Hardcover, 251 pages
English language
Published Oct. 28, 2019 by Graywolf Press.
For years Carmen Maria Machado has struggled to articulate her experiences in an abusive same-sex relationship. In this extraordinarily candid and radically inventive memoir, Machado tackles a dark and difficult subject with wit, inventiveness and an inquiring spirit, as she uses a series of narrative tropes—including classic horror themes—to create an entirely unique piece of work which is destined to become an instant classic.
I connected with the literary styling of this memoir and it had a deep resonance with my experiences. I find indirect prose does a much more effective job at communicating the things in life that can’t be communicated. There’s plenty of directness too, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg on the horizon. The real damage is beneath the surface; invisible, suffocating.
This is not an easy read, but it's a brilliant one. Machado's fragmentary style is a fascinating way of showing the effects of an abusive relationship on her psyche and her life, how 'the woman in the dream house' became part of her life and then broke it apart. It moves in to the very small, with detailed examination of events in her relationship, and also moves out to the wider issue of abusive relationships in the queer community.
