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The Lie

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About this listen

This short story from the collection Wild Child was originally published in the New Yorker.

Lonnie is tired. He's tired of his job, the monotony of it, and tired of the predictability ofhis home life now that he's a father. It's a day like every other day, and hecan't face the inevitability of it all. So he lies. It's a small lie, but heknows small lies become big ones. He knows it as soon as he says his daughteris in the hospital. But he can't stop himself, and he can't stop the lie fromtaking on a life of its own.

©2013 T.C. Boyle (P)2013 Blackstone Audio Anthologies Anthologies & Short Stories Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Short Stories
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My first encounter with this author and I was very pleasantly surprised. The lie is very short, just over half an hour, and though the lie from the title is one unlikely to be told, to someone in the main protagonist's frame of mind - despair, fear and anger - it was not impossible given his need for time off work.
The author, T.C.Boyle also narrates the story with all the skill of a professional voice artist, the timbre of his voice warm, mid tone and very pleasant to the ear as well as being word perfect with clarity, good timing and modulation, the story.itself well written. My only complaint? I had wished it not to be over so soon.

Currently available for free download with the Audible Plus programme. An very enjoyable half hour and recommended

"Funeral"

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Enjoyed this as a stop gap inbetween titles. For such a short listen,it was great. 4 stars all round!

Pleasant surprise for such a short listen

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I enjoyed this. The narrative voice excellent, story great, full of tea spitting Nuggets.

Fantastic

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a tragic, sad story of a man who starts lying to avoid going to work, only to have things spin out of control. i thought the ending was good, a resolution is expected, but we don't get to see it in the story. what are the consequences of the man's actions, and how will he face them? we can all hope, not by lying more.
very good story, a serious scenario, presented with a tint of humour and exaggeration, almost like the man's lie is not believable, as in possible, leaving the reader to decide on which moral camp to find themselves. is a lie like that, as in the man's situation, comic, to be dismissed, when we all know lying is wrong, or is it purely unacceptable.

a sad story

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