The structure of Trust might be a good place to begin a cursory investigation of what makes this novel so extraordinary. On its face, Trust tells the story of a wealthy financier and his rise to outrageous monetary heights during the Great Depression of 1929. What follows might have been, in any other novel, a straightforward narrative, like a hammer to a nail: the archetypical tale of the American Dream that highlights the individualism and determination of the “self-made” American man. Diaz, however, fractures that story instead, spilling it across multiple genres: a novel, a memoir draft, a memoir, and finally, a diary. By the time we think we know what the story is about, the frame has already shifted, and the story has become something else. And then something else again. And then something else again. With each turn of the frame, a new angle of glare is revealed. In other words, the frames are not decorative—they are borne out of necessity. They rise out of a deeper silence, and make possible sounds that could not otherwise be articulated. The frames speak against erasure.

The author has stated “I’m afraid of intimacy, because if I’m vulnerable with someone, I’ll lose myself and not be safe,people engage in a lot of self-destructive and damaging behaviors just to avoid that simple thing. Myself included" The obviousness of the “reveal” in the fourth section I can live with better – as the book seems to strongly signpost this by discussing (on two separate but importantly linked occasions) someone recounting a detective style novel and someone else (older or wiser) having to effectively pretend that the reveal of the murderer is a surprise. Work on trying to become a better person and operate closer to your potential than getting bogged down in nonsense His analysis reaches deep enough to be meaningful for every man and woman who has ever been touched by the combination of dysfunctional parenting and Judeo-Christian patriarchal culture.I've known people - mostly love addicts - who would be less hurt if their spouses died than if they cheated. They'd even prefer the former, because at least they couldn't take it personally. And My Life is Bevel's own autobiographical account, designed to counter Vanner's scurrilous portrayal, both of Andrew Bevel's part in the late 1920s Wall Street crash but also Vanner's version of Mildred, who Vanner has dying after severe mental health problems, but who Vanner portrays as a simple, but kindly soul. Or rather My Life is a partly completed account, with lots of 'add some anecdotes here' type comments left in the manuscript for example: All the while I’m reading this I’m conscious of the blinding parallels between this story of relationship and the story of my last relationship. Obviously my Beloved was not as extreme as Neil in many ways but he was a dedicated PUA and he did study The Game amongst other things and did live that lifestyle for years. I also saw painful parallels in the love avoidance and love addict dynamic between Neil and Ingrid and myself and my Beloved. I feel the honest engagement with the disillusionment and pain in all of this is completely necessary – and completely unavoidable. And yet the resistance within the community seems to be immense.

I love narratives about narratives, stories within stories, and TRUST is an excellent example of the genre that is also one of the most straightforward. I know some readers dislike a feeling of manipulation or bait and switch when they find one narrative to contradict the other, but while those things happen in this book, the book also isn't interested in pulling the rug. It is quite clear about what each section is, and it illuminates as you go. I read The Game when I was in college, single, and entering the 'real world' - it was a thrilling read and absolutely helped with my personal confidence. The Truth recognizes The Game for what it is, seeking short-term pleasures at the sacrifice of long-term happiness. The Truth is The Game all grown up, and as I read it now as a married man seven years into my best relationship I realize I've grown along with it.

One of the unfortunate axioms of human behaviour is that what others shame people for the most is usually what they're doing in secret themselves. After all, an accusation is much more powerful than a denial: it's a way to seem one up when you're really feeling one down.