Populated by lonely protagonists, there are drugs that make you invisible, a sexual romp with a yeti who wears human skin as a disguise and is an avid record collector and chain smoker, a woman lives with her husband and 100 ex-boyfriends, passages into mysterious worlds and so much more that one can never be sure what surprise awaits at the flip of a page. A surreal and startling collection, Bliss Montage by Ling Ma is a true treat of small, claustrophobic tales that exist like liminal spaces. I’m still uncertain if I exist in the same reality as I did before reading these stories but, if not, I don’t want to go back. ‘ It is in the most surreal situations that a person feels the most present, the closest to reality.’ Things i am willing to do in order to receive this book: Significantly better than the sum of its parts, and the parts are damn good. i know i'm going to return to this one, countless times mentally and more than once for a reread. HELLO ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL METAPHOR THIS ONE NOT CLICHED AT ALL!!!!!Ī story about books and the themes of books and it has the themes and also more themes and also also also.įun recurring theme becoming apparent of the complexity of desire (i.e., a sense of dissatisfaction too elaborate to pin on any one thing) making happiness impossible in modern life.īrilliant and incisive, more knowing and intuitive on the subject of being young and getting older in the 21st century than just about anything i've ever read. This allegory is so satisfying (if a little clichéd) it's like having a treat.

This doesn't have the same fervent originality as the first one but it's even more immersive and suffocating.

this was too one of a kind, too striking, i'm speechless, and i have to do this EVERY TIME?! Immediately i don't think i can review every one of these. Mini reviews for each story like i always do for collections when my weary brain allows me! I love ling ma and i want to kiss her on the face but that seems like a pretty major overstep so instead i'll just read everything she writes.

Bliss montage stories