Menagerie of False Truths

by Greg French

Cherry is like no one Jack has ever met. Yet she is very much like him.From their first encounter Jack and Cherry are drawn together. They are united by their similarities, yet divided by geography. Their distance allows them to explore one another in a way physical closeness never could.Exploring themes of life and death, friendship and family, perception, societal norms and the environment, MENAGERIE OF FALSE TRUTHS promises to be the most compelling book you’ll read this year.In MENAGERIE OF FALSE TRUTHS, Greg French, author of the much-loved FROG CALL and ARTIFICIAL, draws on his passion for nature, his love of story-telling and a family history that was both dysfunctional and, crucially, formative due to his growing up with autistic siblings and emotionally distant mother. The result is a delightfully quirky ‘faction’ read, which questions the very nature of reality and human relationships.The autobiographical character Jack shares the author’s unique insights into the incredible complexity and beauty of the natural world, borne of a lifetime exploring the unforgettable wilderness that is Tasmania.At every page the reader is exposed to alternative ways of viewing the world, often disturbing, sometimes strangely liberating. MENAGERIE OF FALSE TRUTHS is an unforgettable work of genius that will leave you reeling.Greg French was born in 1962 and currently lives with his wife and their two teenage children on a large bush block near New Norfolk in Tasmania’s Derwent Valley. His life is centred on wilderness activities, and he is well known in Australasian flyfishing and bushwalking circles. In addition to natural history, Greg’s other passions include language, literature, travel, physics and philosophy, all of which inspired his writing in MENAGERIE OF FALSE TRUTHS. He has written several books and contributes regular articles and columns to various magazines, including ‘FlyLife’.

560 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2011

Reviews

[Starry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book deserves more than the 2 stars I gave it, that is often the peril of writing a brilliant book that is not enjoyable. I knew the whole time I was reading this, that it is both intelligent and artistic, but not the book I'd hoped for.

The fascinating quirks and gifts of the many characters on various points of the autism spectrum were, for me, the highlight.

But Jack and Cherry were both characters that I disliked for large portions of my time spent reading and thinking about the book.

I also struggled through the many pages of revolting description of insects, trout, trout fishing, and the foods that trout eat... even though I knew the act of combining this wealth of knowledge with the story at hand was a great piece of intellectual artistry. It was as laborious for me as reading the adult not children's edition of Moby Dick with all the whale descriptions when you are screaming 'give me the plot!'.

I can only hope this book finds its niche of readers who will lovingly adore it.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's no real plot to this book. What carries the reader along is the characters. Also it is told in letters. So it is not like Jack and Cherry are going to lip lock at any moment.

The subject is autism and how it makes a person view the world in ways that are different from most people. The two characters are both a tad autistic and have siblings who are very autistic. In a sense they are from another planet than non autistics, the one under my feet that the non autistic world sees so vaguely.

It help if one is knowledgeable about art, literature, music, mathematics and natural science... but then that is autism's fields of expertise. There are no mistakes in nature, just the differences that make a difference in the whole.

[Cathy543os · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the lives of people on the autistic spectrum. The complexities of being autistic and the brilliance of some people who are born that way. The joy of reading a book written by someone who loves being out in nature and their concern for the environment was, for me, a very enjoyable read.

[Ursula Kolecki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Technically, this is a clever book with its unique structure and neurodiverse characters and their interests: read radar focused obsessions. Too clever by half. I remain unconvinced it was the author's primary purpose to engage the reader, rather, to navigate the mental filing cabinets of an ensemble cast whose interests cannot claim to capture a wider audience. I can remember in detail, tedious detail, about my childhood, during which nothing much happened. The mansplaining over hundreds of pages about insect life and trout fly fishing. The cover design is beautiful and evocative - often true of the prose inside. A mere conceit for the nightmare waiting. The revolting immersion in Max's physical mangling in abattoir equipment. The photographing of putrifying offal as a fish food project. I tried Mr French. I was defeated by the data overwhelming the humanity.

[Kat Ashworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Posed interesting questions and philosophies most often through the metaphor and explanation of the lives of critters that trout like to eat. Creative approach to prose and story telling. Along with a deeper insight to the passion of fishing, growing up with and autistic sibling and the nature and power of obsession. To be honest I found at some point I had to push through to finish. But it was worth it.
My biggest complaint is the type setting in this edition. In every chapter at least once, sections of text were missing or text was set off the page. If the publishers read these, it NEEDS TO BE FIXED!!!

[Ruth Meakin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky and no real plot but held my attention to the very end.

[Tatterededges · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is boring the pants off me. Try as I might I can't even begin to feign interest in the things that trout eat. And those things are so overbearingly present in each and every moment of this book that I find my mind wandering constantly on to less putrid topics. The result being that I have to reread the last half dozen pages all over again. It's a hard slog, this read, I'm not convinced it's worth the effort. But I have learnt a thing or two about fly fishing.

Every singly character in this book is peculiar. Not exactly likeable but definitely intriguing. It's stated that both main characters have severely autistic siblings and implied that they are on the spectrum themselves... As are most of their friends. As a result there is a lot of discussion amongst the characters about art, literature, music, mathematics, language and they have a lot to say about the minutiae of these topics. I'm undecided if this is a pro or a con, at the very least it diverted the focus off trout food for a moment.

This book feels like it's moving along in a highly unstructured and unfocused way, aimlessly navigating through endless stories that don't go anywhere and have no point, which has me questioning why am I even reading it? Because It's set in Tasmania and has an appealing title. Serves me right for choosing a book on such superficial grounds.

[Alumine Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a new word reading this book ‘friction’, which is the way French describes his novel: a mixture of fact and fiction giving you ‘friction’. In the telling of any story the mix of fact and fiction rub up against each other creating friction between the two to the point where both are melded together. French draws on his experiences growing up in a family with various degrees of autism, a distant mother, a love of nature and fly fishing to weave a beautiful story.
A young man out in the Australian bush meets a young woman in a bogong. They have a weird conversation about native moths and fly fishing for trout and are mutually intrigued. Over the next ten or so years they write letters, using them as a means to tell their stories and piece together the truth about themselves. Cherry is in Dunedin, New Zealand, and Zack is in Australia. Both have autistic siblings and this has shaped their families. They also have friends in common and a love for art and nature.
I loved the way the story is interesting, it captures both the Australia and New Zealand landscape and a love of nature. A beautiful read.

[Ros · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book deals with relationships, family, autism, art and the whole is wrapped in trout fishing. Truly mesmerising in its beauty. A book I need to reread and possess. It is brimful of ideas, book references and what it's like to be Australian at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

[Carlize Oberholzer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried so hard to like the book, and there were glimpses of it too, but the ending just didn't do it for me...

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting story that explores humans and nature at the same time.