What the heck did I just read? This is a sly psychological thriller, creepy and kinda gross as it's told through the selective and distorted lens of Thomas Martin, a NY ad exec who aims at being a good husband and father. Throughout the story we only get the most subtle hints at the type and level of his abusive behavior. Eventually, I began to question if things really happen the way Thomas says it does. The story itself is strange, wanders and drags a bit (omg the opera references just don't stop), but I had to find out what went wrong in his world. Overall, I'm thoroughly appalled by Thomas's inability to see his behavior for what it was and his penchant for believing in only his side of events, similar to the way a rapist would say sex was consensual. It's disturbing and left me feeling slightly unclean. Still, the cover design of the kinked water hose is brilliant. 2.5 stars
