Fake by Stephanie Wood
Stephanie Wood’s memoir of her encounter with a “narcissist fantasist” – Joe – has recently been turned into a successful Australian television show.
The way that Wood threads together her own experiences with Joe, a conman who hoodwinked her into a fake relationship, along with other examples from people she interviewed for the book who were also deceived by their partners, is fascinating.
Wood met Joe online and was subsequently love-bombed and wined and dined. Very quickly, he was making grand sweeping gestures and romantic platitudes. However, after a period of time, Wood began to feel very confused and anxious – symptoms commonly associated with gaslighting and narcissistic abuse.
I felt a great deal of sympathy for Wood; her shock at the betrayal of being conned by a narcissist was very raw.
This book offers a fascinating psychological experience, and I devoured it in a few days.
Susannah
Format
Books
Subject
Reactions
