Who can you trust in an age of untruth?

This Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, we'll put that question to the author of “The Uproar”

I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of an unreliable narrator in the context of a Trumpian universe — where it’s hard to know who or what to believe. In The Uproar, our current book club selection, events are seen almost exclusively through the protagonist Sharif’s eyes. It is a close, third person point of view — one that is, as author Karim Dimechkie says, “limited and subjective.”

For those who haven’t finished the book, I’ll try to avoid spoilers here, but let’s just say that a twist towards the end of the novel casts doubt on much of what we thought we knew. Although, come to think of it, from the outset there was something a little off about Sharif’s narration that contributed to an overall sense of dread and unease.

There is also the fact that the very existence of a “twist” implies that our guide through the narrative isn’t trustworthy. In this book, that twist happens out of “inattentional blindness.” In a state of agitation, Sharif simply doesn’t notice or recall things around him, or even things that he may have done. That not only irritates his wife, but leads directly to the trouble that follows.

There is a rich literary history of authors who have used unreliable narrators to destabilize readers — from Lolita to Catcher in the Rye to Gone Girl. In the case of The Uproar, Dimechkie discomfits through multiple means: New York City’s cacophony of sights and sounds; the economic instability that pervades all; the chasm between the haves and have-nots; whether Sharif and Adjoua’s baby will be okay; the tension between the couple; where they will find a temporary home for their unruly dog; the downward spiral ignited by Sharif’s actions; and, yes, a narrator we are slightly suspicious of from the start. All of this is heightened by the edginess and fear we feel in real life, when all of our institutions seem to be failing us; emboldened oligarchs (and a president who is himself an oligarch) drop any pretense that their privilege obliges them to give back; the guard rails we thought were protecting us from autocracy appear to have been illusory. One thing we can be sure of, though: Our country is being led by the most unreliable narrator of them all.

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And now…The Ink Book Club’s August pick is the intriguingly strange and strangely mesmerizing novel Sunbirth, by An Yu. It is a surreal reflection on climate change in which residents of Five Poems Lake — a small village surrounded by impenetrable deserts — watch as the sun slowly disappears. Two recently orphaned sisters disagree on how to meet the looming apocalypse, while working together to get to the bottom of their father’s mysterious death.

An Yu’s work has been compared to that of Haruki Murakami; we’re thrilled to bring this emergent talent to our readers. Order your copy and join us for our first discussion of the book on Wednesday, August 6.

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And don’t forget that Karim Dimechkie, author of The Uproar, will join us for a Substack Live conversation on Wednesday, July 23, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern to discuss his utterly provocative novel.

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And for our Book Club members, we leave you with a few questions to ponder as we continue our journey through The Uproar and look forward to our conversation with author Karim Dimechkie this Wednesday: