By: Hugo Donnelly
Author Biography:
Hugo is a second-year English Literature student at the University of Edinburgh. He is also one of the senior editors at ESLJ. An avid reader, his interests span American literature, metaphysical poetry, restoration theatre, film, and dystopia. In this review Hugo takes a look at a collection of short stories that are wonderfully absurd and the work of a 'twisted genius'.
THE REVIEW:
Her Body and Other Parties is a collection of 8 stories by Carmen Maria Machado, published in 2017 to critical acclaim.
This collection is the work of twisted genius. It’s unconcerned with genre, captivates the reader, provokes thought and shows sharp attention to social-political issues, whilst being entertaining.
The story that garnered the most attention from critics was ‘The Husband’s Stitch’, nominated for the Nebula Award for best Novelette. It’s uncomfortable, but important reading – Machado presents a marital relationship in which the male figure demands ownership of a woman’s entire physical being. In this case, a mysterious green ribbon tied around the woman’s neck is the only place he cannot touch. It is the soul mechanism through which the woman can assert her autonomy. This story is sexually graphic and Machado spares no detail in her narration, which culminates in shocking ending. The green ribbon is a symbol for something tragic and disturbing. You can discover it yourself if you choose to read this collection.
Other stories adopt elements of Sci-Fi: a world where an unexplainable disease causes women to fade into thin air (‘Real Women Have Bodies’). ‘The Resident’, uses tropes of supernatural horror similar to those in Shirley Jackson’s work, whom Machado cites as inspiration. ‘Difficult at Parties’ is particularly surreal and uncomfortably humorous. We meet a woman coming to terms with trauma as she gains the ability to read the thoughts of actors in porn.
‘Inventory’ and ‘Especially Heinous: 272 Views of Law & Order: SVU’ take on a unique structure, itemising events into episodes. In ‘Especially Heinous’ Machado writes in a True Crime style as she satirises the modern audience’s fixation with the young female victim. It’s part urban legend and part ghost story. It’s weird and wonderful, the language is easily digestible so the reader can focus on deciphering what is happening. ‘Inventory’ is written as a list and it follows a woman’s sex life before, during and after a viral apocalypse (!). These were both fascinating; the language is restricted but Machado remarkably conveys such depth and gruesome detail.
I must say, this is exhausting reading. There are no protagonists to root for in any story. Machado’s characters don’t behave like regular people. Perhaps that’s what makes this collection so irresistible. It’s liberating to see characters unbounded by social expectations or even the laws the science. It was a surprise to me that such a politically charged collection could also be fun. It wasn’t too sanctimonious, and I didn’t feel like Machado was lecturing me on how I was terrible because I’m a man. I don’t feel pressured to shave half my head and renounce capitalism. No judgement if you choose to do these things, the point is Machado’s work is thought-provoking without taking itself too seriously, which I find to be rarity in this genre.
If you think you know what to expect from this collection, you are probably wrong. If you want something light-hearted and undemanding, this isn’t for you. It is one of my favourites. I look forward to reading it again. It’s the kind of collection that always has a new detail to offer, another layer to peel off revealing another intricacy hidden beneath it.
It’s refreshing and unapologetically absurd. Simply sensational.
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