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A review by cisphobic
City of Truth by James Morrow
1.0
I am frankly in disbelief how highly reviewed this novella is. From start to end, Morrow is a difficult author to stomach. The premise itself is interesting, a society where everyone must be completely truthful, but the execution is so poor it feels as though it was a half-assed excuse for terrible dialogue.
The male view in this is suffocating. From page 6, our protagonist, a married man, tells a woman he encounters in a bar that he wishes to sleep with her. The woman, knowing he is married, still flirts and is willing to sleep with him. He then returns to his wife and TELLS HER that he WANTED TO SLEEP WITH ANOTHER WOMAN. This woman then becomes a recurring character and the vehicle by which the plot progresses (hello??).
Sex becomes a recurring plot point for what feels as what is no reason other than male horniness. Other reviewers mention how the story has compelling social commentary which I find more baffling. Morrow's writing has about as much nuance as it has emotional intelligence. The terrible dystopian truth tellers are bad, but the underground liars are also bad. The world consists of moral shades of gray. If this is a revelation or thought provoking statement to anyone, I worry for the state of the world's critical thinking.
The male view in this is suffocating. From page 6, our protagonist, a married man, tells a woman he encounters in a bar that he wishes to sleep with her. The woman, knowing he is married, still flirts and is willing to sleep with him. He then returns to his wife and TELLS HER that he WANTED TO SLEEP WITH ANOTHER WOMAN. This woman then becomes a recurring character and the vehicle by which the plot progresses (hello??).
Sex becomes a recurring plot point for what feels as what is no reason other than male horniness. Other reviewers mention how the story has compelling social commentary which I find more baffling. Morrow's writing has about as much nuance as it has emotional intelligence. The terrible dystopian truth tellers are bad, but the underground liars are also bad. The world consists of moral shades of gray. If this is a revelation or thought provoking statement to anyone, I worry for the state of the world's critical thinking.