Gods of Want: Stories

by K-Ming Chang

Paperback, 2023

Status

Available

Call number

PS3603.H35733 G63 2022

Publication

One World (2023), 224 pages

Description

In "Auntland," a steady stream of aunts adjust to American life by sneaking surreptitious kisses from women at temple, buying tubs of strawberry ice-cream to prepare for citizenship tests, and hatching plans to name their daughter "Dog." In "The Chorus of Dead Cousins," ghost-cousins cross space, seas, and skies to haunt their live-cousin, wife to a storm-chaser. In "X�f�," a mother-in-law tortures a wife in increasingly unsuccessful attempts to rid the house of her. In "Mariela," two girls explore one another's bodies for the first time while in "Virginia Slim," a woman from a cigarette ad comes to life. And in "Resident Aliens," a former slaughterhouse serves as a residence to a series of widows, each harbouring her own calamitous secrets"--… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member booklove2
I received this book as a freebie from somewhere. Wow, what a yungun, the writer is only 24. The writing here is full of fables and bizarro dream-like imagery, almost a bit too much at times - with sequences of confusing sentences that left me distracted when those sentences didn't really seem to
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fit together... contradicting sentences almost. And a lot of the other imagery is harsh. These stories are like dreams as they are a little hard to hold on to, sometimes just a few pages, hard to piece together. Read this if you're in the mood for scattered magical realism or nightmare fuel poetic imagery, much of it body focused. These bits and pieces are intense! This reminds me of Helen Oyeyemi's books or a bit of Ocean Vuong's 'On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous' if Vuong used a lot more magical realism. My favorite stories are probably the last three: 'Virginia Slims', 'Mariela', and especially 'Meals for Mourners'. There is a lot of imagery packed into this book!
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Awards

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2022

Physical description

224 p.; 7.98 inches

ISBN

0593241606 / 9780593241608

Barcode

34500012346011
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