Seven Lies by James Lasdun

Friday, January 04, 2008

Numbers Challenge
Every lie must beget seven more lies if it is to resemble the truth and adopt truth's aura. -- Martin Luther
From Booklist
This chilly, psychologically chilling cold war artifact contemplates the ways in which a totalitarian state can constrict one's heart and pollute one's soul. Stefan Vogel's domineering mother, a social climber in officially class-free East Germany, echoes and reinforces the state's implicit messages to its citizens: You are being watched; there is no escape; conform to the prescribed ideology at all costs. Is it any wonder, then, that young Stefan plays along when his mother announces him as a budding poet, subjecting himself to abuse at the hands of the building superintendent in exchange for access to a collection of Western poetry from which he can crib? His deceptions and betrayals--of others, certainly, but mostly of himself--lead Stefan to the America he has secretly yearned to embrace, with the woman he has not-so-secretly coveted. But although one may escape the iron curtain, one never can quite escape oneself. So when a stranger at a Manhattan party throws a glass of wine in his face upon hearing his name, Stefan starts a diary that finally brings his internal corrosion painfully, poignantly to the surface. Frank Sennett
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
I wasn't sure what to say about this book so I copied a review from Amazon.Com. I bought "Seven Lies" because, for some reason, I thought it was a suspenseful thriller and it had good reader reviews. It turned out to be more of a social commentary. Lasdun does create the setting and characters well. Unfortunately, none of the characters were appealing, and I found it all incredibly boring. Thankfully, the book is only 200 pages long, and the ending was quite surprising.
Rating: 1
Posted by Framed at 8:11 PM

5 comments:
Carrie K said...
I don't remember that statement in Luther's Catechism ;)No good at all? It sounds kind of intriguing.
1/04/2008 9:48 PM
Booklogged said...
Interesting quote from Martin Luther. I was reading along thinking this sounded like a 'must read' when I glanced down and saw your rating. Looks like it had a big bark with no bite.
1/04/2008 10:49 PM
Joy said...
So sorry you stumbled upon a dud. Hope your next one is terrific!
1/05/2008 6:24 AM
Joy said...
So sorry you stumbled upon a dud. Hope your next one is terrific!
1/05/2008 6:24 AM
Framed said...
Carrie, The book had a number of good reader reviews and that's why I bought it, but it wasn't for me.