☛ Cette critique est aussi disponible en français [➦].

Translated by Gabrielle Baillargeon-Michaud. 

In the Dream House is an experimental memoir that delves into the abusive relationship the author endured for several years with her ex (The Woman In The Dream House). The narrative exposes the prevalence of domestic violence in queer relationships and challenges the archival silence¹ that LGBTQ+ communities face regarding abuse and violence in romantic relationships. Throughout the memoir, readers follow the evolution of Machado's relationship with The Woman In The Dream House alongside the development of their dream house, both in metaphorical and literal terms. From their initial encounter to their eventual breakup, the relationship is characterized by its intensity, shifting from early love bombing to the psychological and physical violence of the later stages.

Carmen Maria Machado, a self-proclaimed diva and bruja², is an American author known for her genre-defying prose. Her debut work, the short story collection Her Body and Other Parties, was listed in 2018 as one of the 15 books by women that have reshaped how we read and write fiction in the 21st century. Through her writing, which she uses as a form of activism, Machado explores themes related to the body—its diversity, vulnerability, and resilience—along with mental health, sexual diversity, and sexuality more broadly.

In her memoir In The Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado masterfully employs a range of narrative techniques, using elements of horror and dystopian themes to authentically and sensitively depict the emotional maze of her toxic romantic relationship with a certain petite blonde, whose name is deliberately withheld. Employing raw honesty, inventive metaphors, and even humor, Machado skillfully depicts these perilous gray areas, reconstructs scattered memories, and, most crucially, helps many individuals feel seen, heard, and validated.

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¹ Term used by the author to discuss the invisibility and absence of certain realities experienced by LGBTQ+ communities in archival documents.

² The term bruja refers to a practitioner of one of the various forms of witchcraft or occult religions known as brujerias, found in many Latin American and Afro-Caribbean cultures.

Reference:

Author: Carmen Maria Machado
Title: In the Dream House
Publication date: September 27, 2021
Publisher: BOURGOIS (Christian)

This book is available in paper and digital at BaNQ and in bookstores at LesLibraires for 24,95$.