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The Lying Game
Title: The Lying Game
Author: Ruth Ware
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Published: 2017
Obtained: Barnes and Noble
When three women receive a mysterious message from their friend, Kate, they all rush to her side as they promised to do as girls. However, as told from the point of view of Isa, the women soon realize that not only did their childhood game have terrible consequences, but they are also missing pieces pertinent to a situation that occured years ago…a situation that they all agreed to keep secret. Now, it’s time for the friends to face their past head on—but will they all adhere to the old rules of the game when it comes to being truthful with one another?
Ruth Ware’s novels, that I have read, are full of beautiful prose and suspenseful plots. The Lying Game starts out strong; however, it loses its luster pretty early into the story. I love the premise of the novel focusing on four girlfriends and their mysterious history, but the plot unravels like molasses. While the narrator, Isa, is fairly well-developed, the other three girls are lacking in depth. Ware starts with such a sturdy premise—her opening chapter hooked me into the mysterious text message from Kate and had my mind reeling about what kind of trouble in which these four, seemingly normal, girlfriends could be involved. That enticed feeling was short lived.
Ware writes with such lovely phrasing and poetic justice. I felt this writing was perfectly suited for her novel The Death of Mrs. Westaway with it’s old-school, gothic feel; I did not, however, feel that it worked in the Lying Game. This book is one of four friends who attended a boarding school together in their youth, where they spent their time breaking rules and drinking. The lengthy, flowery writing (while very appreciated as a reader and writer) is distracting from the story itself. So many times I grew frustrated and just wanted the narrator to get to the point! Furthermore, I think what was so frustrating, as a reader, was that the elaborate prose was often in regards to details that either didn’t matter or had no real connection to the actual story.
Isa is a frustrating narrator. She is slow to expose the reader to important details about her past and her relationship with the three other girls. Isa’s character build wasn’t particularly interesting to me—while reading, I found her dull and, at times, obnoxious. Kate is slightly more developed, but still falls short. Fatima and Thea are incredibly weak characters, which is a shame because I was so curious about them at the start of the novel. A majority of the scenes with the women focus on them drinking and reminiscing, pieced together with flashbacks and memories from the narrator; however, it comes off choppy to me, as a reader, with very little meat and details that could help build up the mystery of the story. While a rule of their game is to never lie to each other, they are constantly lying to each other! Moreover, it still bothers me that they seem to lie to each other for no substantial reason. Again, the idea is there, but the story just doesn’t build or come together very well.
As beautiful as Ware’s writing is, the story unravels in a very tedious manner. The pace is slow and the story is full of subplots and scenes that just don’t really have much to do with crux of the novel. I was excited by the premise of the book and by the introduction, but the rest of the novel was underwhelming. There are scenes and phrases from The Woman in Cabin 10 and The Death of Mrs. Westaway that still stick out in my mind, but I don’t feel that same way about The Lying Game. It was a fun and easy read with, I reiterate again, beautiful writing; but, I think readers who are familiar with Ware will find that it falls short of her other novels. I gave The Lying Game a 2 out of 5 stars. I have one more of Ruth Ware’s books to read and I still have high hopes for it! As far as the wine pairing with The Lying Game, I recommend The Stag by St. Huberts, which is a Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a full bodied, smooth, dark red that has hints of berries, oak and spice. I picked this up due to liking a dark, flavorful red to go with a good mystery full of perplexing characters; admittedly, I will say that the flavors in this wine are more complex than the characters in The Lying Game (which was disappointing as a reader, but fantastic as a wine-drinker).
Rating: 2/5 stars
Wine Pairing: St. Huberts The Stag (Cabernet Sauvignon)
Snag your own copy of The Lying Game at Barnes and Noble or Amazon
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The Man in the High Castle
Photo is a screenshot from my Audible app
Title: The Man in the High Castle
Author: Philip K. Dick
Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopian/Alternate Fiction
Published: 1962
Obtained: Audible
It’s the early 1960’s in the United States, which has been divided since the end of World War II; one half is under Nazi control, while the other is under Japanese rule. The only hope that really manifests for the individuals living under the German or Japanese rule is in the form of a novel called, The Grasshopper Lies Heavy—a banned book depicting a world in which the Axis Powers lose the war.
Photo is a screenshot from my Audible app
Let me start by stating that this review does contain some small spoilers; as hard as I tried to avoid spoiling anything too profound, it was incredibly difficult to discuss this book without exploiting some details. I have such a complicated view on this book which mirrors the complicated feelings I experienced while reading it. I selected this book after I started watching the series on Amazon Prime. The show is gripping despite it’s slow start. The television series has definitely taken some liberties from the novel, but the skeletal foundation is there. The Man in the High Castle takes place in a world where the Axis powers won World War II. It opens in the early 1960’s where half of the United States is under rule of Nazi Germany in the Greater Nazi Reich and the other half is under the influence of Imperial Japan in the Pacific States of America. The story opens with unsettling details through the eyes of a few primary characters—slavery is once again legal, individuals are persecuted based on race and those of Jewish descent are forced to live under new names to survive in secret. The author, Philip K. Dick, takes the reader on a journey through a parallel universe that depicts how our world might be if the U.S. had lost the war. The novel is both terrifying and ingenious. While Dick’s theories and ideas are both strong and dynamic, they tend to drown out the characters and the subplots in the book.
I am not typically drawn to science fiction or dystopian novels. As I mentioned, I picked this book up after I was sucked into the show. However, I was compelled by the exploration of race, alternate realities and destiny/fate. I think I was most struck to see how the world could be if World War II had a different outcome. What I find terrifying is the thought of how easily our world could slip into this type of intolerant, violent society as depicted in The Man in the High Castle. I found it interesting that so many characters in this novel utilize the I Ching to help guide them as they make decisions. The I Ching literally pops up in every plot and subplot of the novel; it is the connection between various characters. More incredibly, however, is the idea that the I Ching allows the reader glimpses into these alternate universes that some of the characters experience. The book gets even more mind blowing with the introduction of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, which is a book within The Man in the High Castle; The Grasshopper Lies Heavy is a book written by a character named Hawthorne Abendsen. Abendsen’s novel is a refreshing piece of fiction for many of the characters in The Man in the High Castle because it depicts a world where the Axis powers lost World War II; though not quite the world as we know it now, many characters are drawn to the book because it offers a glimmer of hope. Now, here comes a spoiler (sorry!): Abendsen admits to using the I Ching to write The Grasshopper Lies Heavy—implying that there is a truth regarding the outcomes written in it. Because The Grasshopper Lies Heavy ends with some differences compared to our own history, the reader is left wondering if Dick is implying that our real world is also an alternate universe in a sea of possible worlds. If your brain hurts, welcome to the club!
A big glass of Fortress wine to help the brain pain!
As the reader, I did have my issues with the book. While the alternate universe and the connections of fate kept my mind reeling and invested, I felt very little connection to a majority of the characters. I’ve said this before in my reviews, but characterization is a big deal to me as a reader. I enjoyed some of the inner-monologues, like Frank’s or Childen’s, that offered some insight into their perspectives of that world and the shift in culture…but these instances were far and few between. Aside from the fascinating world Dick created, I felt lost and bored during many parts of the book. Perhaps I made the mistake of starting the show first; I was expecting more from the characters and much more action. The novel consists of a lot of “almosts” —there was almost an assassination and there was almost a horrible tragedy in store for an important character. However, a lot of these “almost” things don’t come to fruition. In fact, the ending of the novel, while establishing a profound and thought provoking possibility, is extremely anticlimactic in terms of action and closure.
All in all, The Man in the High Castle consisted of intriguing sub-plots that are introduced and then nicely woven together as the story progresses. The scary world that Dick has created offers a lot of opportunities for the reader to imagine how differently our lives could be…and, arguably, draw parallels to the events occuring in real time. The ideas of alternate realities and fate are well developed and are written philosophically and profoundly. Yet, Dick delivers an underwhelming novel. He fails to cultivate any real connection between the reader and the characters. The lack of action left me wanting more from the story; truthfully, some of the monologues and passages felt mind-numbing and had me itching to put down the book. While the initial glaring presence of exterminations, persecutions and violence were terrifying, the idea of American culture being destroyed and non-existent was incredibly unsettling. I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. It is the most demanding book I’ve read—meaning, it required a lot of focus and mental effort to read it, understand it and appreciate/enjoy it. As a book-lover, it pains me to admit that I am enjoying the show far more than I enjoyed the novel (insert Septa Unella following me with her bell saying, “Shame! Shame!”). But, it’s true. I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys alternate universes, dystopian-type books and profound thoughts on truth and fate. I also recommend giving it a try if you are currently watching, or have interest in watching, the Amazon Prime series. And I highly suggest watching The Man in the High Castle—I have found that the writers and developers of the series have really expanded on the characters, giving them more depth and more meaning. As far as the wine pairing, I suggest anything that contains a high alcohol content, for your brain will surely thank you. Specifically, I recommend Fortress Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, which has a 14.5% alcohol content to help swallow down the atrocities of the Axis alliance. This wine provides a bold, dark and strong flavor that pairs well with the dark and, often, cryptic aspects of The Man in the High Castle. Enjoy!
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Wine Pairing: Fortress Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Snag your own copy: Audible or Amazon
Pick a book, pour a glass
