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hngisreading's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Drug use, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Infidelity
chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
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
3.5
Los Angeles: 2.5
Oranges: 4
G: 2.5
Yeti Lovemaking: 3.5
Returning: 3.75
Office Hours: 4.25
Peking Duck: 4
Tomorrow: 3.25
Overall rating: 3.5
Oranges: 4
G: 2.5
Yeti Lovemaking: 3.5
Returning: 3.75
Office Hours: 4.25
Peking Duck: 4
Tomorrow: 3.25
Overall rating: 3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Death, and Alcohol
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
bliss montage is a great collection of stories, some either more unpredictable or reflective than others, but all subtly gripping in their own way.
the volume opens w/ a bang w/ "los angeles," perhaps the most delightfully eclectic short story ive ever read, so unconventional yet - by the end - thrilling it is. thru her stories, ma wrestles w/ coming of age, the immigrant experience, the self, and relationships. ma's pondering on the first one esp hits true, her incredible, precise articulation of the strange weightless void post-undergrad bleak, quiet, yet comforting in the knowledge that others share this experience. im also amazed by how the author's able to capture and vocalize the inner condition and struggles that exist merely under the surface.
a great sophomore effort thats even better than its already good predecessor, and one of the best - tho def most eclectic - short story collection ive ever read.
the volume opens w/ a bang w/ "los angeles," perhaps the most delightfully eclectic short story ive ever read, so unconventional yet - by the end - thrilling it is. thru her stories, ma wrestles w/ coming of age, the immigrant experience, the self, and relationships. ma's pondering on the first one esp hits true, her incredible, precise articulation of the strange weightless void post-undergrad bleak, quiet, yet comforting in the knowledge that others share this experience. im also amazed by how the author's able to capture and vocalize the inner condition and struggles that exist merely under the surface.
a great sophomore effort thats even better than its already good predecessor, and one of the best - tho def most eclectic - short story collection ive ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Drug use
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Stalking, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent and Terminal illness
bookworme's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
4.0
Rounding up my overall review bc the stories I liked in this collection were of really good substance. A very matter-of-fact take on moments of surrealism that read as very much part of the ordinary. Full of food for thought. 🍊🍊🍊🍊 favs : G, Yeti Lovemaking, Returning, Office Hours, Peking Duck
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Addiction, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma
savvylit's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Ling Ma carefully crafts eight fully-realized mini universes within Bliss Montage. If you've read and enjoyed Ma's novel Severance, then you'll be delighted to find that her sharp observational satire is back in many of these stories. Yet again, Ma has excelled at blending reality and fantasy in order to pose questions about human motivation.
The most memorable stories in Bliss Montage are those that feature surreal elements. In Office Space, a young professor discovers a hidden realm inside a closet. In Tomorrow, a pregnant woman's baby grows partially outside her womb. In G, two friends take a drug that turns them invisible. In Yeti Lovemaking... Well, the title speaks for itself.
As a whole, Bliss Montage is a purely delightful journey into Ling Ma's brilliant characterization and world-building abilities. Now that I have read both this collection and Severance, Ma has firmly cemented her place in my mind as one of my favorite authors. I can't wait to see what she publishes next.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus & Giroux for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The most memorable stories in Bliss Montage are those that feature surreal elements. In Office Space, a young professor discovers a hidden realm inside a closet. In Tomorrow, a pregnant woman's baby grows partially outside her womb. In G, two friends take a drug that turns them invisible. In Yeti Lovemaking... Well, the title speaks for itself.
As a whole, Bliss Montage is a purely delightful journey into Ling Ma's brilliant characterization and world-building abilities. Now that I have read both this collection and Severance, Ma has firmly cemented her place in my mind as one of my favorite authors. I can't wait to see what she publishes next.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus & Giroux for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Violence, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Toxic friendship
surlyjackson's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
5.0
Working at a mostly used bookstore, I try to curb my spending by waiting for books on my TBR to appear in the used stock at the store, versus ordering it new. This is why I've yet to read Ling Ma's Severance despite it being one of my most anticipated reads. I think it's a testament to her writing quality that it has yet to appear. Ling Ma has mastered the art of showing, not telling. She uses vivid, poetic language to articulate even the most abstracted of concepts. The main through lines of the collection were abusive or unhealthy relationships and the tribulations of being an Asian immigrant in America. As an Asian immigrant that was seen her fair share of abusive relationships, I felt these stories to my core, an almost eerie amount that it felt like holding a mirror to my life. At times the endings felt too abrupt, but it's to be expected of a short story collection and do not fault the book on that. I just want more, need more.
Needless to say, I have just ordered Severance.
Many thanks to NetGalley and FSG for a copy of this beautiful book for review.
Needless to say, I have just ordered Severance.
Many thanks to NetGalley and FSG for a copy of this beautiful book for review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Medical content, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Racism and Death of parent
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