In the Dream House
For years Carmen Maria Machado has struggled to articulate her experiences in an abusive same-sex relationship. In this extraordinarily candid and radically inventive memoir, Machado tackles a dark and difficult subject with wit, inventiveness and an inquiring spirit, as she uses a series of narrative tropes — including classic horror themes — to create an entirely unique piece of work which is destined to become an instant classic.
Author: Carmen Maria Machado | Publisher: Graywolf Press
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Rating: 5 / 5
“A reminder to remember: just because the sharpness of the sadness has faded does not mean that it was not, once, terrible. It means only that time and space, creatures of infinite girth and tenderness, have stepped between the two of you, and they are keeping you safe as they were once unable to.”
In the Dream House has received a lot of attention. Its own dust jacket calls it an “instant classic.” People have dropped everything on their list of books to read in order to read this one first. And I am here to tell you that all of this is entirely warranted.
Anyone who’s read Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado’s famous collection of short stories, knows that she is incredibly talented. What few people have known, until now, is that her journey included a period of time in which she was the victim of a terribly abusive relationship. In the Dream House is a memoir that focuses heavily on that period of her life. The “dream house” is an actual place — the house in which she once imagined raising a family with this woman — and each vignette of prose is titled “Dream House as _____.”
I listened to the audiobook of this title (thanks to Libro.fm!) despite owning a physical copy of the book, and I don’t regret it one bit. Machado’s narration, like her writing, is powerful, unapologetic, demanding, and affecting. Listening to her tell me what happened to her was gutting. Her ability to use words to explain, cut, illustrate, soothe, and feel is truly unlike anyone else’s. I’d listen, rewind, listen again. People can only hope to write like her one day.
I have so much respect for writers who open themselves up like this. Writing about real people who will surely read the book, about real things that happened. Knowing that anyone who reads it now knows a very intimate part of yourself. And yet this is what Machado has done, and with great purpose. Stories like hers — stories of domestic abuse in queer relationships — are not told often, not nearly often enough. Thank you, Carmen. Thank you for sharing this with us. We believe you.