A review by theartolater
City of Truth by James Morrow
3.0
Some might remember the Ricky Gervais movie The Invention of Lying a few years back, which involved a society that always told the truth. City of Truth is a lot like that, only 15 years earlier and with higher stakes.
What's interesting about this, to me at least, is that, even at novella-length, this book feels unsatisfactory in trying to explore the society on a whole. It becomes more of an illness melodrama with the hook of the story relegated to the sidelines, resulting in a story that doesn't really work for the setting, and a setting that feels too conceptual for the story.
As someone who has enjoyed a number of Morrow's book, this is better as an idea than an executed tale. I ultimately wanted more from the sci-fi/fantasy elements and didn't get them, in spite of what was a decent tale on a whole.
What's interesting about this, to me at least, is that, even at novella-length, this book feels unsatisfactory in trying to explore the society on a whole. It becomes more of an illness melodrama with the hook of the story relegated to the sidelines, resulting in a story that doesn't really work for the setting, and a setting that feels too conceptual for the story.
As someone who has enjoyed a number of Morrow's book, this is better as an idea than an executed tale. I ultimately wanted more from the sci-fi/fantasy elements and didn't get them, in spite of what was a decent tale on a whole.