Saturday, September 08, 2012

Review: All Men Are Liars

All Men Are Liars by Alberto Manguel is an interesting book - well written, clever, suspenseful and thought-provoking. The book is about a writer of minor acclaim, and a journalist is trying to find more information - each section of the novel is a different speaker contributing a perspective of the writer's life. Furthermore, and as the title indicates, none of the accounts agree on exactly what happened; throughout, the reader must ask, "who is actually telling the truth here?"

My only pet peeve was the first section, which was told by a character named Manguel, who was a writer from Argentina who now lives in the South of France. Yes, Manguel wrote himself into the novel. It's an interesting premise, and some authors have done it well - Life of Pi immediately comes to mind - but it is a tricky thing. I am not convinced that Manguel has pulled it off here, but the other sections are compelling and drive the narrative well.

Overall, a quick and interesting read - three secret manuscripts out of five.


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