Chris Singh

I thought Lying was an interesting read. The first thing that I liked about the book was that it really pushed the bounds of the genre. Of course as readers we like to believe that the writer is being honest but as the writer points out, the truth and facts are not the same. There is a good deal of grey area in Slater's book and that is what makes it so freakishly interesting. Life (as an adult) is filled with gray areas. The skill that we try to master is how to read situations, people, etc... Slater is forcing us to fill in the blanks, figure out what she isn't telling us and thereby, enabling the reader to form a more accurate opinion of who she is. As a writer I found her prose easy to read, and highly relateable. Who doesn't blame their parents? Ultimately, I think that Slater use of a metaphoric lie in her memoir symbolizes something that some people do unconsciously. That is, lie about who they are and how they came to be that way.

Wow! I never imagined anyone could dictate a book, letter by letter. Hats off to Jean- Dominique Bauby. I think this man's story is truly amazing but also quite tragic. What I found incredible was how vivid his fantasies were, especially the one about the Empress and food. For me this book seemed to be a cross between Tuesdays With Morrie and The Miracle Worker. What sets this writer apart from the other two is how he describes his miserable condition. By the end of the book I get the idea that he has come to the realization that his existence is just too radical. I was left wondering if blinking out dictation for his book killed him or was he euthanized?