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A Hundred Little Lies

by Jon Wilson (Goodreads Author)

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 17 ratings · 10 reviews

Everyone knows Jack Tulle as a widower, a doting father, and an honest businessman. The problem is, it's all a lie.For eight years Jack has enjoyed the quiet life in the sleepy little town of Bodey, Colorado where he owns and operates the General Store. He sits on the town council. He dotes upon his eight-year-old, headstrong daughter, Abigail. He is even being sized-up as...more

Paperback, 216 pages

Published March 15th 2011 by Cheyenne Publishing

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Jul 17, 2011 Elisa Ramblings added it

If you expect to read you classical western romance (even with the addition of the gay element), A Hundred Little Lies will surprise you. Western romance are mostly about midday appointment under the sun, or corrupted small town where justice is not at home, or bittered men who are searching for vengeance. But that is not the case here, and even if, like in an old classic western romance, Jack Tulle has a past he would prefer to forget, and being forgotten, that is basically the only common elem...more If you expect to read you classical western romance (even with the addition of the gay element), A Hundred Little Lies will surprise you. Western romance are mostly about midday appointment under the sun, or corrupted small town where justice is not at home, or bittered men who are searching for vengeance. But that is not the case here, and even if, like in an old classic western romance, Jack Tulle has a past he would prefer to forget, and being forgotten, that is basically the only common element you will find.

What is probably the most interesting plot device is that it’s really difficult to identify who is the good fellow and who is the villain, probably since actually, no one really fit any of those roles. Now, in a good western romance, you can have the real villain, the bad guy, the one that of course will be dead at the end of the story, or the good villain, mostly a wonderful rogue, the man all the women (and in this case also men) would like in their bed at night, but that they have to avoid by day. That should be the role of Tom Jude, Jack’s former lover and partner in crime; but when Tom enters the scene, instead of being bad and vindictive towards Jack, he is almost regretful, like Jack was his true love, and now that they are back together, nothing will move him from his side (thus nothing strange if we find them rolling on the hay no later than the first night; but don’t worry, this book is not really about sex, and the encounters are almost chaste, at least in the way to write about them). So no, Tom is not the villain, but he is not even the good boy, since he is also unsettling Jack’s comfortable life in Bodey, Colorado, threatening to reveal that in no way Jack can be Abigail’s father, and he well know why.

On the other side there is Jack, the good fellow, isn’t it right? The good daddy of 8 years old Abigail, the quiet drugstore owner, the good citizen that is fighting to not have corruption in his city; of course he is doing it for the good of the town, or maybe he is doing it to avoid people he may know coming too near to him, or maybe he is doing it since he knows he is even too much corruptible? Page after page, the good fellow’s image of Jack is falling down, like a cheap paint covering a scandalous picture. But, as almost always happen, the scandalous picture is more interesting of the boring paint, and if it took Jack a hundred little lies to paint that picture, well then, he did a good job.

If the reader is wondering how two men can be lovers in the XIX century Far West and still being alive, well the answer is simple… almost no one notice; if neither their own friends and colleagues noticed when they were together every day doing their business, probably no one will notice in a small town where people believe they are nothing else than good friends since their childhood. I can easily imagining their possible future together, mistaken for very, very good friends, and if someone is wondering about their bachelorhood, well they can always think they are both mourning the loss of Abigail’s mother, Jack’s wife and maybe Tom’s unrequited love?

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Mar 31, 2011 Erastes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay-historical

A debut novel, and a quite impressive debut too. I really liked the style of writing Wilson employs. It reminded me very much of "The Winter of our Discontent" by Steinbeck with the everyday narrative flow and observation of small-town living. We are introduced to Jack through his waking up, getting his daughter ready for school, interraction with towns people and working in his general store. We are set up to think, as do the townspople that he is indeed a pillar of the community.

But of course,...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Kassa rated it 3 of 5 stars

A Hundred Little Lies is an absorbing historical debut. This is an author I’ll keep an eye out for what they do next. The story is an easy day in the life narrative in the first person told by Jack. His bias colors the story and as the plot progresses the reader realizes that Jack may or may not be telling the truth. He’s built his life on lies so it’s difficult to tease out the truth from those lies, even within the context of the story. Thus sometimes the story assumes the reader knows more th...more A Hundred Little Lies is an absorbing historical debut. This is an author I’ll keep an eye out for what they do next. The story is an easy day in the life narrative in the first person told by Jack. His bias colors the story and as the plot progresses the reader realizes that Jack may or may not be telling the truth. He’s built his life on lies so it’s difficult to tease out the truth from those lies, even within the context of the story. Thus sometimes the story assumes the reader knows more than they actually do and numerous important details are late in coming or omitted entirely. This is the weakest part of an otherwise engrossing and satisfying story.

The story opens up with a foreshadowing dream featuring Jack’s dead wife. This dream sequence feels disjointed and lacking crucial information, a theme that often repeats throughout the story. Gradually we learn that Jack is worried about a high stakes poker tournament to be held in town, although the reasons for Jack’s fear are slowly teased out. Eventually Jack’s old lover comes to town and the two waste no time picking things up again. The reasons for their break are again somewhat hazy and slow in coming. This is my main problem with the story in that so much information is vague and often missing.

Eventually details are offered but they tend to be after the fact. For example there are numerous scenes where the entire dialogue revolves around an unnamed man and only after the conversation is the reader told who they were talking about. This pattern is repeated with conversations, actions, and decisions. In some cases this makes for a more effective scene, such as Jack with the gun near the end of the novel. Yet in most other instances the story is vague and disconcerting. You’re left trying to figure out meanings without the right information. I’m not sure if it’s because the author knew all of that background and failed to convey the same to the readers or if it was a deliberate choice to keep the answers mysterious.

Other than this problem the story is actually satisfying and interesting to read. The level of detail is pretty minute as Jack narrates day to day activities such as waking up, stretching, using the outhouse, cooking, working, and basically living their lives. Yet Jack’s voice keeps these activities interesting and without the dull patina of boredom they could otherwise evoke. Part of this is helped by the plethora of secondary characters which add depth and charm to the setting. The historical feel is well incorporated, always present without needing to be endlessly described and referenced. It feels genuine and authentic, which is nicely juxtaposed to the slow exposure of all Jack’s lies.

Due to all the lies and acknowledgement of half truths, I still didn’t have a real feel for Jack by the end of the novel. He and Tom fit well together and are nicely developed but they both seem barely touched, as if they possess considerable more complexity than there was room to delve into. Yet I liked them both quite a bit and their relationship together works well. It’s not all graphic sex all the time and that makes for a nice pairing. They offer companionship, history, and love. The only jarring character of the group is the little girl, Jack’s daughter. Abigail feels disingenuous with her strange vocabulary and habit of being carried around everywhere as an eight year old. Her speech, actions, and behaviors all depict a much, much younger child than the age she’s given and often disrupts scenes instead of adding a down home charm. In fact I often found her annoying and liked just about any scene much better when she wasn’t involved.

The writing has a definite style that I’ve not really come across before. The prose and structure can be awkward and formal, not necessarily in a bad way but in a disjointed and somewhat clunky way. This definitely kept my attention on the story and since the story is Jack’s almost diary, perhaps is a way of highlighting his manner of speaking. I’d be curious if the next book is written with the same structure or something more modern. Either way A Hundred Little Lies is an interesting and satisfying western. It incorporates many of the standard elements but in a new way that makes this definitely worth reading. Not all the problems brought up are resolved unfortunately but the story is an easy one to recommend.(less)

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May 10, 2011 Lena Grey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At some time or the other, everyone lies, from little white lies to spare someone's feelings all the way to deceitful lies. Sometimes there are no consequences. However, when your existence is filled with more lies than truth, as Jack Tulle's in 'A Hundred Little Lies' by Jon Wilson, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish one from the other. Eventually the lies will come back to haunt you.

Jon Wilson did a good job of depicting life as it was in the old west without burying us in long,...more
At some time or the other, everyone lies, from little white lies to spare someone's feelings all the way to deceitful lies. Sometimes there are no consequences. However, when your existence is filled with more lies than truth, as Jack Tulle's in 'A Hundred Little Lies' by Jon Wilson, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish one from the other. Eventually the lies will come back to haunt you.

Jon Wilson did a good job of depicting life as it was in the old west without burying us in long, examinations of historical events. My favorite part of the story was Jack and Tom's love affair. As complicated as it was, it was also clear that Tom and Jack loved each other and that Tom especially, wanted to get back together with Jack so much that he would have done almost anything to repair their relationship, including accepting Abby, Jack's daughter, in their family. The love affair between Jack and Tom was particularly well written and strongly portrayed their feelings for each other. Through the torrent of emotions ranging from confusion, anger, frustration, hurt and passion, it was clear that the two men loved each other and, more than anything, wanted to be together.

The story moves along at a slow pace, revealing information in small doses as it progressed. For the most part, this technique enhanced the mystique of the tale; at other times it was frustrating. For instance, I would like to have had more information about Jack, Fiona, and Tom. Instead of trying to guess, having more background information would have helped me understand why Jack felt obligated to marry Fiona in the first place and desert Tom and especially why he kept Abby. When certain circumstances came up which didn't make sense to me, I'd backtrack looking for more clues. This slowed down my reading considerably. It would also have been helpful to have expanded some of the smaller stories in the book. As it was, I felt that they weren't worded out satisfactorily.

'A Hundred Little Lies' is Jon Wilson's first novel; written with an unusual narration style which included wit and dry humor mixed into the seriousness of the story and gave it a certain edge which couldn't have been achieved otherwise. I enjoyed this book and believe that any of you that like stories of cowboys, wild west, historical fiction, and of course, a compelling love story, will enjoy it too. I'd really be interested in seeing more of Jack and Tom, especially concerning how they deal with their lives together.

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Jun 07, 2011 Erik Orrantia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Spoiler Warning

I enjoyed this book. I particularly liked the old town setting, and the unusual circumstances. The relationship between the father and daughter seemed quite genuine. The overall language was easy to read and the frequent use of slurs or abbreviations from the era added to it.

I did have a few points with which I struggled. Namely, I felt like the author emphasized at times unimportant details which might not have added (ie. my comment about too many greetings--"hello Mrs. so-and-so...more Spoiler Warning

I enjoyed this book. I particularly liked the old town setting, and the unusual circumstances. The relationship between the father and daughter seemed quite genuine. The overall language was easy to read and the frequent use of slurs or abbreviations from the era added to it.

I did have a few points with which I struggled. Namely, I felt like the author emphasized at times unimportant details which might not have added (ie. my comment about too many greetings--"hello Mrs. so-and-so," "How do you do?" "Hello to you," "How do you do?" sometimes between three or four people at a time). Further, I thought that attention might have been better spent on refining the conflict. After reading it, I didn't quite "get it."

The boyfriend showed up after eight years in a poker tournament our protagonist was against, even though it would be good for business, which didn't seem to be very successful judging by his complaints about not making ends meet. Though there were oftentimes allusions to some unmentionable secret (not nearly a hundred of them), there wasn't quite enough foreshadowing or hinting to let me even speculate. He might say, "Well, I can't mention it..." and leave it at that. So, the first conflict seemed to be around the daughter who was going somewhat awry. This seemed to taper off, though, and the new conflict had to do with the tournament operator. It seemed that people made big deals of nothing. And the fact that the two country boys were screwing each other never entered into anyone's mind. All in all, the fact that they had a relationship was incidental, hardly center to the story line.

Finally, I couldn't buy into the protagonist's direct speech with the reader. Though I did like the first person point of view, I think a line is crossed when you start speaking directly to the reader. I had no problem with that with Alexandre Dumas. So, I think if you're going that way, you've eaither got to elaborate it more or drop it. In this case, I would have dropped it. I don't think the character would actually have any motivation for writing the story, as busy as he was, except maybe for an powerful sense of guilt he seemed to walk around with.

I'm glad I read it. I am a new author, too, and have been taught many lessons through the many reviews of my book, which I appreciate. Clearly, anyone willing to step out on a limb and write a book in the first place is to be commended. And many stories from historical times have yet to be told. Looking forward to Wilson's next book and giving it four or five stars!

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Jun 05, 2011 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay

Words that come to mind when thinking back on this book? Charming, entertaining, delightful, and romantic. Jon has done a wonderful job with the material here, and his writing style is so clear and warm, you can’t help but settle into the story. I only intended to give the first chapter a read last night, and I found I was halfway through before my eyes challenged my brain to a duel at twenty paces . . . and won.

What struck me most about the story is how beautifully the feeling of family is deve...more Words that come to mind when thinking back on this book? Charming, entertaining, delightful, and romantic. Jon has done a wonderful job with the material here, and his writing style is so clear and warm, you can’t help but settle into the story. I only intended to give the first chapter a read last night, and I found I was halfway through before my eyes challenged my brain to a duel at twenty paces . . . and won.

What struck me most about the story is how beautifully the feeling of family is developed – something you don’t necessarily expect from an old west tale or a gay romance. Tom and Jack make a wonderful couple, so much so that your heart really does beat a bit faster every time they enter the room together. As for little Abby, she’s a lively (and lovely) character herself, cut and charming, but not smarmy in that TV sitcom way.

The pacing here is slow and languid, entirely fitting with the sleepy western town setting. There’s an underlying sense of mystery surrounding Jack, the late Fiona, and Tom, but it serves to move the story along, as opposed to overwhelming it. This is also a wryly humorous story, the kind that makes you smile and chuckle – but often a page or so later, as the literary punchline is so casually dropped. It’s not a comedy, but instead has just enough of that subtle humour woven into the narrative to balance the more serious emotional aspects.

Ever so slowly, Jack’s lies are revealed, one by one, the threads working their way out of his carefully crafted tale. If this were Hollywood, I’m sure the temptation would be overpowering to shift this into the realm of slapstick, but I’m just as sure they’d omit the entire forbidden love angle that pulls the story together. Jack is a cheat and a liar, but for all the right reasons. Instead of wanting to see him get his comeuppance, we just want to see him come through the unravelling of his world healthy and happy once again.

One quirk of the novel is that it relies a little too much on the element of surprise, saving crucial details for the end of a conversation or section of the narrative. On the one hand, it’s understandable – this is Jack’s own story that he’s telling us, so he doesn’t need to explain to himself who people are – but it can be confusing at times. It’s a small matter, but one I suspect might put some readers off.

Overall, this was quite an enjoyable read, and one that I would have no qualms about recommending.(less)

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Feb 04, 2013 Jerry added it

Shelves: cowboy, historical, recommended-by-erastes, violence, young-love

Unique historical story built on a smattering of truths and a bunch of lies. Strong love between father and daughter. Even though this is set in the old west, a few characters appear to be OK with guys being gay. So many threads of connections that it is hard to cipher them out. HFN. Would have liked an epilogue to find out a little more of how it all turns out.
Erastes has written a great review, check hers out. Although I don't altogether agree with her assessment of Abigail. I think parents ha...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Bt rated it 5 of 5 stars

I hope i win this one sounds great! i love historical fiction!

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May 06, 2012 Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Hundred Little Lies has a real nice feel to it. The story unfolds in a very nonlinear way. Often a scene was played out without the reader knowing why until the last sentence. It was a bit unsettling and it took me a while to get use to it, but I did and I'm glad that I read the book. I give A Hundred Little Lies three stars.

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Jan 04, 2013 Cecil James rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book gained momentum as it went along until I was thoroughly enjoying it.

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May 07, 2013 Ashlee added it

May 04, 2013 Shannon marked it as maybe

Mar 05, 2013 Black Rose marked it as to-read

Apr 09, 2013 jules0623 marked it as dnf

Shelves: declined-to-rate, genre-historical, kids-or-animals, relationship-m-m

Feb 04, 2013 Cmbwey marked it as to-read

Dec 28, 2012 Nicole marked it as to-read

Dec 27, 2012 David marked it as to-read

Dec 24, 2012 -RMG marked it as to-read

Dec 12, 2012 Alex Hahn added it

Shelves: bought-own, m-m-historical

Nov 01, 2012 Kellie Dennis marked it as to-read

Shelves: my-books

Oct 21, 2012 Linda marked it as to-read

Jan 25, 2013 Cap'n Muchiko rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm

Oct 17, 2012 Jerilin marked it as mm-2

Shelves: m-m-to-read, historical

Oct 17, 2012 Lucia marked it as to-read

Shelves: m-m

Oct 15, 2012 Stephanie marked it as to-read

Shelves: mm

Oct 15, 2012 Cecilia Rodriguez marked it as to-read

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Oct 12, 2012 Jay Heimbach marked it as to-read

Oct 12, 2012 D marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: kids, con-man, historical

Feb 28, 2013 Kim marked it as to-read

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