unfortunately this book just didn't work for me. while I could acknowledge its important themes and skilful writing, it was just too bldnf @ 100 pages
unfortunately this book just didn't work for me. while I could acknowledge its important themes and skilful writing, it was just too bleak, hopeless and depressing for me at the moment. don't let this review put you off if you are interested in the book, but just be warned of its confronting subject matter. ...more
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed is a gritty, unsettling and thought-provoking collection of short stories from one of Argentina's most talented author The Dangers of Smoking in Bed is a gritty, unsettling and thought-provoking collection of short stories from one of Argentina's most talented authors. I read the English version, translated from Spanish by Megan McDowell. Despite their length, the stories were well developed, suspenseful and profound. They ranged from the absurd to the paranormal to unflinchingly human. While I inevitably enjoyed some more than others thematically, they were all undoubtedly well crafted. If you, like me, have a slight fear of Booker Prize nominees and their occasionally pretentious and convoluted writing styles- don't worry, Mariana Enríquez' stories are surprisingly accessible and easy to read.
Skip to the end for a TLDR, otherwise here are my feelings and interpretations for each of the twelve stories:
➽ Angelita Unearthed ★★★★☆.5 The first story in The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, Angelita Unearthed, was intriguing and slightly unsettling, but not scary. A darkly funny undercurrent flowed through the narration. I really enjoyed it. I don't want to give away too much about the individual plots of the stories considering how short they are, but I will briefly allude to their themes and social commentary, or at least my interpretation of them.
Angelita Unearthed was about how the past can come back to haunt us, intergenerational trauma, and how women are dismissed rather than believed. It touched on the expectation for perfection, and how dangerous the pursuit of it can be for all involved. It explored how people are blinded by what they want to see, how objectivity and rationalism can be just as limiting as superstition and unfounded belief.
➽ Our Lady of the Quarry ★★★☆☆ .5 This story employed an interesting use of first person plural narration, with a group of teenage girls referring to themselves as 'we'. The characters were deeply unlikeable and toxic, which I'm not usually a fan of reading but it made for a unique experience. It was like watching a car crash about to happen, but being unable to do anything to stop it- and unable to look away. It was an exploration of the effects of jealousy, insecurity and the need for outside validation. It felt slightly less nuanced and engaging than some other stories, hence the lower rating, but I think other readers with different tastes to me will find more to like in it.
➽ The Cart ★★★★☆ A tale about the spread of poverty and how we see it as a contagious disease. About how mistreatment of the downtrodden and misfortunate only makes things worse. How capitalism alienates us from each other and creates animosity in the working class, and what happens when we don't show class consciousness. Instead, the only way forward is to stick together, be kind, and show empathy. A steady escalation leading to a powerful and ambiguous ending, this was one of the best in the collection.
"There's not much difference between the two, just the fear of falling deeper into poverty, that really can make you a monster" - Mariana Enriquez, interview on Electric Literature Blog
➽ The Well ★★★★★ That ending. This story was gut-punch after gut-punch. It discussed fear, intergenerational trauma, society's treatment of those with mental illness (and how it can make it worse). The characters felt real, an impressive feat for a story less than 20 pages long. The main character became the personification of fear, and it was terrifying to see how terror was killing her.
The Well is about self-reflection, a fitting symbol. The real fear in the story doesn't come from ghosts or curses, but from the readers looking at the main character and seeing pieces of ourself staring back. We helplessly watch her sink deeper into depression and hopelessness. But, like her family, we can't help her, because that would require us to take on some of her suffering too. And it is much easier to ignore it, to ignore her, to ignore the well.
If you only read one story from this collection, let it be The Well.
➽ Rambla Triste ★★★★☆ .5 Haunting, vengeful and angry. Rambla Triste was about the policing of poverty, the destructive impact of tourism and the willing blindness of the rich. A tangible example of the enduring effects of colonialism, imperialism and gentrification. The present of a place is inextricably tied to its past, and no matter how hard you try to sanitise it, manifestations of past violence will rear its ugly head. A well written and powerful addition to the collection.
➽ The Lookout ★★☆☆☆ Dark, but not necessarily in a good way. Sad, but not in a thought provoking way. Just depressing. I think I get what it was trying to do, and perhaps the fact that it made me uncomfortable was the point, but I just couldn't like it. About PTSD, sexual trauma and suicidal thoughts. Definitely check the trigger warnings if you're sensitive to such topics.
➽ Where Are You, Dear Heart ★★★☆☆ Ayo? I don't know what this story was trying to say, but I was strangely fascinated. Was it about the allure of illness? the romanticisation of death? I don't really know, but I think I'm landing on the side of liking it. The ending is what solidified that for me, Mariana Enríquez sure knows how to end a story with a bang.
warning: this story contains spoilers for Jane Eyre.
➽ Meat ★★★★☆ Once again- THESE ENDINGS. wow. About the dangers of fanaticism, obsession and idolisation. At first, I had a pretty surface level reading of the story and thought it was fine, but nothing special. But after reading this review I think I've been converted (pun intended). They pointed out the parallels to christianity in terms of the whole holy communion/cannibalism thing. I really like that interpretation, and how through that lens this story is not just another 'typical teenage girls become obsessed with a male celebrity' but rather an exploration of the cult of religion.
➽ No Birthdays or Baptisms ★★☆☆☆ Hmm. Uncomfortable to read, but I don't really understand the point of it? While other stories felt like they were toeing the line, this felt like it step firmly over from being thought provoking to just provocative. It felt like a *certain element* was just in there for shock value rather than serving an actual purpose. If I had to use a word other than uncomfortable to describe my reading experience with this story, I'd probably say voyeuristic. Which in the context of a story about a photographer makes sense.
However, I have a bit more appreciation for the second part of the story. It was still shocking and disturbing, but in a way that made sense. It had clear themes of the cycle of abuse and victimisation. About how abused women aren't believed- or even if they are, their suffering is exploited, furthering the harm. About how broken people aren't treated as people, just toys to play with for a bit, then discard at a moment's notice. The ending wasn't what I had expected, but in hindsight it made sense for the story. What's a bit more suffering and betrayal?
➽ Kids Who Come Back ★★★★☆ This was the longest story in the collection, the only novella. As a result, it felt a bit more developed and complex- although my biggest hang up is still just wanting more. An exploration of the enduring effects of trauma. How change and a lack of understanding makes us fearful, and therefore dangerous. Scarily realistic feeling.
➽ The Dangers of Smoking in Bed ★★☆☆☆ I didn't really get the point of this one. It was well written, as usual, but it felt kind of empty. An introspective story about self-destructive tendencies, apathy and loneliness.
➽ Back When We Talked to the Dead ★★★☆☆ .5
The spookiest and most paranormal of all the stories, Back When We Talked to the Dead features a ghost story about the legacies of Argentina's military dictatorship. About how living in a society where anyone can disappear at any time ends up taking a toil on everyone, even those not directly affected.
➽ TLDR For people who don't want to read my ramblings about each individual story (I don't blame you). I enjoyed this collection much more than I expected, and I can't wait to read Mariana Enríquez' other works! Best Stories: The Well, Rambla Triste, The Cart, Angelita Unearthed, Meat. Worst Stories: The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, The Lookout.
Let me know what you thought about this collection! I'd love to know if you had similar thoughts to me or if you had different interpretations of the themes. ...more
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