Organ Meats: A Novel

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC (my first!)I’m a huge fan of K-Ming Chang, I’ve read all her books. In general, my favorite thing about her writing is her creative and poetic use of language, which pops off the page. Reading this felt like coming back to an old friend, yet I still experience wonder at her ideas and turns of phrase.These books are heavy magical realism, and in Bestiary I had a hard time following sometimes. This book has some improvements in structure and craft, most notably the use of multiple narrators, that made this feel more like a novel where I was actually invested in the plot. Part of the challenge of a magical realism book narrated by a very credulous child is that it can come across as just regurgitation of myth and imagination, and here that is successfully avoided.The themes of Chang’s work are always around dislocation, mythology and history, and girlhood. The main plot, between Rainie and Anita, is about bonds between people and what they mean (and how that can be different to each person), and is used to demonstrate how history/myth is tessellated between families. The stories complement and conflict but are only complete together.I’d like to touch on the symbolism, because the language does give any given section many meanings. We have woman-headed dogs or dog-headed women, trees (esp sycamore and banana), red thread, an island that flips between the top and bottom, orchids and organs. Blood and hair. These are used to bring in both factual history (Chang is the only writer I’ve read on Taiwan’s indigenous people) and the concept of one’s family or peoples history (the chapters narrated by the chorus of dogs). Men are rare and women are myths, but also very real, and also a metaphor for the colonization of the island.Altogether, this is her best book yet. In the acknowledgements she mentions that she considers these three works a triptych of sorts, and I agree. I’m not sure how much my reading experience is improved by the context of having read her other books. However, if you only read one. I would recommend this one. Content warning for poop and rot and general grossness.

If this book was 100 pages shorter it would be perfect. But after a while it gets very hard to follow.The parts that I loved, I LOVED.

Lyrical, visceral, gorgeous, biting, furious, compelling. Such a gorgeous story packed with folklore and queer desire!

This is one of those books that I think that I would have enjoyed much more on audio, and if I do get an audio copy I will update my review.This book is odd and reminded me in a way of Natural Beauty (another reason I think I’d prefer it on audio). The book was meaningful, lyrical and weird. Probably the strangest book I have ever read. However, I just didn’t get it most of the time and was so confused. I didn’t understand why there was so much spit and other bodily fluids…just why? This book also touches on some really triggering subject. I sometimes am more emotional about animal cruelty and have a shorter threshold than when it comes to similar things against humans, that was the case here.Like I said, beautiful but so confusing and I did ultimately DNF this book. I do hope that I can listen to this one on audio later, and like I said if I do I will revisit this review.

This was a harder book for me. Surrealism is not my jam. But I think people who have enjoyed her other books wiil like this too!I just reviewed Organ Meats by K-Ming Chang. #OrganMeats #NetGalley