A TRUE STORY is a story of deception and truth. It is a story about the nature of reality and the intrinsic unreliability of perspective. It is psychological and allusive literary fiction disguised as a cheap, pulpy crime novel where You, the reader, become the detective and the story itself becomes suspect. Nothing exists outside of the frame of the narrator. No character can have a true voice-only impersonation. The difference between truth and lies becomes meaningless; everything becomes a reflection of itself. It is, then, the job of the astute reader to glean the truth of the misrepresented characters, their soft sorrows, through the broken lens of the narrator-to see things for what they are and not simply for what they seem.
Through the book, we follow the protagonist, John Smith, through a series of events involving crime, deception, and personal turmoil.
The story begins with an unnamed narrator addressing the reader directly, apologizing for breaking storytelling conventions, assuring the reader that he had no part in the soon-to-be unfolding events, and setting the stage for a narrative that promises to be pure and true.
After a false start, John's life is depicted in detail, including his relationship with his wife, Mary, his affair with Bella, and his burgeoning obsession with Donna. The narrative explores his interactions with these characters and others, such as Bruce, Pepe, and Ethelbert, who play significant roles in the ensuing drama as John becomes more deeply involved in various criminal activities, such as burglary, insurance fraud, and drug deals.
The story then takes a dark twisted turn, leaving John to navigate through these challenges, dealing with the consequences of his actions and the relentless pursuit of Ethelbert E. Ethelbert, an overzealous insurance investigator.
The document is rich in descriptive language, character development, and thematic elements, making it a complex and engaging read with layers of hidden subtext and subtly disguised wordplay to delight and intrigue the reader and the re-reader both.