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.

Scotiabank Giller Longlist Announced September 4th

On September 4th, the Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist will be announced. It made me think about the best Canadian books I've read this year. So far I've read The Headmaster's Wager by Vincent Lam, which I liked a lot, and I've started All Men Are Liars by Alberto Manguel, which I am enjoying thus far. As far as I can tell, the prize is wide open! Check out the news about the award and the eligible books at the Scotiabank Giller Prize homepage.