Description

‘Ravishingly beautiful’ Observer
‘Excruciatingly honest and yet vibrantly creative’ Irish Times
‘Provocative and rich’ Economist
‘Daring, chilling, and unlike anything else you’ve ever read’ Esquire
‘An absolute must-read’ Stylist

WINNER OF THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2021

‘A masterpiece. Proceed with caution’ Phoebe Bridgers

In the Dream House is Carmen Maria Machado’s engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad. Tracing the full arc of a harrowing experience with a charismatic but volatile woman, this is a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse.

Each chapter views the relationship through a different lens, as Machado holds events up to the light and examines them from distinct angles. She casts a critical eye over legal proceedings, fairy tales, Star Trek and Disney villains, as well as iconic works of film and fiction, infusing all with her characteristic wit, playfulness and openness to enquiry. The result is a powerful book that explodes our ideas about what a memoir can do and be.

Publisher Review

A tender, incandescent memoir like no other. There’s no doubt that Machado is one of the brightest literary talents around. — Johanna Thomas-Corr * Observer * Absolutely remarkable … What makes this book truly exceptional is how Machado creates an archive where, shamefully, there is none — Roxane Gay This book is devastating. Machado is a sublime, phenomenal, breathtakingly good writer and a new work by her is a momentous occasion. — Daisy Johnson