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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The language was so visceral I had to put down the book to breathe in a few parts. It might be a bit intense for plot heavy readers as it’s more feeling and imagery based, but I love how Chang’s unique stories were crafted so meticulously through mythologising everyday material, which turns it into something surreal and bigger than ourselves. My favourite story is definitely “Nuwa”. The book is a wonderful collection of explorations into the feminine, queer girlhood, and the brokenness of families/ generational trauma one carries throughout their life.
A book of wonderfully crafted stories and evocative writing. However, I couldn't stomach the poetic descriptions to describe crass bodily fluids/actions that were ten too many and grabbed attention even more than the actual story.
mysterious
reflective
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pros:
> God. Can Chang fcking write. I have loved her style since Bestiary and it is one that sticks with me out of all the authors I have ever read - she creates such great balance between prose and poetry until you feel almost drunk when consuming her stories.
> Really loved the exploration of different characters here and just wanted to consume all their tales and backgrounds.
> Queerness explored in such a comforting way where it doesn't feel stuck on the relationships
Cons:
> Listen I will gobble up any of her writing but I did notice that she does end up repeating a lot of imagery / descriptions from time to time. But its more noticeable because its as if she has run out of all her weird and wonderful comparisons but doesn't want to resort to something basic lmao so just repeats the same strange and peculiar imagery but because of the repetition it becomes redundant.
> Because of the richness of each story it was quite hard to read all together as a collection
> God. Can Chang fcking write. I have loved her style since Bestiary and it is one that sticks with me out of all the authors I have ever read - she creates such great balance between prose and poetry until you feel almost drunk when consuming her stories.
> Really loved the exploration of different characters here and just wanted to consume all their tales and backgrounds.
> Queerness explored in such a comforting way where it doesn't feel stuck on the relationships
Cons:
> Listen I will gobble up any of her writing but I did notice that she does end up repeating a lot of imagery / descriptions from time to time. But its more noticeable because its as if she has run out of all her weird and wonderful comparisons but doesn't want to resort to something basic lmao so just repeats the same strange and peculiar imagery but because of the repetition it becomes redundant.
> Because of the richness of each story it was quite hard to read all together as a collection
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Top 3 of 2023 so far. Honestly, about 1/4 of the way through this book I immediately went and purchased K-Ming Chang’s other novel. I just immediately knew that she would be added to my list of favorite authors, and by the end of Gods of Want, I knew I was right. This collection of short stories was so grotesquely fantastic, that’s really the only way I can think to describe it.
Each short story is so unique and different, weird and surreal realities brought to life with mesmerizing prose. These stories are brimming with unapologetic queerness, nostalgia, wonder, imagination, mythology, and pain. As a a visual artist, my mind was EXPLODING with imagery while reading through these tales. The tiny worlds that Chang created will stick with me for a long, long time. I feel like my reviews are usually longer but I’m genuinely so stunned that I can only say: read this book, and see what has rendered me so speechless.
Each short story is so unique and different, weird and surreal realities brought to life with mesmerizing prose. These stories are brimming with unapologetic queerness, nostalgia, wonder, imagination, mythology, and pain. As a a visual artist, my mind was EXPLODING with imagery while reading through these tales. The tiny worlds that Chang created will stick with me for a long, long time. I feel like my reviews are usually longer but I’m genuinely so stunned that I can only say: read this book, and see what has rendered me so speechless.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character