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A review by midici
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
3.0
You have heard this story before. It's about a woman, who has a bright green ribbon wrapped around her throat. She has a happy life, a husband and son she adores, and she is content. Her husband would be too, if only he could ignore the mystery of the ribbon. Maybe you remember how this story goes. Or maybe you don't.
I really liked the little asides, where the narrator offers up other stories in between hers, or gives instructions on how to make certain noises or voices. These are separate stories, except not really. They're horror stories, or folk tales, or urban legends. They're warnings.
The husband is a good man. She loves him. She shares everything with him: her life, her desires, her hopes and dreams. But he wants the ribbon. Because it's the only thing she ever says 'no' about, so he keeps trying. When she's sleeping, or they're relaxing, or they're fucking - he tries again and again. And finally, when she's tired of fighting him she says, "do what you want." And so he does.
It's available here: https://granta.com/the-husband-stitch/
I really liked the little asides, where the narrator offers up other stories in between hers, or gives instructions on how to make certain noises or voices. These are separate stories, except not really. They're horror stories, or folk tales, or urban legends. They're warnings.
The husband is a good man. She loves him. She shares everything with him: her life, her desires, her hopes and dreams. But he wants the ribbon. Because it's the only thing she ever says 'no' about, so he keeps trying. When she's sleeping, or they're relaxing, or they're fucking - he tries again and again. And finally, when she's tired of fighting him she says, "do what you want." And so he does.
It's available here: https://granta.com/the-husband-stitch/