Sarah Manguso's compelling new audiobook, Liars, presents a stark examination of a relationship deteriorating from promising beginnings to profound dysfunction. Narrated with searing intensity by Rebecca Lowman, this production offers listeners a claustrophobic journey into the heart of a marriage where truth becomes the first casualty.
A Marriage Built on Shifting Sands
The story follows Jane, a writer and academic whose career trajectory points upward, and her partner John, a visual artist and aspiring filmmaker who has hit a professional wall. From the outset, John demonstrates a pattern of deception, lying about his emotions, financial situation, and daily whereabouts. His character emerges as chaotic, lazy, and entitled, with a tendency toward drunkenness and irresponsible spending.
As their relationship progresses into marriage, John repeatedly insists they relocate cities for better work opportunities, decisions that consistently undermine Jane's professional stability. The situation deteriorates further after the birth of their son, when Jane finds herself bearing the overwhelming majority of parenting responsibilities while her husband increasingly absents himself from family life.
The Brilliance of Rebecca Lowman's Narration
Voice actor Rebecca Lowman delivers a masterful performance that perfectly complements Manguso's quietly furious prose. Her seething, staccato delivery captures the simmering resentment that defines Jane's experience. In one particularly revealing moment, Jane reflects: "My husband asked me why I was so much angrier than other women. It always made me smile. I was exactly as angry as every other woman I knew."
Lowman's narration skillfully navigates the complex emotional landscape of a woman simultaneously chronicling her husband's failings while making excuses for them, creating a compelling portrait of cognitive dissonance within an unhappy marriage.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Mutual Deception
As the narrative unfolds, Manguso raises provocative questions about shared responsibility in dysfunctional relationships. While John's behavior provides ample justification for Jane's anger, the author subtly prompts listeners to consider Jane's own collusion in this unhappy dynamic. Her willingness to chronicle each slight while continuing to participate in the relationship suggests a complex web of self-deception.
Manguso's ultimate message proves both unsettling and profound: that despite the best intentions, marriage as an institution can make liars of everyone involved. The audiobook becomes not just a story about one couple's troubles, but a broader commentary on the compromises and falsehoods that can infiltrate even the most intimate partnerships.
The audiobook, available through Picador with a runtime of 6 hours and 7 minutes, stands as a superb addition to contemporary literary fiction. For those interested in further listening, the article also highlights Malala Yousafzai's second memoir Finding My Way Back and Nita Prose's crime novel The Maid's Secret as additional recommendations.
