This Intricate Novel Is Written from the Perspective of a Compulsive Liar

"Her narrator, unnamed for most of the novel, admits early on that she is a liar. As she describes a suspicious number of dead bodies, her mind-numbing job assisting the demanding CEO of a PR company, and a side gig carrying out research for an investigative journalist, she also falls in love with 'Normal Ben', a man who matches her sardonic wit. How much of it is true to the world of the novel? The reader is never quite sure."

"Interspersed throughout Attention-Seeking Behaviour are essay-like digressions on the narrator's obsession: the American psychologist Paul Ekman, who wrongly believed that micro-expressions are universal and can reveal any person's 'true' emotion. He made it his life's work to try and catalogue minute facial expressions in an attempt to catch liars. The narrator details Ekman's far-reaching influence, from airport security programs to legal proceedings, pointing out its malign impact and the flaws in his research."

"Despite her love interest's apathy, the narrator's interest is compelling. When her smudged recollection of a night from her past is spoken out loud, the fragments of the novel beautifully coalesce. Her research into a sexual assault case, essays on facial expressions and descriptions of her own life come together into an intricate and satisfying whole."

"'No more Eccles. No more,' pleads Normal Ben at one point."

An unnamed narrator in a debut novel admits early that she is a liar and remains unreliable while describing dead bodies, a mind-numbing job assisting a demanding PR CEO, and side research for an investigative journalist. She falls in love with Normal Ben, whose apathy contrasts with her sharp, sardonic perspective. The novel includes essay-like digressions about psychologist Paul Ekman and micro-expressions, questioning claims that minute facial movements can reveal true emotions and expose liars. The narrator connects Ekman’s influence to airport security and legal proceedings while pointing out flaws and harmful effects. As past memories and a sexual-assault research thread are spoken aloud, the narrative fragments align into a coherent whole.

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