In “Strange
Objects Museum,” customers can’t help but be drawn to an oddly-shaped saddle.
It couldn’t hurt to take it for a ride, could it?
A surly
flower girl learns more than she bargained for and that “marriage is no child’s
play.”
A 15-year
old recalls her “first time” at a musical auditorium hall. But did it come at a
price?
And can
“immersion” cause a sociological researcher to do something wrong, enticing,
and…addicting?
“The man is always the filthy one, the
corrupter, the one who breaks promises, ruins relationships, messes up his own
life and the lives of those around him. I believe I carry out a form of
justice.” (33)
“At this point women are a tiring
presence in my life: three of them, all under my roof. The scariest one of them
all? My mother-in-law.” (135)
This is not
your typical love tales and rom-coms. Witty and remorsefully candid, stories
reflect on the dark underbelly of love, sex, and relationships within the strict
boundaries of Taiwanese culture. Each story brings lucid insight to the matter.
I enjoyed the variety—stories with drama, secrets, fantasies, revenge, and
blissful irony—as well as the cultural flavor. Chao is a natural story teller, infusing
settings and characters with knowledge and reverence in this well-written
collection.
My rating: 4 stars
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