of this novel.

Wow this is a whirlwind of emotions in a such a small novel. Liars is a in-depth analysis of the nuclear family, gender roles, femininity and sexuality. John and Jane are the outline to many relationships and how they begin, as well as how they end. I found myself clenching my jaw in frustration to the behaviour of John and how he managed to get away with it for as long as he did.

But this is also a story about reclaiming one’s self after such a traumatic and emotionally stunting relationship. To reclaim one’s sexuality and spirituality after a divorce is something I only know on a baseline level, but this made me feel as though I was a part of the journey of self discovery.

Overall, I really liked this, and look forward to other books by the author in the future.

Oh lord. So good. Unbearable, and yet unputdownable. Mortifying, blood curdling. Any underlying rage I've been letting simmer or trying to suppress, pushed its way easily to the surface reading this. The adrenaline of it kept me going. Completely devastating, and the most powerful, searing and utterly persuasive argument against marriage, and in effect, men.

I'm so so grateful to have received an ARC of this - tore through half of it in an amazed and horrified daze before it ran out, then rushed to buy a physical copy. It's a lot to stomach, but absolutely an essential read that pulls you along. Have never read an account quite like it, with such visceral and intricate detail of all the unpaid, unappreciated, emotional and physical labour women take on, the reverberating toll of mens weaponised incompetence, and the sickening amount of unseen abuse that is suffered. Sarah is just ingenious and full of unbelievable talent.