Thursday, October 12, 2023

Book Discussion: Bliss Montage by Ling Ma


What are some common threads among the stories in this book?

  • Women making questionable choices
  • Chinese american women
  • disconnection, isolation
  • immigration
  • breaking free of expectations
Did you notice any tonal similarities or differences in the narrators?

Los Angeles- A woman lives in a house with her husband, kids and 100 ex boyfriends.
-Why does the narrator stay so attached to her ex boyfriends?
-What does Adam, her abusive ex mean to her? Why does she still want him in her life?

Oranges-Narrator follows her abusive ex boyfriend home in order to confront him.

G-Two women take a drug that turns you invisible.
-Is the friendship in this story ever a healthy one?

Yetti Lovemaking-A woman goes home with a man she meets at a bar only to discover he is a Yetti
-Reads like a greek myth or a modern day folktale
-Is the story her telling her ex about the Yetti or is it her own inner narrative?
-Do you think her mating call really caused her ex to reach out to her?

Returning-Woman travels to the country of her husbands birth only to wake up on the plane with him gone.
-What did Peter want to change as a result of being buried at the festival?

Office Hours-A professor discovers a portal to another world hidden within her campus office.
Marie teaches a class called "the disappearing woman."
-What is this place?
-Did she leave behind herself or a doppleganger?

Peking Duck-Writer is creating a story based on her mother's experiences as a nanny. 
-Who does the story belong to? The mother or the daughter? On page 176 the question is asked " Can the writer, who's retelling anothers story, really assume authorship?"

Tomorrow-Woman is pregnant with a child whos arm is growing out of her body.

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