Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories by Lucia Berlin

2 reviews

owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

"So what is marriage anyway? I never figured it out. And now it is death I don't understand. Not just Sally's death. My country, after Rodney King and the riots. All over the world, the rage and despair. Sally and I write rebuses to each other so she doesn't hurt her lung talking. Rebus is where you draw pictures instead of words or letters. Violence, for example, is a viola and some ants. Sucks is somebody drinking through a straw. We laugh, quietly, in her room, drawing. Actually, love is not a mystery for me anymore. Max calls and says hello. I tell him that my sister will be dead soon. How are you? he asks."

I keep changing my mind but I think my favourite read of this year is a tie between this collection of short stories and Alexander Chee's most recent essay collection.

Whilst some of Berlin's attitudes and language, particularly around race and orientation, can be hard to read, the stories in this collection are so moving and profound. She's not afraid to write about people often overlooked and marginalised, using truth and keen observation to draw out both the moments of beauty and ugliness in everyday life. Her imagery and use of little details create really evocative episodes. The insight into grief and addiction is incredible. My favourite stories were probably Strays, for its eerie and truthful portrayal of an early rehab programme, So Long, for its very painful portrait of grief and Let Me See You Smile for its stark depiction of addiction, police brutality and love. Berlin has an excellent knack for dialogue which makes her relationships feel organic and gripping - particularly in the titular story A Manual for Cleaning Women, all of her conversations with her husband ("I'll do macrame, punk!") are exquisitely funny and romantic. I'll forever be heartbroken by "Once he told me he loved me because I was like San Pablo Avenue." What a line. What a voice!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

milliebrierley's review against another edition

dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racial slurs, Self harm, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent