Her Body and Other Parties is a short story collection by Carmen Maria Machado.
Finished on: 23.9.2024

Content Note: sexualized violence, domestic violence, eating disorders, fatmisia

Her Body and Other Parties has been on my radar pretty much since it came out, and has been sitting on my shelves for almost as long. Finally, I read it, fearing that by now my anticipation might have outgrown the actual quality of the book. But I need not have worried. It is one of the few collections of short stories where every story is actually a winner (more about each below). Machado’s prose is impeccable, and her themes are intriguing and very well handled. I am very impressed.

The Husband Stitch

She falls in love at a party and marries him. They have a son together. Things go well, if it wasn’t for one thing: she asks her husband not to touch the green ribbon tied around her neck, but this seems to make him ever so curious.

I remember when I first picked up this collection in a bookstore and read the first few sentences of The Husband Stitch. I immediately got goosebumps. Having read the entire story now, I can say that those goosebumps were warranted. It’s a perfect introduction to the collection, a beautifully written fairy tale that delivers a whole lot of social commentary.

Inventory

A woman inventories the sexual encounters through her lifetime during the endtimes.

This inventory manages to tell the story of a character, but also of an apocalyptic event, all through the way this character relates to her sexual partners. It’s an inventive and engaging way of storytelling that I really enjoyed, the matter-of-fact bisexuality an absolute bonus.

Mothers

When her ex-girlfriend Bad shows up with a baby and tells her that it’s theirs, hers, she doesn’t know what to do – but take care of the baby somehow.

Mothers is a harrowing account of an abusive relationship that had me hooked – but the ending didn’t work that well for me. It seemed like the story was falling back on a cheap trick, and it is much better than that.

Especially Heinous

A synopsis for each episode of Law & Order: SVU, focusing on Benson and Stabler. But something is different.

Look, I’m not much of a crime show aficionado, and I have never actually seen Law & Order: SVU. But Especially Heinous is an absolutely wild ride. Halfway through the story I asked my friend, who actually knows the show, to read the story and let me know if it still has anything to do with the original show because it is clearly not that, but at the same time, it feels absolutely well-researched. My friend confirmed my suspicions: this is written by somebody who has watched a lot of Law & Order: SVU – and has a penchant for surreal horror. It’s a fascinating mix, even if you don’t know the show.

Real Women Have Bodies

In a world where some women become slowly translucent until the finally disappear, the narrator works at a clothing store, selling dresses made by Petra’s mother that are particularly beautiful. When she and Petra hit it off, she gets a closer look at how they’re made.

The punny title hints at a sense of humor that is mostly absent from the story that is sad and soft and slightly scary. It feels a bit like a dream. Not a comfortable one, but a revealing one.

Eight Bites

Following the example of her sisters, a woman decides to have bariatric surgery to lose weight, to finally fit. But that decision has some surprising consequences.

It is rare that we get stories about fatmisia (instead of stories reproducing it), and Machado deftly combines it with a bit of (body) horror. But the point is the brutal and above all sad reality of being fat in a fatmisic society, and it is a point very well made indeed.

The Resident

An artist is invited to a residency in Devil’s Throat where she spent her childhood summer in a girlscout camp. This stay brings back some memories, as well as rivalries in the artists’ community.

The Resident is a love letter to the power of self-acceptance, as well as a twist on the kind of ghost tales you’d expect from a set-up like this one. It is thought-provoking and powerful, and also a little funny.

Difficult at Parties

After a sexual assault, the narrator tries to find back into her normal life but finds it impossible. Instead she turns to porn, trying to find pleasure there. But that doesn’t work like she hopes.

Difficult at Parties is a story that cuts deep, showing just how ill-equipped we are individually, but also as a society to deal with trauma – our own and that of our loved ones. It’s a strong finish to a really fantastic collection.

Summarizing: read it.