Reviews

With short story collections, I always wonder how much the order of the stories influences my opinion of the book. In this case, my least favorite of the stories, "Philip is Dead", about a woman reflecting on the death of her obnoxious ex-boyfriend, came first. "The Odd Women," which tells the story of three women with supernatural abilities, was my favorite, and came last. Anyway, I found most of these stories thought-provoking, with compelling central characters whose frustrations and unfulfilled desires continue to haunt me.

ckrysiak's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was my first time reading work from this author, and it came with many mixed feelings. Initial confusion about the motive behind these stories can be blamed on my lack of understanding around the general format of this book. Once I picked up that each essay was from a different characters POV, I was able to embrace the oddity and perspective of each story a bit better.

With that being said, I still found it hard for me to adapt to the language and writing style of this author. However, I did enjoy the array of characters and plots, as well as the slight fantastical elements at the end.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking to break from their usual reading patterns. Just don’t get too attached to the idea of understanding every action.

zarrazine's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

mchlrose's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

ktlee_writes's review against another edition

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3.0

SELF-PORTRAIT WITH GHOST by Meng Jin is a collection of short stories that deal with intimacy and connection, suspicion and mistrust. From China to Manhattan, the characters in these stories seek lasting love, forgiveness for past mistakes, and freedom from their private hells. The stories brush upon race, but focus on the inner lives of the female protagonists, who seem mostly preoccupied with lovers.

The stories were somewhat uneven; there were a few that ended quite abruptly though there were others that held me rapt. In “Selena and Ruthie,” Selena must face her childhood failure during a critical moment in her friendship with Ruthie. In “Suffering,” a widowed woman’s attempt at a new relationship becomes overshadowed by paranoia. The ending story, “The Odd Women,” covers the interconnected lives of three women with unusual powers - powers that warp each woman’s sense of self. There’s an eerie disquiet that permeates these stories, a crumbling of hope or of modernity.

As someone who normally prefers character-driven fiction (which usually requires a novel-length book), I am learning to appreciate good short story collections for how the stories can each hit upon the same themes but from different angles, thus melding into a symphony of exposition. It takes great skill to pull this off. For me, this collection just skirts this line, and only time will tell if it manages to deeply settle in my heart or if the stories will end up being forgettable. The collection carries echoes of Te-Ping Chen’s LAND OF BIG NUMBERS and Kim Fu’s LESSER KNOWN MONSTERS OF THE 21st CENTURY, but felt somewhat less cohesive than either.

If you’re a fan of Meng Jin’s debut novel, LITTLE GODS, (I am!) this is a great chance to immerse yourself in her unique prose and perspective. (And if you haven’t read LITTLE GODS, don’t sleep on it!)

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