“Big Little Lies” by Liane Moriarty – The Liar's Butterfly Effect

Deception is a rather interesting concept, observed even in various species of animals, at least the smarter ones. However, none except for humans have taken it to such a grandiose level, to the point where for many people, it is an essential part of daily life.

What's more, the methods of deception have grown increasingly elaborate, though at the heart of it all remains the same principle: the need to lie.

We even make the distinction between good and bad lies, to the point where people consider it an acceptable part of living in society. However, as the novel Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty exemplifies it, even the smallest of lies can have the most tragic of consequences, and our seemingly natural need for deception can drag us deeper into the darkness than we ever imagined.

In this novel, we are told the stories of three women living in a rather tranquil and perhaps even relatively idyllic beachside community, each one of them being mothers to small children.

Needless to say, after a certain point the lives of the mothers and the children begin to intertwine, setting the scene for a rather extensive and in-depth exploration of the relationship between mothers and children, the role of ex-husbands in the whole picture, the turbulence school life can bring into the family, and of course, the necessity of telling lies.

The novel is written in a rather light and simple way, aiming to tell a concrete story where the actions of the characters speak for themselves more often than not, leaving the reader to draw his/her own conclusions based on what they are observing.

There are certainly plenty of interesting and relatable ones in here, with most of them being rather realistic in the sense that they are not caricatures, but actually have depth and complexity to them, real motives that make sense.

Even the children are interesting to a certain extent, being the cores around which the lives of the three mothers revolve; it is certainly rather curious to see the changes they undergo in reaction to the events they experience.

As far as the plot development itself goes, I believe it deserves to be mentioned on its own because of how smoothly and seamlessly Moriarty transitions from one plotline to the next, never leaving you feeling unsatisfied with the information you've gained so far.

She manages to make the journey traveled memorable all while keeping you looking forward towards the future, curious as to how things will unfold and eventually end up. This is the kind of book an avid reader could swallow whole given the right circumstances.

All things taken into consideration, Big Little Lies is certainly a very interesting exploration of the various kinds of relations people can have with each other, and tells a rather enthralling story, at least if what you're looking for is something more down-to-Earth, thoughtful and relaxing to read.

This is a book I can definitely recommend for those who don't shy away from a lack of action.

---

Liane Moriarty Personal site Liane Moriarty is an Australian author, just like her sister, Jaclyn Moriarty. Before getting into the freelance writing business she worked in advertising and marketing and even ran her own company in the domain. It was in 2004, after earning her masters degree at Macquarie University and publishing her first novel, Three Wishes, that Moriarty began her career as an author.