i love ling ma and i want to kiss her on the face but that seems like a pretty major overstep so instead i'll just read everything she writes.

mini reviews for each story like i always do for collections when my weary brain allows me!


STORY 1: LOS ANGELES
immediately i don't think i can review every one of these. this was too one of a kind, too striking, i'm speechless, and i have to do this EVERY TIME?!

about to give up already.
rating: 4.25


STORY 2: ORANGES
cover story. basically.

this doesn't have the same fervent originality as the first one but it's even more immersive and suffocating.
rating: 4


STORY 3: G
this allegory is so satisfying (if a little clichéd) it's like having a treat.
rating: 4


STORY 4: YETI LOVEMAKING
HELLO ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL METAPHOR THIS ONE NOT CLICHED AT ALL!!!!!
rating: 4.25


STORY 5: RETURNING
AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

i don't want this book to end ever.

a story about books and the themes of books and it has the themes and also more themes and also also also...
rating: 4.5


STORY 6: UNIVERSITY
hmmmmmm.

fun recurring theme becoming apparent of the complexity of desire (i.e., a sense of dissatisfaction too elaborate to pin on any one thing) making happiness impossible in modern life.
rating: 4


STORY 8: PEKING DUCK
these are just so rich.
rating: 4


STORY 9: TOMORROW
whoa.
rating: 4


OVERALL
brilliant and incisive, more knowing and intuitive on the subject of being young and getting older in the 21st century than just about anything i've ever read. i know i'm going to return to this one, countless times mentally and more than once for a reread.

significantly better than the sum of its parts, and the parts are damn good.
rating: 5

I loved loved loved Ling Ma’s debut novel, Severance, so I was extremely excited to read this collection and it did not let me down. It’s usually difficult for me to get through a full short story collection because one or two inevitably fall short— but I didn’t feel that way with any of the stories in Bliss Montage. I finished the collection a few days ago after burning through it in a single day.

Ling Ma wove a thread of several strong themes throughout the collection; namely womanhood/girlhood, immigration, and toxic relationships. I am still mulling over the power of the story “G”, which was, if not the most technically impressive story (I’d give that honor to “Peking Duck”), the story that landed the hardest for me emotionally. The central friendship, the pain and anxiety and pressure and confusion of it, was expressed with absolute precision and beauty.

Ma’s work in this collection really reminded me of the power of short form magical realism— sometimes what one needs is a small but very potent dose of absurdity and fantasy. 5 stars ⭐️

Thank you to Farrar, Strauss and Giroux & NetGalley for the eARC :)

3.75 stars
This short story collection was so interesting. The first story starts strong with intruding you to the protagonists numerous amounts of ex boyfriends who live with her. I was surprised by the analysis of movie themes in one of the stories. I loved the discussions around culture from China to Garboza. This is one of those books where you just have to experience instead of relying on reviews because none of them will do it justice. I’m looking forward to Ling Ma’s future works.

This was a wonderful collection of stories that I found delightful and mindful. I found this collection from someone talking about it on Youtube and new immediately that I had to see if I could get a review copy... and I am so delighted I did.

I wanted to like Bliss Montage by Ling MA, but I couldn't keep myself from feeling like the writing tried too hard to be evocative and immersive. Instead of floating in the words, I felt like I was tangled in sheets of silk that were too slippery to grasp. I am unsure if that unsettled feeling was what the author was going for, but I gave up after three stories. I pride myself on powering through writing, as sometimes the author just needs time to settle into the story. I hope that if the author publishes again, it is in a long format book that may spin her ideas better.

This is my first time reading Ling Ma's work and I was pleasantly surprised. Bliss Montage is a short story collection that has no limit. You'll have stories about making love with a Yeti, living in a house with 100 ex-boyfriends, and even a baby's arm sticking out of you while pregnant. They are strange and bizarre, but will keep you hooked till the end.

Through these short stories, Ma explores the themes of toxic friendships, mother-daughter relationships, the Asian-American immigrant experience through the perspectives of women; using magical realism and fantastical elements. Ma's mind is brilliant and I could see any of these 8 short stories becoming its own full-length novel.

Some of my personal favourites from the collection are:
Oranges
Peking Duck
Returning
Office Hours

3.5/5 stars

Gosh, I love Ling Ma. Each story was such a *mood* - somber, melancholy, wistful, triumphant - set amongst a dystopian, dreamlike landscape, which could almost be reality, save for something that is just *off*. I loved it. My favorite story out of the collection was 'G', which explores codependent - borderline abusive friendships and drug use.

Incredible. I inhaled Ling Ma's first book, Severance, shortly after its release and have been a fan ever since. These stories are so simultaneously captivating, tense, and bizarre. Ma has a voice that makes me completely zone out (in a good way) and transcend into the worlds she creates. From the first story, you will want to read it non-stop from beginning to end. Her voice is like no other. Obsessed!

Please see the full review published on the Chicago Review of Books, linked here: https://chireviewofbooks.com/2022/09/21/the-stories-we-retell-in-bliss-montage/.

Not all of these short stories were for me, but I have several coworkers who will love them. My favorites were the stories about the ex-boyfriend Adam and the mother and possible door-to-door salesman. Thank you for this collection.

This is my first time reading Ling Ma's writing. Her style and cadence nice the reader through the stories very smoothly and, although not a thriller, she manages to keep a steady stream of mild suspense going.

I also love how natural the conversations are throughout. Her use of imagery is great as well, I had no trouble picturing the scenes she placed before me.

Overall, I suppose some of the stories are a touch speculative but not over the top. So even if you're not into that I would still recommend this book.

DNF at 37%

I don't get what the stories are trying to tell me? I'd end one story and start another and get confused whether it's a continuation or another story altogether simply because the tone felt so similar to one another and so do the narrators.

This is my first time trying something from Ling Ma and I will say that her writing is nice. The stories themselves—the ones that I finish reading, that is—failed to capture my attention. They felt fleeting at best and I felt like I myself was on a 💊 trip the whole time I was reading Bliss Montage lol

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free digital copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

In addition to the beauty and strength of its writing, what distinguishes this short story collection is its careful curation. The stories fit together in coherent and surprising ways, and Ma's ventures into surrealism/magical realism add an additional flair to the set. Ma's first novel, SEVERANCE, set a high bar, and while not every story can meet that bar, no reader will walk away from BLISS MONTAGE disappointed.

This collection of short stories is immersive, surreal, and insightful on the experience of being a woman & an immigrant. While I enjoyed most of the stories I did feel as though a few of them went over my head. I especially loved “G” & “Oranges”.

Ling Ma has an impressive ability to capture universal human feelings while also writing an unrealistic setting or plot. This strikes me as the kind of book that’s not for everyone, but those who’ll love it will reeeaally love it. I think the best reading experience will be had if you break these stories up a bit rather than reading one after another or the entire book in one sitting like I did. The narrators of each story had a similar tone and I found myself wondering if I was reading about the same person a few times.

This was my introduction to Ling Ma, and what an introduction it was. Although I struggle with short story collections this one will be added to my list of favorites. These stories are thought provoking, unsettling (in a good way?), and fantastically written. Returning was definitely my favorite, Office Hours was probably my least favorite, and Tomorrow left me wondering what on earth I'd just read.
Highly recommend this!!

Stop! You are making me like short stories and I’m not a short story person. I like borderline long winded stuff with complex storyline! Fine… I liked your short stories very much Ling Ma. You got me. But no, I’m not going to bury myself 6 feet under at night hoping to wake up changed in the morning 😅

Each story is a call for connection and understanding: whether the person is recovering from domestic violence, broken mother daughter relationship, or loneliness in general. Each story represents different levels of measures people take to protect themselves and break free from connectionlessness (don’t know if that’s word). There are so many individual sentences in these stories that have whole world trapped in them only for you to find yourself trapped in them too.

And this is why I love reading books. Because I couldn’t have explained it better: “During the years I lived alone, even in my self-imposed solitude there had been a part of myself I was afraid of. I worked too much, as if it were the only thing, to diminishing returns. Left to my own devices, there was a streak of masochism in my single-minded, obsessive habits. I didn't exercise that much, but when I did, it was in gruesome marathons of overexertion. I didn't eat enough, and when I did, it was in wild, sobering feasts, remembering that I even had a body. I made myself sick. Unregulated, I would have eventually destroyed myself. Yet even knowing this didn't motivate me to change my ways.”

This is a short story collection about...all kinds of things. We have 100 ex-boyfriends living in the house, Yeti lovers, baby arms. I mean. Anything you would never think of. While I am sure some of theses stories went over my head, I still really enjoyed reading them. It has been a few days since I have finished and I will randomly think about certain stories. I have told multiple people in my everyday life about this book.

This definitely won't be for everyone. Her writing style seemed different to me than most writers, but didn't take long to get used to. A lot of the stories endings just stop, which for sure leaving you wanting to know what happens next. At times, this was disappointing because I really wanted to know what happened next!

All in all, it was a good time. Looking forward to reading more of her in the future.

Thank you Ling Ma, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, and NetGalley for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I actually don’t think I can put into words how much this book confused me, and not in a good way… I usually don’t mind being confused in a book as long as it is intentional for the storytelling or serves some sort of purpose in the overarching theme of the book. That being said, I don’t think I was meant to be feeling this way while reading these stories.

This was a major flop for me unfortunately. The only two stories I semi-enjoyed were Yeti Lovemaking and Peking Duck. If it weren’t for those two stories I would have given this book a 1 star rating AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SAY IT

Ling Ma's collection of short stories in "Bliss Montage" are strange and intoxicating and I loved reading through each and every one. Veering just into the fantastical, these works are hard to define but each one of them presented a world within itself, rich in character and setting. It's hard to really properly describe this collection of stories, but what I will say is that I loved it very much and definitely plan to continue coming back to these stories for another taste. I highly recommend.

🌟BLISS MONTAGE🌟 by Ling Ma ~to be published September 13, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ This is one of the best short story collections I have ever read. These stories will linger. A new favorite.

Thank you to @fsgbooks and @netgally for the complimentary advance review copy. All thoughts are my own.

You know how when you go to sell your house, you’re supposed to clear out all of your personal items, paint the walls in neutral colors, choose art that won’t offend anyone, and make it as appealing as possible to a broad audience? Some books are like that, too. They are crowd pleasers with near universal appeal. On the other hand, some spaces are so special, so individual (perhaps even polarizing), and so uniquely designed to your precise tastes that they practically ARE you. This is that book for me.

I love love loved this book. Within two pages I knew I was going to love it. Ma’s writing is so clever, so avant garde, so inquisitive. Through eight stories, Ma explores love and relationships, toxic friendship, the mother-daughter immigrant experience, and the meaning of connection (to a person or a place). The stories are speculative, surreal, absurd, bizarre, sometimes fantastical, and always thought-provoking.

It’s very hard for me to review books that I really connect with – putting the connection I felt into words often takes me months of reflection – but maybe it’s enough for me to say that I will now read everything Ma has written or will ever write (Severance is on my nightstand as I type this).

I have seen some reviewers comment that the narrators of these stories all sound the same. I believe this was a deliberate choice on Ma’s part, and I actually really loved it (the narrator’s voice reminded me of the narrator from Cursed Bunny). I have also seen almost every reviewer comment on that AMAZING cover, and I will add my voice to the universal praise.

In summary, holy expletive this was good.