"Pretend All Your Life" by Joseph Mackin was an interesting read. The subject is something I have pondered over the years, and here it is in an intriguing book.Does everyone pretend? Do we pretend to be happy? Do we pretend to be something we are not? Richer than we really are? Smarter?
Plastic surgeon Richard Gallin finds his life falling apart in the aftermath of 9/11. His practice is disintegrating, his was lost in the Twin Towers, someone is trying to blackmail him, and he is facing a life he does not recognize in a city that had always been good to him.
When his son turns up alive, asking for a new face, so he can start over, Gallin barely misses a beat, as he agrees to help his child. After all, his daughter in law and grandson are taken care of for life, so what's the harm, right?
Twist and turns fill this book, and it really makes you ask yourself the question..if you could start over with no consequences, would you?
I received this book from Library Thing Early Reviewers. Thank you!
sounds like a good read. and a good question. When you do tell the truth to the question 'how are you doing?' most people don't really listen to your answer. They just assume you will say good, and if they do hear when you say something else, they tend to glaze right over it and continue as they had planned.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fascinating read.
ReplyDeleteIts strange the questions we ask expecting a certain answer. When asked 'how are you?' for example, most of us will mutter 'fine' never dreaming of saying 'well actually I'm awful'. I've often wanted to give a prolonged, OTT response to this question just to see how people would react.