This is a novel by the famous japanese author Junichiro Tanizaki.
Summary:
We need plausible deniability for all our actions—a job that does all the
bruntwork for the ego and serves the shadow: who we allow ourselves to be
seen with (and their motives), and what of our own psychoology we allow
ourselves to be identified with.
A friend once explained to me, "I'd look, but I can't be bothered enough to
ask you to open their Instagrams to show me."
this is a story about deceit and self-deception. essentially,
it is a case study
i also think
can't have theory of mind without learning how to deceive
can't be deceitful without deluding yourself
i especially enjoyed the storytelling device of alternating
journal entries, one being told by the husband and one by the wife.
at the end, there's a post-mortem about