In the Dream House

Be prepared that this book is not written as a traditional narrative but rather fragmented parts of the story each with a different theme. But what a wonderful surprise - the subject matter is difficult, the writing is incredible. You can feel the growth of the relationship and abuse and of the protagonist in every page. 

This was the first memoir I read and it did not disappoint, every chapter was so lyrical and strong that it made me feel for the author, I was sad, angry and emotional through this experience and I'm happy I chose this book!
Ps: the chapter with the pastor story is my favorite

On a second re-read, yeaaaah I just don't connect with this at all.

I read this because I love memoir and fantasy (not at all that this is fantasy). In short this is a spectacular book that is beautifully written and I highly recommend it.

The writing is impeccable and I just feel like everyone needs to read this memoir asap

What a memorable read. I'm glad that Carmen Maria Macado gathered up the courage to tell her story about her abusive relationship in a unique memoir like this. It is rare that I read a memoir and it is just as good, if not better, than the first time around. Thank you for sharing a part of your life with us and may the author live a better life. Cheers to better relationships and better memories.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado is a haunting memoir revealing and reflecting upon the terrifying realities of queer domestic abuse. Machado writes in breathtakingly beautiful prose about surviving an abusive relationship. At once horror and gothic, while literary and sophisticated, experimental and real - this book is non-fiction that may appeal to those who, like me, do not often read memoirs. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SO good!! I'm not even sure I completely understood what was going on, but I loved it.

Buzzword-a-thon January Pick (“Dream”)

I really loved this as a memoir and I think it raised awareness for something that really isn't discussed, so I would highly recommend.

honest and beautifully written.

Having finished I've sat here and thought about what I just read. I found Machado's writing beautiful and am grateful to her for writing about such a personal experience. There were times where I wasn't sure at what point I was in the story of her relationship or where she was, but in the grand scheme of things that wasn't so disruptive that it took away from the book for me.

The entire time I was reading this book I was trying to figure out if I enjoyed it, but I kept thinking about it when I wasn't reading it and managed to finish it in three days. When I got to the end, I was still thinking about whether I enjoyed it so I am giving it three stars. This may have been another situation where I should have read more reviews to understand what this book was before jumping into it, but for some reason I thought this was a “weird” horror novel. Maybe I thought this because everyone was reading it in October along with their spooky books and the cover gives that impression as well, but, although the behavior by one of the characters is horrific, this is not a horror novel; it is an account of the author's experience with domestic violence told in short vignettes of her life and her relationship with her abuser. With all my caveats out of the way, the structure of this book was really interesting and absolutely kept my attention. I think the made-up footnotes were interesting subtext to what the author was experiencing, if a little distracting.

There are probably better summaries of the book out there, but my summary is that this book depicts how insidious, creeping, and silent domestic violence can be, specifically in woman-woman relationships. The author also ties her individual experience to the broader lesbian community throughout history and helps dispel the myth that women can't perpetrate domestic violence.

I think this book illustrated the phrase of “You put a frog into a pot of boiling water, and it jumps right out. But if you put it in a pot of nice comfortable water and then turn on the heat, the frog will complacently let himself be boiled.” The reader is taken for a ride where the author's relationship seems lovely at the start and little by little, we are introduced to issues that continue to grow larger throughout the book and throughout their relationship until it culminates into boiling water for the author and for the reader.

I recommend the book if only to read real life depicted in an interesting format and to get some insight into what “non-traditional” abusive relationships can look like.

I loved Her Body and Other Parties. I'd never read anything like it before. I loved this and throughout it I had overwhelming gratitude that she—who it seems will throw everything she's got at the important and dreadful topic with amazing precision and skill and flare—wrote this book. Seemed like every sentence was in its place so anyone who picked this up couldn't miss, not just the truth and importance of her story but some of the feeling (terror) of it.

So good, and so challenging to read. Melts wordless

I don't have anything to say about this book that someone else probably hasn't said better. I loved the device Machado used for examining her story; her writing is gorgeous and tense, leaving me feeling a sense of dread through much of it; and she caused me to think about a few things I thought I knew in a different light. Absolutely excellent.

(Trigger warning: abusive relationship) Absolutely beautifully written memoir about a queer abusive relationship. This is the first book I've read by Machado (whose voice I could listen to all day) and I will be seeking out her other writing. So detailed, so thoughtful, and I appreciated the figurative writing and structure so much, as it added the right gravitas to such an intense subject.

“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.”
-Carmen Maria Machado, In the Dream House

This is a remarkable memoir, both as a piece of art and as a social commentary. It's construction is unique to any memoir I've ever read - each section is related to a different fairy tale, or work of folklore, or popular story - and while the narrative jumps in time and space, it culminates in such a way that the reader feels connected to the story in a deep and visceral way.

Carmen Maria Machado is quickly becoming one of my must-read authors. Her work is always complex and emotional, and more than a little otherworldly. I can't wait to see what she brings next.

TW: emotional abuse

“There is a Quichua riddle: El que me nombra, me rompe. Whatever names me, breaks me. The solution, your course, is “silence.” But the truth is, anyone who knows your name can break you in two.”

I listened to this while painting a room, and I'm glad I was slightly occupied while hearing someone mirror my own experiences in absolutely beautiful prose. It is heartbreaking, it is honest, it is clever, and it is perfect.

And it is more relatable than I wish it had cause to be.

Listening to Carmen Maria Machado recount her abuse within the Dream House had such incredible weight that I feel so lost for words. Machado writes stories that are not easy to digest but often hold remarkable power. Her memoir is not any different of an experience.

The writing was stunning, the structure was unique and like nothing i've ever seen before. the discussions in this were phenomenal and so well done. i have thought about this book every day since i've read it.

This review can also be found on my blog.I wish there was a way for me to intellectually discuss In the Dream House but it seems impossible. This is truly one of the most incredible, gut-wrenching books I have ever read. In this memoir, formatted very differently from anything else you have ever read, Carmen Maria Machado details her abusive relationship with another woman. That alone points to why this would be such a difficult review, but Machado's skill with writing is truly something I have never seen before. I just counted and I've tabbed 17 different pages with quotes or scenes that dug deep into me – and that was me trying to restrain myself. A reminder, perhaps, that abusers do not need to be, and rarely are, cackling maniacs. They just need to want something, and not care how they get it.God, even just reading through these tabbed pages to write this review has me on the verge of tears on my couch. There are points at which I merely drew a line down the entire page; there was no way to separate out one meaningful line or set of sentences from their larger context. To me, that's indicative of an incredible writer. Nothing in this feels extraneous, it all feels essential and imbued with significance.Even the enduring symbol of queerness–the rainbow–is a promise not to repeat an act of supreme violence by a capricious and rageful god: I won't flood the whole world again. It was a one-time thing, I swear. Do you trust me? (And, later, a threat: the next time, motherfuckers, it'll be fire.)Another impressive aspect is Machado's ability to set this within its greater context. As a queer woman, it can be so much more difficult to navigate what would already be difficult situations. She speaks to her naievety as a baby gay and the fact that we always see men portrayed as abusers. On top of that, the time period in which this relationship took place was one where lgbtq rights were tenuous and it felt important not to “look bad.” I understand all this, and it feels so important that Machado was able to explain it in such a succinct way.Do you see now? Do you understand?In the Dream House will certainly remain one of my favorite books of all-time, I can already tell. I absolutely cannot recommend this enough, but want to emphasize that it is an extremely difficult read and to take care while reading. To me, this book is a place of understanding and a way to process for (particularly queer) survivors of abuse; it is also a place where those who may not have experienced abuse can come to understand it further. I applaud Machado for being able to write this, and cannot wait to see what she puts out next.You have no reason to believe me.Blog Twitter Instagram Facebook

Essential breakdown of abuse and love and queerness. This one is going to be huge, and rightly so. I drank it down like a glass of seltzer at the end of a hot day.

“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.”