Don't Tell Me the Truth About Love


Don't Tell Me the Truth About Love is a short story collection by British author Dan Rhodes, first published in 2001 by Fourth Estate. It was the first book written by the author while he was living on London Road, Sheffield between 1996 and 1997, but was his second book published. It has since been translated into five languages.

Stories

  1. "The Carolingian Period" : An architecture professor giving a tutorial on "Ecclesiastical structures of the Carolingian Period" is suddenly struck by the beauty of the young student before him and longs to be young again...
  2. "The Violoncello" : Set in modern day Vietnam it concerns Ngoc, a talented self-taught cellist, who three days a week practices on the steps of the Library of Social Sciences. She draws a regular crowd to hear her, amongst them is Tuan who becomes infatuated with Ngoc and determines to become her 'cello...
  3. "Glass Eyes" : Deep in a forest a young man sleeps on a heart shaped bed with his older one-eyed lover. She asks him if he will show his love for her by becoming like her and asks him to give her his left eye...
  4. "Mademoiselle Arc-en-ciel": A man and his landlord both fall in love with a beautiful neighbour...
  5. "Landfill" : In which a man breaks into a landfill site to dispose of his rubbish and meets a beautiful woman and returns again and again to see her. But the woman is obsessed with landfill...
  6. "The Painting" : In a clearing deep in the woods an artist paints a staggeringly beautiful picture of a woman. All who see it are unable to take their eyes off it, and never escape...
  7. "Beautiful Consuela" : A woman tests the love of her husband to destruction...

    Reception

Three of the stories have been interlinked into a stage adaptation by Julia Hicks, also called Don't Tell Me the Truth About Love, performed at the Bedlam Theatre in February 2008.