“The Liar” is a short story by American writer Tobias Wolff. It was published in multiple short story collections, including Wolff’s debut collection, In the Garden of the North American Martyrs. The story follows James, a 16-year-old boy who has developed a pattern of lying compulsively. This habit greatly distresses his mother. As James narrates the story, he reflects upon his relationship with his mother and with his now deceased father. The story explores themes of family, grief, and detachment.
Tobias Wolff provided a definition of the guiding principles behind his own stories in explaining his choices of the works of others for Matters of Life and Death (1983), the anthology of contemporary...
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"I was a liar myself when I was a kid. I'm still a liar, really, and I don't mean just in terms of telling stories and being a story writer. I wouldn't ever want to be held to a literal version of the...
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Tobias (Jonathan Ansell) Wolff
Tobias Wolff