Truly Madly Guilty

I have a mixed relationship with Liane Moriarty, I've read 4 of her books now (including this one) and I find that it's a bit of a love/hate situation, to be honest. I had recently read Big Little Lies, in order to ensure that I'd read the book before I viewed the TV series, and I loved it. I had high hopes, therefore, going into Truly Madly Guilty and was keen for more of the same.

This book is centered around a family barbeque which is attended by 3 couples and their families and the event that takes place at that barbeque will change everyone's lives forever. The book narrative is written from the perspective of events following the barbeque and also on the fateful day itself. We also are given perspectives from each of the different people who attended the barbeque that day and each of their recollections help to build up to the revelation of what went on that day.

Liane Moriarty books have become synonymous with this type of storytelling, they always have a mystery at their heart and focus on the relationships between the characters and how the events of the book have impacted their lives and Truly Madly Guilty falls into this format nicely. In the case of this book, we follow best friends Clementine and Erika and their husbands and the neighbours of Erika, who hosted the fateful barbeque that day.

This was where my main issue with this book arose and that is that none of the characters in this book had particularly redeeming qualities about them, aside from Erika's husband Oliver who was a stand out good guy throughout and a thoroughly decent human being. Everyone else seemed to be thoroughly self-involved and harboured terrible communication issues. Erika, for example, is somewhat of a control freak. Having grown up the daughter of an extreme hoarder she has latched onto Clementine and her family as a safe haven from her manic home life. From childhood she has longed for stability and as a result, she is a somewhat inflexible and judgmental character.

Clementine, on the other hand, didn't fare any better as a character from my perspective. A musician with 2 young children she is focused wholeheartedly upon an upcoming audition with a prestigious Sydney orchestra. She seems unhappy with her role as a mother and often hands over care for the children to her husband, Sam, whilst she focuses upon preparing for her big audition. Her parenting style is relaxed and she is instead driven by her art. She has been friends with Erika from childhood but we learn in the book that she has always felt Erika was forced upon her by her mother, who felt sorry for Erika, and therefore she feels resentful that she has missed out on other friendships she could have formed and instead had to spare the feelings of her poor friend with the crazy mother.

The mystery, or events at the barbeque, that form the central plot of this book are revealed approximately half way through the book although all of the clues and if, like me, you are good at second guessing it will probably not entirely shock you. I knew from probably 3 or 4 chapters before where it was going and therefore I felt a little let down that there wasn't more to it. I also began to wonder that if we were only 50% of the way through then where on earth was the other 50% going to take us.

This meant that once I reached the big reveal I found the second half of the book a little slower. It became very much about the feeling and impact the events of the barbeque had upon each of the characters, the guilt that they all carried and how it began to eat up their lives and become something they couldn't move past, hence the book's title Truly Madly Guilty.

I liked this book but was disappointed after the amazing Big Little Lies, Moriarty had raised the bar with that novel and on this occasion, she failed to live up to that expectation. This wasn't a bad book it just failed to evoke as much sympathy for its characters as it's predecessor and nor did it make me want to spend any further time with them, such as was the case with Madeleine, Celeste and Jane from Big Little Lies.

Moriarty's latest book is an absolute gem. A well-written, page-turner with extremely well-developed characters, who have complicated lives and complex flaws and motivations. The story centers around an impromptu, ordinary backyard barbecue, where six friends/neighbors gather with their kids. The reader is deceptively lulled into believing that this is yet another tale of bickering, young friends gossiping and
bemoaning the sad state of their marriages, but the book isn't that at all. Instead, I was mesmerized my Moriarty's ability to weave together such a layered, multi-faceted story, and then deftly and expertly keep it aloft. Some reviewers have said this book meanders, but I disagree. The fast, luminous prose wraps around the reader, as one is taken from the present to the past and back again in an easy, fluid motion. Nothing lags, drags or falters. The reader senses that something major will occur, and when it does, all the subtle, build-up culminates into a shattering and surprising crescendo, like the music and the relentless rain that are the backdrop for the story. Moriarty writes with considerable skill and flawless pacing. She has a deep affection for her characters, as they stumble and struggle though friendship, love and forgiveness. This is a warm, redemptive book with a big heart and much insight. As an aside, I loved Ruby and Whisk! Of the three Moriarty books I've read, this is my favorite thus far. A great, worthwhile read.