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A review by literarycrushes
Kink by Garth Greenwell, R.O. Kwon
4.0
I hadn’t heart of this collection of stories until I noticed it on display at my local bookstore last week and purchased it based on its impressive list of contributors. The collection has a clear mission: “Instead of pathologizing kink, the stories in this anthology treat it as a complex, psychologically rich act of communication.” It’s a unique angle for a collection that sheds light on a topic mostly cast aside in literary fiction (pulpy 50 shades of grey versions aside). These stories use sex as a tool for exploration into identity and desire. The resulting stories were as varied and thoughtful as they might have been had the topic been as general and textured as love.
Like most anthologies, there were a few standouts and a few that were a little too on-the-nose. I particularly loved Brandon Taylor’s heart-breaking (and well placed) story about a architecture student/part-time sex worker for older married couples, and Larissa Pham’s story about a young woman’s exploration of different kinds of vulnerability. Surprisingly, Roxanne Gay’s story was one of the least impressive stories and fell flat. I was also excited about Garth Greenwell’s piece (he also co-edited the book), but it turned out to be a recycled chapter from his book Cleanness (which is an incredible novel! I didn’t mind re-reading the chapter but had been hoping for something new from him). I also loved how queer the stories (& authors) were!
Like most anthologies, there were a few standouts and a few that were a little too on-the-nose. I particularly loved Brandon Taylor’s heart-breaking (and well placed) story about a architecture student/part-time sex worker for older married couples, and Larissa Pham’s story about a young woman’s exploration of different kinds of vulnerability. Surprisingly, Roxanne Gay’s story was one of the least impressive stories and fell flat. I was also excited about Garth Greenwell’s piece (he also co-edited the book), but it turned out to be a recycled chapter from his book Cleanness (which is an incredible novel! I didn’t mind re-reading the chapter but had been hoping for something new from him). I also loved how queer the stories (& authors) were!