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A review by emmareadstoomuch
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
5.0
my becoming-a-genius project, part 2! (and also one of my favorite books of 2020 - see the full list: https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.com/2021/01/22/the-best-books-of-the-worst-year/)
in case you missed the first one, here's the description:
i have decided to become a genius.
to accomplish this, i'm going to work my way through the collected stories of various authors, reading + reviewing 1 story every day until i get bored / lose every single follower / am struck down by a vengeful deity.
and yes, i chose this one due in no small part to miss phoebe bridgers.
PROJECT 1: THE COMPLETE STORIES BY FLANNERY O'CONNOR
PROJECT 2: HER BODY AND OTHER PARTIES BY CARMEN MARIA MACHADO
DAY 1: THE HUSBAND STITCH
this is truly one of the raddest pieces of writing i have ever read. i don't even know what to say. lovely writing, gorgeous allusions, wonderful style, brilliant structure, fantastic ending, genius title. a pitch-perfect retelling. i can't even deal.
rating: 5
DAY 2: INVENTORY
a story about sexual encounters during a pandemic quarantine is hitting a bit too close to home for me right now.
rating: 3.75
DAY 3: MOTHERS
you know that feeling when you start a short story and you're working at full attention to figure out where you are and who you're with and what's going on because you'll only have a few pages to both know and appreciate it?
that feeling stuck around until the very last with this one. in a good way.
rating: 4.5
DAY 4: ESPECIALLY HEINOUS
hey so Carmen Maria Machado is f*cking amazing.
this is brilliant.
rating: 5
DAY 5: REAL WOMEN HAVE BODIES
i keep waiting for a dud of a story and it just...won't come. genius end to end.
rating: 4.5
DAY 6: EIGHT BITES
okay ouch, carmen!!!!! this is starting to hurt!!!!
rating: 4.5
DAY 7: THE RESIDENT
so maybe this one actually scared me!!! what about it????
rating: 4.5
DAY 8: DIFFICULT AT PARTIES
not my favorite. actually probably my least favorite.
rating: 3.5
OVERALL
this is a brilliant work by a brilliant author, and it's greater than the sum of its parts. i didn't miss a single day (despite having work and holidays and cross-country flights in that time), and not only that, but i looked forward to my time with this every day.
an easy 5 stars.
in case you missed the first one, here's the description:
i have decided to become a genius.
to accomplish this, i'm going to work my way through the collected stories of various authors, reading + reviewing 1 story every day until i get bored / lose every single follower / am struck down by a vengeful deity.
and yes, i chose this one due in no small part to miss phoebe bridgers.
PROJECT 1: THE COMPLETE STORIES BY FLANNERY O'CONNOR
PROJECT 2: HER BODY AND OTHER PARTIES BY CARMEN MARIA MACHADO
DAY 1: THE HUSBAND STITCH
this is truly one of the raddest pieces of writing i have ever read. i don't even know what to say. lovely writing, gorgeous allusions, wonderful style, brilliant structure, fantastic ending, genius title. a pitch-perfect retelling. i can't even deal.
rating: 5
DAY 2: INVENTORY
a story about sexual encounters during a pandemic quarantine is hitting a bit too close to home for me right now.
rating: 3.75
DAY 3: MOTHERS
you know that feeling when you start a short story and you're working at full attention to figure out where you are and who you're with and what's going on because you'll only have a few pages to both know and appreciate it?
that feeling stuck around until the very last with this one. in a good way.
rating: 4.5
DAY 4: ESPECIALLY HEINOUS
hey so Carmen Maria Machado is f*cking amazing.
this is brilliant.
rating: 5
DAY 5: REAL WOMEN HAVE BODIES
i keep waiting for a dud of a story and it just...won't come. genius end to end.
rating: 4.5
DAY 6: EIGHT BITES
okay ouch, carmen!!!!! this is starting to hurt!!!!
rating: 4.5
DAY 7: THE RESIDENT
so maybe this one actually scared me!!! what about it????
rating: 4.5
DAY 8: DIFFICULT AT PARTIES
not my favorite. actually probably my least favorite.
rating: 3.5
OVERALL
this is a brilliant work by a brilliant author, and it's greater than the sum of its parts. i didn't miss a single day (despite having work and holidays and cross-country flights in that time), and not only that, but i looked forward to my time with this every day.
an easy 5 stars.