The Good Liar [Hardcover]

Gregory Maguire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 1999 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

The year is 1940 and France has fallen to the German army. In the village of Mont-Saint-Martin, brothers Pierre, René, and Fat Marcel enjoy an idyllic childhood-stealing berry tarts, playing soldiers, and holding contests to determine who of the three is the biggest and best liar. As the small community, especially its Jewish members, begins to feel the effects of the war, René and Marcel form a warm but secret friendship with one of the German soldiers occupying their village. The boys know no good can come of this friendship, but they don't realize the extent to which they have put the lives of their family and friends in jeopardy . . . until they discover that they are not the only experts at lying. In this poignant, thoughtful, and charming story, told in the form of letters to a group of schoolchildren by the now-adult Marcel, Gregory Maguire again proves his range and depth as a storyteller. First published in Ireland, "The Good Liar" was short-listed for the 1997 Reading Association of Ireland book award and selected as one of the hundred best books of 1996 by the Young Book Trust, England.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Neither saint nor hero nor villain, Fat Marcel endures the WWII German occupation of his rural French village with boyish spirits. He and his older brothers are hungrier than usual and they don't especially like the Jewish woman and her daughter who are staying at their home, but they continue their pranks, especially their favorite game of trying to con one another into believing elaborate lies. Nothing is black-and-white: Maman has her prejudices ("The Jews... are different"), and Marcel has to use his skills at lying to cover up his friendship with a young German soldier, which he continues even after the family's Jewish guests disappear in a roundup. Maguire (Oasis) develops his characters and setting with such insight and vigor that readers will not see just how carefully he sets up the monumental surprise in store for MarcelAeven though there's clearly a lesson about heroism in the offing, the story gives few hints of where it will be found. A frame story, in which some Florida schoolgirls write to the now-grown Marcel as part of a homework assignment, gets the book off to a jangly, slang-filled start (and serves as a self-congratulatory conclusion), but it doesn't interfere with the otherwise robust narrative. Ages 9-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Three girls doing a school assignment on World War II write a letter to an artist they've seen on TV when they learn he grew up in the Loire Valley of France during the war. Marcel Delarue responds to their questions by telling his family's story, which is the basis of this novel. Marcel, his two brothers, and his mother lead ordinary rural lives, enlivened by the boys' favorite game-telling outrageous lies. The German occupation has only a minimal impact on them, at least at first. The major disruption for them is the arrival of their Uncle Anton and two of his friends. Madame Cauverian and her daughter are Jews who are trying to get out of the country, but are delayed by the girl's illness. While nothing overt has yet happened to France's Jewish population, the woman is convinced they are in danger. When a rabbi and his followers are rounded up, this fear is confirmed. Later, when Marcel and his brother Ren? are told that the guests have left, their mother makes a scene in the local market, storming at the soldiers about taking them away, when in reality she is hiding them. In the meantime, the boys have secretly befriended a German soldier. The lies mount up, until finally the best liar of all is revealed. The strength of this book is its portrayal of the quiet heroism of ordinary citizens during the war. It is, by turns, amusing and gripping, and told in an engaging manner.
Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York City
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 129 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (March 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395906970
• ISBN-13: 978-0395906972
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,116,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gregory Maguire received his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Tufts University, and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany. He was a professor and co-director at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature from 1979-1985. In 1987 he co-founded Children's Literature New England. He still serves as co-director of CLNE, although that organization has announced its intention to close after its 2006 institute.
The bestselling author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Lost, Mirror Mirror, and the Wicked Years, a series that includes Wicked, Son of a Witch, and A Lion Among Men. Wicked, now a beloved classic, is the basis for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. Maguire has lectured on art, literature, and culture both at home and abroad.
He has three adopted children and is married to painter Andy Newman. He lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars French occupation told from child's point of view, March 6, 2001

By 

Bibliotekaria (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Good Liar (Hardcover)

Heads up: The Booklist review above reveals far too much of the plot! Written in short chapters, this is a World War II novel that will be accessible to young (9-12) readers. In response to a request by some girls who are doing research for a school project, the narrator recalls his life as a boy under the Nazi occupation in France. He details the ordinary mischief young boys get into, especially his and his brothers' talent for telling outrageous lies, and the consequences imposed by their strict mother. Living under conditions of war, the boys' basic values are shaken as they develop a tentative friendship with a young German soldier. They must face the complexities of truth and honesty, loyalty and friendship. The characters are portrayed as ordinary, imperfect people whose humanity elevates them to the level of extraordinary heroes. For even younger readers, see The Butterfly, a picture book by Patricia Polacco which also depicts the French occupation.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for Kids and Their Grown-Ups, October 28, 2005

By 

T. Leach "Jr." (Mid-West) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Good Liar (Paperback)

Great book for adolescents interested in history. This is a suspenseful and fast-moving story of a young French boy who is learning to live with the German occupation. As the title and the book jacket reveals, the theme of the story is lying - whether thats means lying about your homework, or hiding Jews in the attic, it all (at first) seems a game to the protagonist. Well written tale. Provides some historical insight into the war and the Nazi persecution of the Jews in Europe. I read this it aloud to my son and he loved it (I did too). Well done. Great suspense story for young adults with a good dose of historical insight.

3.0 out of 5 stars My Opinion, November 27, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Good Liar (Hardcover)

"Who is the good lier?" What was said in this fiction novel called The Good Liar written by Gregory Maguire. Did any body help the Jews back in the Holocaust? Well this book here tells you. Well there was one family. The family lived in France back in World War 2 and while she was helping the Jews hide from the Germans. Her boy's mother didn't know that they were friends with a German soilder! Does the soilder find out or will they be safe read this and find out. The main characters were the narrator and a brother of the two boys, Pierre a 12 year old boy, Rene a young boy and Maman, the mother of the boys. The point of view was from the narrator. Also the theme of the book is lies are never good big or small. I give this story because it wasn't all that detailed and did not give enough about the charecters like in the beggining of the book. In conclusion I would say its a fairly descent book.