Faking it

Books about lies and books that lie- 'fake' books of various kinds have been in the news. While most of Putu's erudite readers would be familiar with the story of Norma Khouri and her book about honour killing in Jordan, a new book about lying has just hit the bookshelves. Linda Greenlaw who was denied the opportunity of starring in the The Perfect Storm with George Clooney has written a book titled "All Fishermen are Liars'. A fisherwoman by profession, in a tough male dominated world she chronicles the exaggeration and lies that a characterises a fisherman's world. In her own words: "And it's not only the quantity of fish that gets twisted, it's also the location where they were caught and the type of gear, bait and technique I found successful," she writes. "Hell, I have even been known to stretch the weather report to my advantage." But the NYT has been less than kind to her and suggests that while she is "a terrific spinner of sea stories", "On dry land, where drama is not as reliant on the threat of physical peril, she is awkward and uncomfortable describing her emotions."