Jane meets John and they both seem to want the same things out of life. So of course they get married. Jane is made miserable by John almost immediately, but stays with him and adds a baby to the mix. I had to stop reading a quarter into the book. While it is well written I could not read another page of their misery. Divorce him already! And while she blames a lot on John, Jane never sees her own part in the issues. I might return to this sometime, but in the current state of the world I refuse to spend time reading a book full of miserable people. Thank you tot Netgalley for the ARC!

⭐️: 4.5/5

Jane, an aspiring writer, meets John, also an aspiring artist, and feeling that they want the same things out of life, they fall in love. Now married, Jane finds herself uprooting her life to cater to John’s ambitions, wherever they lead him, but as her writing flourishes, their marriage suffers, and after over a decade, John leaves her. Liars tells the story of a marriage as it deteriorates, and the woman who rises from the wreckage.

What an emotionally fraught and triggering book. This was a pretty short read, and really only has two “chapters” throughout the whole thing. I found it difficult to put down, but also emotionally difficult to read, because of the real-ness of the things Jane felt and dealt with in her relationship, and how close to home it hits that situations like this are happening everywhere, all the time, and that the people in them may not even know that something is amiss or that they deserve better. I’d say to really not read this as a newlywed, because it really may put a bit of a dark cloud over all those “forever and always” feelings, and that this also may be triggering to people who are unsatisfied in their relationships. Even to women that are in fulfilling relationships, it’s impossible not to identify with the impossible standards that women are put up against in the quest to do it all. I highly recommend this read.

Jane has stayed in her 14 year marriage to John for the sake of their (unnamed) child. But she's angry. And sad, This is a really bad marriage where he has the agency and she does the work. It's not an especially enjoyable read (it's bitter and hard) but it's well written. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.

Suffocating. Mesmerizing. “Liars” by Sarah Manguso is about a woman who makes herself look smaller to build up her husband’s ego.

Trapped in a toxic marriage, the narrator deals with major gaslighting and constantly being put down. The book reads like a short story, with small snippet scenes. Filled with undoings and constant cross-country moving, she navigates the confines of being a wife and mom.

With only his lies and constant major life decisions without her consent, the husband tries to take control. I enjoyed how the book talks about how the word of a liar is meaningless. What am insightful read!

Thanks @randomhouse and @hogarthbooks for the ARC on @netgalley (out July 23).

This is a new author to me. I loved this book. The intrigue pulled me in, and kept me captivated till the last page.
Highly recommend

The breakdown of a marriage is explored in Sarah Mancuso’s latest novel, “Liars. The story is depressing. Raw. Vulgar. The generically named couple are Jane and John, the boy, called simply “child.” This reads like a 14 year long diary, from the first meeting to the last gasp. The following are my notes.
Jane: Rage. Lack of Control. Loss of self-respect. Drug dependent. Vulnerable. Emotional. Resentful. Unhinged Angry.
John: Self-Centered. Insecure. Business failure. Controlling. Manipulative. Uncommitted. Non-participant. Secretive. Abusive. Liar.
The writing: Disconnected. Repetitive. Whining.
The big question: why write such a visceral account of a marriage? This feels almost auto-biographical to this reader.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Hogarth for an ARC. My opinions are my own.

So hard to read but for all the best reasons -- I loved the voice of the main character and found her struggles to be so relatable. The prose was gorgeous and I was really sucked in.

LIARS
BY: SARAH MANGUSO

I didn't think that I was going to like this one at first but it paid off to see how the different personalities came together in the narrative and what its point was. I'm certain many women with enough dating experience behind her in the past can pinpoint at least one boyfriend who if she married him could have ended up in Jane's position. By about 70% into this I was so grateful that I kept reading since Jane is such a relatable character. I was rooting for her to keep progressing on her journey towards self awareness not only of herself, but how she framed and re-framed the story that she told herself about the relationship and how events lead her to her current situation.

This author is brand new to me, and at first I wasn't sure whether it was either that the writing didn't work for me, or it was that I didn't like either Jane or her husband John Bridges, but that changed very rapidly. I still can't explain it. This is a distinguished and experienced writer, so the fault lies with me. However, it was compulsively readable so I was interested enough to continue on, and I was intrigued enough to want to see what direction this was taking. I had forgotten what I read in the synopsis when I first requested it, which I prefer going in blind anyway since I usually enjoy it much more that way. I read it quickly so the novel seems on the shorter side, but that's totally fine because it was executed beautifully in a cohesive, powerful, and climatic perfection where the ending was satisfying. The novel didn't seem unfinished, hurried, nor did it end abruptly.

I have to applaud this talented Author who is a brand new discovery for me for her storytelling prowess to be able to send such a strong message with just Jane being the sole narrator. Jane is also the main female protagonist who is an accomplished writer, and ambivalent about giving up her independence, not sure she wants to compromise her artistic endeavors. She and John are in love and decide on taking their relationship to the next level. Getting married and having children come with the responsibilities of in most cases, unless it's been agreed upon beforehand, fall in the wife's doing most of the taking care of the home, and any children no matter how successful her career is. I know for me personally, being a mother has been one of my most meaningful joys, along with being happily married. I was extremely lucky that I married such an easy going and laid back husband. I didn't have my children until I was ready, and it was several years after my husband and I got married. After reading this, it makes me grateful that I was extremely fortunate that my husband was so patient and understanding, letting me decide when to have our first baby. Family is my first priority, but I needed to enjoy married life first, and it took me a few years longer than most women, for me to give up my independence. Once I had my first child I was instantly in love when I saw my baby and I was all in with pouring my love towards my son. The pregnancies were difficult, and that first delivery was rough, but as they say I forgot the hardships the minute I saw both of my children when they were born. It was instantaneous how much I loved them, and I was completely devoted to them.

I shouldn't have said that Jane is the only narrator since there's dialogue with her husband John, and there are also some minor dialogue with her friend and other supportive characters when she goes through her crises. Unfortunately for Jane, her husband John made all of the major decisions regarding uprooting her from where they lived for the sake of a *better* job. Dragging her and their son all the way across the country, five or six times, in a little over a decade of marriage. If I was her I wouldn't have been as accommodating in agreement with that many moves. When Jane met John he was an artist and they fell in love and she believed everything he told her as far as him breaking up with his former girlfriend, Naomi. Jane noticed a progressive pattern that happened with her husband, John that suddenly he decided to become an entrepreneur. He fell into a pattern of moving them after getting fired from his position, and telling her there was some even greater opportunity for *him*, and only himself, for which I don't ever remember him taking into consideration how these moves affected her or her writing opportunities.

One thing that I thought was off in this novel was that as their son grew older he never had been referred to as having a name. He was a smart child who as he grew older could see the situation for what it truly was. I think that if it's not a major re-write that an Editor could suggest naming their son. I think it sounded funky to refer to your only child as either "Child" or "the Child." That's my one suggestion and other than that I wouldn't change a thing. I have been interested in psychology and have taken quite a few classes where I excelled in it academically, so I wanted to bring up the word used towards the end called, "Contempt." When used to describe a relationship it means it can be harmful which can lead to disrespect, anger and disapproval. It can manifest in a number of ways, including both verbal and non-verbal behaviors, and can have a negative impact on both mental and physical health. When I saw the word "Contempt," being used several times, I remembered Dr. John Gottman's theory of how that word is one of the four horsemen that if not remedied can destroy a marriage or a serious relationship it doesn't necessarily have to be a romantic one. It's a destructive trait in any interactions between people.

I loved as I said in my first paragraph, how Jane's continuous attempts to better understand the predicament she was in, was her writing and re-writing the story. I was cheering her on because I do believe in how we interpret our experiences, and understand them for people, sometimes is our first step towards healing. How we frame the story of what took place actually, and re-frame our experiences further can be therapeutic. I was highlighting many of her thoughts in the last 30%, and this was such an outstanding reading experience. This novel would be such an excellent choice for book clubs. I ended up really loving it and am grateful it caught my attention. I've been vague on purpose so as not to spoil it for other readers, but this is one I'll definitely recommend as a must read choice to all literary fiction fans.

Publication Date: July 23, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Sarah Manguso and Random House Publishing Group--Random House/Hogarth for generously providing me with my fantastic ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#Liars #SarahManguso #RandomHousePublishingGroupRandomHouseHogarth #NetGalley

When publish date comes, I'm going to shout from the rooftops about how painful & good & true this story was. As a someone who also has been divorced, so much of this story resonated with me. I thought it was a personal account because it seemed so real, and I kept having to remind myself this was fiction. I think I highlighted something on every page. Pick it up, read it, appreciate it in all its glory. Simply put: I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book was fascinating in its ability to draw me in. The narrator's voice creates distance, in that the reader is kept well aware we're being told a story. The main character wasn't inherently likable for me. And yet, it all worked. I highlighted more passages in this book than in just about any fiction I've read.

While I wasn't immersed in sensory detail or deeply emotionally connected to Jane, the narrator, I loved her keen observational eye and drive to record and confess this entire story, even the parts that felt shameful.

Jane's marital situation is (hopefully!) more egregious than most, but I think many intellectual and creative women will see themselves in Jane's articulation of motherhood and marriage. Her intellect and competence are a reminder how easily any of us can become ensnared in a relationship with a man like John.

In that way, this book feels like a warning to any woman who believes she's "never let it happen" to her. Even those of us in supportive, equitable partnerships will find some discomforting red flags in Jane's story. May that discomfort sharpen our vision to see smaller harms and right them before we lose too much of ourselves.

Liars opens with Jane reflecting on her life. Being only herself. Then getting married, as women do she says, and how that's when her life became a story that's been told ten billion times before.

This is ultimately a story about stories, or the story of our lives, how we tell and retell them, edit, repeat, how we reframe the narratives. This theme is told masterfully with viciously short prose that doesn't use any more words than it needs to.

As a man, I didn't really want to recognize anything of myself in her husband. But I did at some points. I don't think I'm a jerk but you'd probably have to ask my wife and kids to get the full picture.

This book is about how everyone is a liar. How relationships factor into that. How we lie to ourselves and each other. The situation isn't unique but the telling is.

This book reminds me of a story. Trauma and mental health are hobbies of mine. Years ago I was at a conference, one of the speakers was Pat Love. She's a marriage and family therapist, and a bunch of other things. She was great. She shared two observations that stuck with me.

One, when couples come to her workplace she can predict the outcome with high accuracy after a few moments because she's seen it all before. She knows the behavior patterns. I think she's seen quite a few of these ten billion stories.

Two, she said the highest success rate in relationship therapy is when couples come and say we want a divorce or separation but we don't want to hate each other afterwards.

I've seen my fair share of relationships like we see in Liars. I'm usually the guy that says something, which makes me fun and popular at family gatherings. This telling and retelling is so visceral I think it changes you. For female readers, I can't speak to your experience but I suspect you'll recognize parts or all of this story. For male readers, if you recognize yourself here, bad news fellas, you gotta change.

Liars is a heartbreakingly familiar portrait of a marriage and divorce. I ripped through each page with uneasy discomfort.

This story was not compelling enough for me to continue to read, I also did not understand what was happening for a while into the book.

one thing about me is i LOVEEEEE anything and everything written about the role of women in our society — especially as mothers and wives. this is a fun read with so much underneath the surface! tysm for the ARC- can't wait to grab a physical copy of this!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader copy.

I'm definitely interested in books about marriages, but I couldn't get into the writing syle of this book. It felt very distancing for me, which kept me from caring about the characters, even in a curious--if not sympathetic--way. I think I'm in the minority of not enjoying this book, so I'm probably just not the right reader for it.

Liars by Sarah Manguso is a depressing story (no use sugarcoating it). We get to see how hopeless Jane felt thanks to her inconsiderate and selfish husband. The way it is written reminds me of a woman’s journal. It is composed of short scenes. The writing is choppy. Jane talks about meeting and marrying John (such original names), her job, his job, her unhappiness, and their child. Jane is a discontented woman (she makes that very clear). Jane’s son is called “the child” throughout the book. Intimate relations are written about in graphic detail. Alcohol and drugs are consumed often (self-medicating). There is foul language as well. I made it through the book to discover an abysmal ending. Liars was lacking in character development and the setting (and so much more). Liars left me frustrated and down in the dumps (now I need something uplifting to read).

I struggled to start this review because it doesn’t feel like a novel. Imagine someone sharing their story at a therapy group for trauma survivors, or a legal deposition, or a grandmother telling her granddaughter the realities of heteronormative marriage in a patriarchal society. It’s not a cohesive narrative so much as a collection of events, impressions, and memories as she tries to figure out where she lost herself.

Jane shares memories of her grossly one-sided marriage to a narcissist and absent spouse/parent, stripping away conversation and world-building to talk about the frustrations, depression, and weariness from her relationship. There is a dissonance many partnered women feel in that they don’t want to believe their marriage is a bad one, there are too many sunk costs to leave and it is scary to think of starting over at 40, at 50, at 60. We have to pretend that they aren’t that stupid, or selfish, or incompetent, or insecure, or abusive, or deliberately harming us, deliberately sabotaging us, or cheating on us; we try to focus on the good interludes and forgive his mistakes. Sometimes there will be moments of clarity so shocking you can’t forget, though, and when you write the situations down without his bloviating and gaslighting you start to see the patterns.

firstly, sarah manguso will be paying for my medical bills and i’m not playing bc this was such an upsetting and thoroughly written novel that made me want to scream from beginning to end.

and the worst part - jane and john COULD BE ANYBODY. these are self inserts. this could be the life of a woman near me or a shitty man. and i have so much to say about this novel, so many feelings and i need to go on someone’s podcast and talk about this brilliant book. what a way to start a novel.

This was unlike anything I have ever read. I think it is perfect for mothers or those in long-term marriages. I imagine many will feel so seen and validated reading this story. I am neither of those, but I still understood and empathized with our main character. I think this will create a lot of needed conversation around motherhood, career-driven women, the sacrifices you make for a nuclear familiar, and why so many women are in marriages where they are unseen and underappreciated, and society has normalized it. So much to think about. I'm excited to hear more people read this!

I was absorbed in this book of betrayal. I gained empathy for the wife Jane as her husband John tears her down slowly. The whole book is directed from her thoughts and the absorbed abuse from her husband, including gas-lighting, demeaning, manipulating and cruelty. As Jane flourished in her career as a writer, her husband tore at her soul, weakening her into a depressive state. I wanted her to leave, but she gave all the reasons why she should stay, especially after she had a baby. Throughout the whole book the "child" did not have a name, as if the circumstance of their relationship was the sole purpose "Marriage makes liars out of us all".
When her mental health declined, she found herself at the realm of divorce, as he moved onto his next victim.
This is an amazing book! Some readers will be turned off by the simplistic style of writing, as the sentences are simple and informal as if it were a journal entry. The writing depicts Jane's daily routine as her life evolves from the depths of pain. It is hard to read when her life mirrors many relationships in society.
Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest review.