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A review by plathfanclub
Kremlinology of Kisses: Stories by Barbara Bleiman
4.0
I really enjoyed this selection of short stories. They all pivot on the idea of a kiss - what does it mean? How can it be interpreted? In what contexts can it be given and received? The kiss is both personal and political, a tender expression of love and a crude mark of desire. Bleiman's prose is vivid and lifelike; her voices are distinct and authentic, with clean, sharp dialogue. There were echoes of Woolf's 'moments of being' in her stories, which often describe an ordinary moment on which so much depends.
As well as exploring love in all its forms, Bleiman also raises questions about gender and the male gaze. I enjoyed the fairy-tale elements of the title story, in which a woman marries into a life of wealth & status but ultimately remains trapped. 'The Sitting' and 'Habit' play with the male gaze, and 'This One' imagines kissing as an act of intimacy which cannot be bought, which has the potential to evoke potentially dangerous feelings. I definitely got 'A Room of One's Own' vibes from 'Like A Kiss', which explores the tensions between domestic life versus the desire to write.
Many of the stories in 'Kremlinology of Kisses' also hinge on frustration and repressed desires. I loved 'Harvey's Wedding', and the paradox of Harvey's desire for possession through marriage and his own lack of commitment (complete with Gothic doubling and the ghostly presence of his ex-wife). 'The Dating Game' reminded me of a Katherine Mansfield story, with its unspoken desires and frustrated epiphany: "I've been looking for romance in all the wrong places." And the bitterly disappointing holiday in 'Orange Blossom' is only made better by a longed-for yet brief encounter with a boy.
I'd definitely recommend this thoughtful and evocative work - which seems especially bittersweet in an age of coronavirus, where social distancing is everything. 4.5/5.
As well as exploring love in all its forms, Bleiman also raises questions about gender and the male gaze. I enjoyed the fairy-tale elements of the title story, in which a woman marries into a life of wealth & status but ultimately remains trapped. 'The Sitting' and 'Habit' play with the male gaze, and 'This One' imagines kissing as an act of intimacy which cannot be bought, which has the potential to evoke potentially dangerous feelings. I definitely got 'A Room of One's Own' vibes from 'Like A Kiss', which explores the tensions between domestic life versus the desire to write.
Many of the stories in 'Kremlinology of Kisses' also hinge on frustration and repressed desires. I loved 'Harvey's Wedding', and the paradox of Harvey's desire for possession through marriage and his own lack of commitment (complete with Gothic doubling and the ghostly presence of his ex-wife). 'The Dating Game' reminded me of a Katherine Mansfield story, with its unspoken desires and frustrated epiphany: "I've been looking for romance in all the wrong places." And the bitterly disappointing holiday in 'Orange Blossom' is only made better by a longed-for yet brief encounter with a boy.
I'd definitely recommend this thoughtful and evocative work - which seems especially bittersweet in an age of coronavirus, where social distancing is everything. 4.5/5.