Customer Reviews

Tell Me Everything: A Novel

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Sarah Salway is the author of The ABCs of Love. Tell Me Everything is her second novel.

Molly Drayton is an overweight, lonely and unhappy young woman. She's been adrift for several years, actually since her biology teacher said, "You can tell me anything." Molly believed her teacher and told her a story about her father and what he did to her. It was when she first learned the power telling stories held.

Molly finds herself in an English suburb, sitting at a cafe table crying. Mr. Roberts, a shop owner takes pity on Molly and offers her a job and the room above his shop in exchange for 'telling' him stories about her life. The stories don't have to be real, but are sexual and told while Molly's atop a ladder and Mr. Roberts is groping her meaty calves.

A few other lonely people stray into Molly's life and seem to settle in. Miranda is a hairdresser, who is also battling the 'bulge.' and gives Molly endless compliments. Tim is as near to a boyfriend as Molly has ever had and he's sweet but a bit 'daft.' He believes he's a secret agent. Liz is the local librarian who urges Molly to read The Story of O.

Salway's story is dark, disturbing and depressing, and the characters seem so over-the-top that it's difficult to feel anything for them. Most of the time, it's not apparent what is real and what isn't, and that adds to the novel's dreariness.

Armchair Interviews says: This isn't a book for everyone. Readers will probably really love it--or dislike it.

The main character, Molly, was interesting, intriquing, engaging, almost surreal at times, and that's what kept me turning the pages of this book--there was also a poignant tender sweetness to Molly that wasn't always apparent, that vulnerability was, though. I read it quickly, in a few days, and if I had one thing I desired from this book was a little bit more of it at the end. . . I put it down with a feeling of incomplete that the italicized "prologue and epilogue" didn't satisfy, for me personally - but, that may be the very feeling the author wanted from her readers. I'll read more of Salway's books; loved her use of language.

This book is unusual, I'll give it that. It's almost like a fantasy, as it doesn't quite seem believable. I wasn't that impressed, but at the same time I wanted to finish it. It's not much of a plot, but I was curious to see the outcome of the Tim/Molly storyline.

TELL ME EVERYTHING by Sarah Salway
February 15, 2007

Rating: 4 Stars

I found Tell Me Everything by Sarah Salway a wonderful read. What made this book special wasn't the plot, but the characters. At the core of the story is Molly Drayton, an overweight adult in her 20's, who is searching for happiness and acceptance, something she didn't feel she had growing up. There is a secret she carries that is hinted at throughout, a secret that is the driving force behind her, actions in which her life seems to have become one big lie.

She lives in a one-bedroom apartment above a shop owned by an elderly Mr. Roberts, who hires her to tell him stories of her life and to do the odd job around the shop. In exchange, she gets free room and board and occasionally some money on the side. Molly figures out early on that Mr. Roberts is looking for stories that will titillate him. So she learns to give him what he wants to hear, using her own life as the basis of her stories, but embellishing them with outrageous fabrications to give her life stories a little bit of excitement. Even the reader will soon lose sight of what is made up and what is real, as Molly constantly makes up stories, and it's not just with Mr. Roberts.

Other quirky characters include a librarian that befriends Molly, a hairdresser that becomes Molly's close friend and Molly's elusive boyfriend, Tim, who thinks he's an under cover agent. The cast of characters sounds a bit odd, but Sarah Salway seems to be a master at putting these oddball characters together and making a cohesive story work.

This book isn't for everybody, but for those who enjoy books that are character driven and filled with quirky people, this is it. I found all the characters equally interesting, but the focus is on Molly, who starts out as overweight and not very confident, and ends up as a much thinner woman who finds that the power of her stories can get her places, or at least that is what she thinks. I for one wasn't sure whether I should feel appalled by Molly's behavior, or feel sorry for her. This book will be on my list of favorite books read in 2007.

Her father's scandal leaves overweight and unhappy Molly broke and no place to stay. A married dirt old person (politically correct) Mr. Roberts offers her a room above his stationer shop if she works the shelves. She accepts though the stipulations disconcert her. He insists she climb ladders, tell her life story, and allow him to feel her large calves.

Also obese is haircutter Miranda who lives up the block. She exchanges pleasantries with Molly, but both hides their overall unhappiness from one another and neither take a step towards a friendship. Liz the librarian suggests Molly read the Story of O while unhinged Tim spies on Molly as part of his belief that she is a secret agent. Molly fits right in as misery loves miserable company.

This is a well written character study that star non-empathetic individuals. Each key player uses lies and deceit to mask their inner feelings from one another. Thus TELL ME EVERYTHING is an extremely deep look at people, but Sarah Salway's cast believe in protecting one's psyche at the cost of true relationships through a web of lies; not for everyone as it is difficult to find someone to care about, this is a powerful drama.

Harriet Klausner