The Lie
by Chad Kultgen
A novel's first sentence sets the tone. So much can be learned from just the first few words. In The Lie, the opening sentence is a warning from the main character: "You're going to hate me."
Right away, we know it's first-person. We know that the story will be told in hindsight, and that the main character will be speaking directly to us, relating his story to us personally, confidentially. We are intrigued, and a little bristled. "You can't tell me what to do!" we think to ourselves, while at the same time, our need for gossip is fueled, wondering with insatiable curiosity what this young man could have possibly done to warrant such hatred.
It's a brilliant first sentence. The Lie is a brilliant novel. I read it in three days, reading it in the mornings before I went to work, during my lunch breaks, and in the evenings, putting off ever-tempting sleep to read just one more chapter. I literally dreamed about this book, wondering, which lie was going to turn out to be The Lie. From the prologue through the epilogue, lies bounce off the pages like champagne bubbles; even now, I'm conflicted as to which lie was the greatest.
I won't give any spoilers, but I will give a warning. This novel is riddled with foul language and extremely explicit sex scenes. It takes places over the course of the main characters' four-year college education, and the amount of trouble these young adults get into is mind-boggling. I've been to college recently, so the language and situations weren't as shocking to my soiled mind as they might be to someone in my parents' generation. Depending on how much you've seen at your own college campus, or how high the "offensive" bar is raised in your mind, you might find this one of the most distasteful books in existence. My advice: read the three-paged prologue. If your reaction is either neutral or a slight, "Oh!" you'll be fine. If your reaction is, "Good God!" or anything stronger than that, this might not be the best choice for you to read. The prologue is very tame compared to the rest of the book.
Warning aside, I was not shocked or offended. Given the heaviness and horrific realism, it's hard to say I loved this book. But, I'll go ahead and say it. I loved this book. If you read it, you'll never be the same. It makes you think, it makes you cringe, it makes you root for the bad guy, and it broadens your mind. The characters are all extremely flawed and troubled, and for the life of me, I'll never understand how Chad Kultgen managed to write three exquisitely real, incredibly different characters. How did he form a confused, aimless sorority girl with no sense of consequence so perfectly? Countless times throughout the read, I found myself believing I was reading a tri-narrated memoir.
One of the greatest strengths of the novel was Kultgen's use of hindsight. Each character tells their story to the reader without spoilers, but with a constant reminder that they've already lived through the atrocities. It pulls the readers in and creates a greater bond than if the story was told without perpetual asides.
As much as I loved this book, I'm the first to admit that it was a difficult read. I was an emotional wreck for weeks after finishing it, and as I've said before, I'll probably never be the same. It's not for everyone. But if you can get through it, chances are you'll feel the same way I did. You'll wring your heart out, let it dry, take a deep breath, and realize it's a deeper breath than you've ever taken in your life.
Right away, we know it's first-person. We know that the story will be told in hindsight, and that the main character will be speaking directly to us, relating his story to us personally, confidentially. We are intrigued, and a little bristled. "You can't tell me what to do!" we think to ourselves, while at the same time, our need for gossip is fueled, wondering with insatiable curiosity what this young man could have possibly done to warrant such hatred.
It's a brilliant first sentence. The Lie is a brilliant novel. I read it in three days, reading it in the mornings before I went to work, during my lunch breaks, and in the evenings, putting off ever-tempting sleep to read just one more chapter. I literally dreamed about this book, wondering, which lie was going to turn out to be The Lie. From the prologue through the epilogue, lies bounce off the pages like champagne bubbles; even now, I'm conflicted as to which lie was the greatest.
I won't give any spoilers, but I will give a warning. This novel is riddled with foul language and extremely explicit sex scenes. It takes places over the course of the main characters' four-year college education, and the amount of trouble these young adults get into is mind-boggling. I've been to college recently, so the language and situations weren't as shocking to my soiled mind as they might be to someone in my parents' generation. Depending on how much you've seen at your own college campus, or how high the "offensive" bar is raised in your mind, you might find this one of the most distasteful books in existence. My advice: read the three-paged prologue. If your reaction is either neutral or a slight, "Oh!" you'll be fine. If your reaction is, "Good God!" or anything stronger than that, this might not be the best choice for you to read. The prologue is very tame compared to the rest of the book.
Warning aside, I was not shocked or offended. Given the heaviness and horrific realism, it's hard to say I loved this book. But, I'll go ahead and say it. I loved this book. If you read it, you'll never be the same. It makes you think, it makes you cringe, it makes you root for the bad guy, and it broadens your mind. The characters are all extremely flawed and troubled, and for the life of me, I'll never understand how Chad Kultgen managed to write three exquisitely real, incredibly different characters. How did he form a confused, aimless sorority girl with no sense of consequence so perfectly? Countless times throughout the read, I found myself believing I was reading a tri-narrated memoir.
One of the greatest strengths of the novel was Kultgen's use of hindsight. Each character tells their story to the reader without spoilers, but with a constant reminder that they've already lived through the atrocities. It pulls the readers in and creates a greater bond than if the story was told without perpetual asides.
As much as I loved this book, I'm the first to admit that it was a difficult read. I was an emotional wreck for weeks after finishing it, and as I've said before, I'll probably never be the same. It's not for everyone. But if you can get through it, chances are you'll feel the same way I did. You'll wring your heart out, let it dry, take a deep breath, and realize it's a deeper breath than you've ever taken in your life.