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joannemae 's review for:
Bliss Montage
by Ling Ma
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a freakin' gem of a book.
I genuinely didn't think I'd enjoy this one based on how much I detested Ma's other book, Severance. But here I am. This book was stunning throughout, which I find so rare in a short story collection. You'd expect at least one story to fall flat, but they all shine in unexpected and beautiful ways. The way Ma uses the absurd to tackle grief, isolation, loneliness, and identity is extremely clever and memorable. You think you're reading about the most insane open marriage in the world, and the next you're contemplating what it means to hold on to ghosts. Don't even get me started on the yeti sex.
It reminds me a lot of animated shows/movies (like BoJack Horseman and AtLA) where you're caught off guard by the presentation and silly goofy plot lines only to be hit with the hardest and most brutal examination of humanity.
My favorite short story was definitely Peking Duck-- more of this, PLEASE. It takes the stereotypical Asian immigrant child story and flips it on its head (and spits on it and tells it to shut up because YES can we please stop making our moms so weak and docile????) and then makes you cry and want to call your mom to apologize for everything.
I genuinely didn't think I'd enjoy this one based on how much I detested Ma's other book, Severance. But here I am. This book was stunning throughout, which I find so rare in a short story collection. You'd expect at least one story to fall flat, but they all shine in unexpected and beautiful ways. The way Ma uses the absurd to tackle grief, isolation, loneliness, and identity is extremely clever and memorable. You think you're reading about the most insane open marriage in the world, and the next you're contemplating what it means to hold on to ghosts. Don't even get me started on the yeti sex.
It reminds me a lot of animated shows/movies (like BoJack Horseman and AtLA) where you're caught off guard by the presentation and silly goofy plot lines only to be hit with the hardest and most brutal examination of humanity.
My favorite short story was definitely Peking Duck-- more of this, PLEASE. It takes the stereotypical Asian immigrant child story and flips it on its head (and spits on it and tells it to shut up because YES can we please stop making our moms so weak and docile????) and then makes you cry and want to call your mom to apologize for everything.