(Reviewed by JD Jung)
When Jane met her future husband, John Bridges, she was ecstatic. Since she was a writer, she was attracted to him being an artist and photographer. What she didn’t realize was that the demands of being a wife and mother take its toll, and the responsibilities and career aspirations are not shared equally. Also, neither of them was emotionally equipped to effectively live with these demands.
Liars takes us into the complexities of Jane’s fourteen-year marriage, marked by the strain of unequal burdens and thwarted ambitions. This narrative, presented through Jane’s perspective, reveals the cracks in their union and her contempt for John’s behavior.
As the story progresses, Jane realizes that John’s actions may be more than just the missteps of an artist and businessman struggling to find his place. She perceives a deliberate attempt to undermine her, to keep her dependent on him. She even doubts her own worth. At one point he maintained that he is a great artist, and she a “deranged lunatic”. This leads her to question her own sanity. However, she soon realizes that it was simply an attempt to control her.
She refers to John as feeling “entitled”, but initially I felt that she was also guilty of that. Though I was glued to every page, I thought that she was overly dramatic, and held unrealistic views of marriage and motherhood. However, as the story progressed, I realized that was not the case. I developed compassion for her and found her relatable. I don’t know if the author was intentional in creating that shift, but she succeeded masterfully.
Liars is a gripping read that will resonate with those who appreciate realism over romanticized fiction.
