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A Parable of Lies
During times of grief, therapists recommend jotting down feelings, memories, and observations in a notebook. Neal Motherwell takes this practice to the extreme, sometimes writing twenty-thousand words in a day.“I am working out the vocabulary of my silence.”Muriel RukeyserNeal thought he’d left an abusive childhood behind until his brother Mick dies, forcing him into a search for authenticity in a world of deceit. A Parable of Lies is not a memoir or novel but an experiment in healing fiction.
Kindle Edition
Published August 4, 2021
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March 23, 2022
I read the paperback version of this book. I like how the story is framed; the beginning drove my curiosity throughout.
The author's use of wordplay is very clever! The book is neatly designed, and the chapter headings situate the story in time and place.
Readers get to go on a journey--east and west, through grief and relief--with the main character.
Overall, the book is explorative and poetic, reflective and creative, descriptive and educational. By acknowledging multiple ways of looking at people/places/events/meaning, Spann invites readers into a deeper understanding of themselves and their connections to others.
Spann speaks to the environmental costs of human comfort and convenience. I can imagine this book took extensive research and careful weaving of facts into fiction/memoir. I like how it is educational without being too didactic.
So much of our stories have to do with context. I appreciate how Spann includes the struggles AND contributions of certain characters. What happens to people is an important concept to consider within the context of their lives.
Some of the sexually explicit passages were uncomfortable for me to read, but I commend the author's courage in telling those important parts of the main character's backstory.
I can relate to using writing as a therapeutic mechanism: "The most important relationship you have is with yourself" (451).
The author's use of wordplay is very clever! The book is neatly designed, and the chapter headings situate the story in time and place.
Readers get to go on a journey--east and west, through grief and relief--with the main character.
Overall, the book is explorative and poetic, reflective and creative, descriptive and educational. By acknowledging multiple ways of looking at people/places/events/meaning, Spann invites readers into a deeper understanding of themselves and their connections to others.
Spann speaks to the environmental costs of human comfort and convenience. I can imagine this book took extensive research and careful weaving of facts into fiction/memoir. I like how it is educational without being too didactic.
So much of our stories have to do with context. I appreciate how Spann includes the struggles AND contributions of certain characters. What happens to people is an important concept to consider within the context of their lives.
Some of the sexually explicit passages were uncomfortable for me to read, but I commend the author's courage in telling those important parts of the main character's backstory.
I can relate to using writing as a therapeutic mechanism: "The most important relationship you have is with yourself" (451).
Displaying 1 of 1 review