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Title: Evidence of Affair
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Year: 2018
“It is funny the crazy things our brains make up to save us from the truth.”
I was not very keen on reading short stories. I would rather invest my time and emotion reading a lengthy novel where I could truly connected to characters and be part of their journey. And I felt these category are abrupt and unsatisfying. However, R.K. Narayan, Ruskin Bond, Tagore, O'Henry, Edgar Allan Poe and many others changed my perception in due course.
Having liked Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones & The Six in the beginning of the year it was an easy pick when recommended social media.
WeReflect: In December 1976 Ms. Carrie Allsop writes to Mr. David Mayer after finding out about extramarital affair between her husband Ken Allsop and Mrs. Janet Mayer. She asks him a favour to send letters written by her husband to his wife if he could find any. And she offers to return the favour by sending his wife's letter. In this totally bizarre and awkward situation they continue corresponding. They are hesitant to confront their respective spouse's despite having solid evidence of their infidelity. Who could understand their situation better than each other. In no time they develop a friendship. Will they be able to forgive their spouses? Will their friendship elevates into something equally sordid?
The complete story is narrated in letter forms. Most correspondences are between Carrie and David. And some are of the illicit lovers. I was able to finish the novella well within an hour. The shock, anger, hurt, low self-worth and self-confidence one feel being cheated on is written poignantly. Despite the betrayal there is still hope and joy paving way for a happy future is the essence. I have seen the end coming. Since it is an epistolary the time line had to be 1970s, otherwise who writes physical letters in this age. This simple short story was perfectly able to convey what sometimes full blown novel fail to do.
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