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A House Is a Body
INTRODUCING A DAZZLING NEW LITERARY VOICE
In two-time O. Henry-prize winner Swamy's debut collection of stories, dreams collide with reality, modernity collides with antiquity, myth with true identity, and women grapple with desire, with ego, with motherhood and mortality. In "Earthly Pleasures," Radika, a young painter living alone in San Francisco, begins a secret romance with one of India's biggest celebrities. In "A Simple Composition," a husband's moment of crisis leads to his wife's discovery of a dark, ecstatic joy and the sense of a new beginning. In the title story, an exhausted mother watches, distracted and paralyzed, as a California wildfire approaches her home. With a knife blade's edge and precision, the stories of A House Is a Body travel from India to America and back again to reveal the small moments of beauty, pain, and power that contain the world.
In two-time O. Henry-prize winner Swamy's debut collection of stories, dreams collide with reality, modernity collides with antiquity, myth with true identity, and women grapple with desire, with ego, with motherhood and mortality. In "Earthly Pleasures," Radika, a young painter living alone in San Francisco, begins a secret romance with one of India's biggest celebrities. In "A Simple Composition," a husband's moment of crisis leads to his wife's discovery of a dark, ecstatic joy and the sense of a new beginning. In the title story, an exhausted mother watches, distracted and paralyzed, as a California wildfire approaches her home. With a knife blade's edge and precision, the stories of A House Is a Body travel from India to America and back again to reveal the small moments of beauty, pain, and power that contain the world.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2020
166 people are currently reading
11549 people want to read
About the author
Shruti Swamy
6 books139 followersThe winner of two O. Henry Awards, Shruti Swamy's work has appeared in The Paris Review, the Kenyon Review Online, Prairie Schooner, and elsewhere. In 2012, she was Vassar College's 50th W.K. Rose Fellow, and has been awarded residencies at the Millay Colony for the Arts, Blue Mountain Center, and Hedgebrook.
She is a Kundiman fiction fellow, a 2017 – 2018 Steinbeck Fellow at San Jose State University, and a recipient of a 2018 grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation. Her story collection A House Is a Body was published in August 2020 from Algonquin Books, and her novel The Archer is forthcoming.
She is a Kundiman fiction fellow, a 2017 – 2018 Steinbeck Fellow at San Jose State University, and a recipient of a 2018 grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation. Her story collection A House Is a Body was published in August 2020 from Algonquin Books, and her novel The Archer is forthcoming.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
March 31, 2024
4 "hazy, self-conscious, everchanging" stars !!!
A ribbon of Excellence read for 2023
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Algonquin books for an ecopy. I am providing an honest review.
This was released August 2020.
I so enjoyed this collection of debut short stories. The true average of this book was 3.5 stars but due to my admiration and immersion of my favorite stories I awarded an additional half star. Six of the twelve stories were awarded 4 to 5 stars and these will be the stories I focus on.
6. Mourners (4 stars)....a beautifully done poetic story on how three family members manage their individual acute grief....both vague and visceral
5. Night Garden (4 stars)...a beloved dog and a fierce cobra...symbolism of a woman's current state of affairs
4. Wedding Season (4 stars)...a beautiful sapphic love story of a brown girl loving a white girl and travelling through India for a family wedding
Bronze. A House is a Body (4.5 stars) a mother, an ill daughter and an encroaching wildfire....
Silver. Earthly pleasures (4.5 stars) an alcoholic young female artist is gently obsessed by a blue tinged godman while confronting her own artistic process and lesbianism...exquisite and almost perfect
Gold. My Brother at the station (5 stars) a conflicted sister and her mixed love of an eccentric younger brother...this one had me crying hotly and fiercely
I so look forward to this woman's literary career...she has plently of room to grow but so far much of her work is already amazing !
A ribbon of Excellence read for 2023
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Algonquin books for an ecopy. I am providing an honest review.
This was released August 2020.
I so enjoyed this collection of debut short stories. The true average of this book was 3.5 stars but due to my admiration and immersion of my favorite stories I awarded an additional half star. Six of the twelve stories were awarded 4 to 5 stars and these will be the stories I focus on.
6. Mourners (4 stars)....a beautifully done poetic story on how three family members manage their individual acute grief....both vague and visceral
5. Night Garden (4 stars)...a beloved dog and a fierce cobra...symbolism of a woman's current state of affairs
4. Wedding Season (4 stars)...a beautiful sapphic love story of a brown girl loving a white girl and travelling through India for a family wedding
Bronze. A House is a Body (4.5 stars) a mother, an ill daughter and an encroaching wildfire....
Silver. Earthly pleasures (4.5 stars) an alcoholic young female artist is gently obsessed by a blue tinged godman while confronting her own artistic process and lesbianism...exquisite and almost perfect
Gold. My Brother at the station (5 stars) a conflicted sister and her mixed love of an eccentric younger brother...this one had me crying hotly and fiercely
I so look forward to this woman's literary career...she has plently of room to grow but so far much of her work is already amazing !
May 24, 2021
A House is a Body is packed with twelve short stories that share a common floor of unavoidable change and the ultimate acceptance of it all as the collection opens doors to many places, perspectives, and possibilities through characters that are dipped in blue.
A woman finds herself blinded by the darkness of depression after being left by her first husband, after the death of her second husband, after having no option left but to live with the unscrupulous younger brother of her late husband because two children needed to survive too. This one leaves a bad taste in mouth but a taste you shouldn't choose to ignore.
The death of a sister and the cries of a baby makes this story about a couple mourning yet living. A prose filled with descriptions of everything blue—blue tiles, blue walls, blue towels, blue skirt, and a blur air. Needless to say, the blueness is synonymous and indicative of the tears that haven't flowed.
A short prose from a sister whose brother has always seen what she and many never can. With a mysterious trail of dark thoughts, conversations that are borderline scary, and an end that doesn't satisfy as much, this story starts off strong but isn't the best.
First of the stories set in antiquity, a queen runs through the rules set for her a woman, the parts she couldn't jump into as a woman, and the unfortunate bits of happiness she gets from a girl in the gardens. Damp with the grief of losing a young son and the appalled looks upon suggesting surrender during a war since death is inevitable, this is one of the best stories.
A mix of mythical and surreal, this story around a young woman meeting the Hindu deity Krishna against an urban backdrop is also painted with blue strokes. The serenity of this mythical realism is gently portrayed by poetically describing even the simple acts of being a human—like crying. One of the longer stories, it stays in the heart for even longer.
Two women in love attend a family wedding where the promised progressiveness of people is challenged when the protagonist's choice doesn't fall within the traditional boundaries. Complexity clashes with simplicity because love is love but isn't deemed as love by everyone around, in this story of sneaking feelings.
A mystifying story of a woman making art out of laughter, displaying it on the canvas of what makes life, of what makes one afraid, of what lies ahead if not nothing. The saddening realities of being a child of immigrants, a daughter who couldn't see her mother during the last moment, a person who wants to cry, and a person who can only laugh. Easily the best of the collection.
One of the experimental ideas, this quick story at the very last is concise, crisp, and curt as it plays a face-off between a cobra and a dog in the dark night, and the conversation which is actually a caustic argument draws highly from a married couple driving towards the destruction of their marriage.
The rest of the stories are intriguing, enticing, and poetically worded but dangle on a bar of personal taste. While each of them hold the possibility of soaring high or falling flat, they do make a tapestry on which the above great stories can shine. Overall, an excellent collection that is meant for lovers of short story, unconventional prose, and unexpected unfolding.
August 11, 2020: it's the release day of this book and finally, I have a copy so super super super excited! thank you, algonquin books.
July 11, 2020: I see south asian authors and I run towards them.
↣ consider reading this review over on my blog!
Blindness ★★★★☆
A woman finds herself blinded by the darkness of depression after being left by her first husband, after the death of her second husband, after having no option left but to live with the unscrupulous younger brother of her late husband because two children needed to survive too. This one leaves a bad taste in mouth but a taste you shouldn't choose to ignore.
Mourners ★★★★☆
The death of a sister and the cries of a baby makes this story about a couple mourning yet living. A prose filled with descriptions of everything blue—blue tiles, blue walls, blue towels, blue skirt, and a blur air. Needless to say, the blueness is synonymous and indicative of the tears that haven't flowed.
My brother at the station ★★★★☆
A short prose from a sister whose brother has always seen what she and many never can. With a mysterious trail of dark thoughts, conversations that are borderline scary, and an end that doesn't satisfy as much, this story starts off strong but isn't the best.
The Siege ★★★★★
First of the stories set in antiquity, a queen runs through the rules set for her a woman, the parts she couldn't jump into as a woman, and the unfortunate bits of happiness she gets from a girl in the gardens. Damp with the grief of losing a young son and the appalled looks upon suggesting surrender during a war since death is inevitable, this is one of the best stories.
Earth Pleasures ★★★★★
A mix of mythical and surreal, this story around a young woman meeting the Hindu deity Krishna against an urban backdrop is also painted with blue strokes. The serenity of this mythical realism is gently portrayed by poetically describing even the simple acts of being a human—like crying. One of the longer stories, it stays in the heart for even longer.
Wedding Season ★★★★★
Two women in love attend a family wedding where the promised progressiveness of people is challenged when the protagonist's choice doesn't fall within the traditional boundaries. Complexity clashes with simplicity because love is love but isn't deemed as love by everyone around, in this story of sneaking feelings.
The Laughter Artist ★★★★★
A mystifying story of a woman making art out of laughter, displaying it on the canvas of what makes life, of what makes one afraid, of what lies ahead if not nothing. The saddening realities of being a child of immigrants, a daughter who couldn't see her mother during the last moment, a person who wants to cry, and a person who can only laugh. Easily the best of the collection.
Night Garden ★★★★☆
One of the experimental ideas, this quick story at the very last is concise, crisp, and curt as it plays a face-off between a cobra and a dog in the dark night, and the conversation which is actually a caustic argument draws highly from a married couple driving towards the destruction of their marriage.
The rest of the stories are intriguing, enticing, and poetically worded but dangle on a bar of personal taste. While each of them hold the possibility of soaring high or falling flat, they do make a tapestry on which the above great stories can shine. Overall, an excellent collection that is meant for lovers of short story, unconventional prose, and unexpected unfolding.
August 11, 2020: it's the release day of this book and finally, I have a copy so super super super excited! thank you, algonquin books.
July 11, 2020: I see south asian authors and I run towards them.
August 15, 2020
A House is a Body is an intimate collection of stories that explores a range of human emotions, conditions and relationships. It is tender and riveting. The prose is simple yet searing. Even though each story embodied a different soul, together these stories came together to reveal a humanity that is full of beauty, hope and pain.
"She was like hearing your own heartbeat. If you stop for a minute and are entirely still you can hear it. All along she's with you, but you never notice until you think to notice."
In this passage Swamy is talking of mothers but in her intuitive way her female characters call to attention many nuanced perspectives of looking at the world.
"When he lifted his eyes to me for a moment I felt the wind knocked out: I was a bell, and he'd rung me."
A House is a Body using electric prose and imagery to bring both the realistic and surreal alive. It is definitely worth your time to pick this book up and steep in its well of emotions.
"She was like hearing your own heartbeat. If you stop for a minute and are entirely still you can hear it. All along she's with you, but you never notice until you think to notice."
In this passage Swamy is talking of mothers but in her intuitive way her female characters call to attention many nuanced perspectives of looking at the world.
"When he lifted his eyes to me for a moment I felt the wind knocked out: I was a bell, and he'd rung me."
A House is a Body using electric prose and imagery to bring both the realistic and surreal alive. It is definitely worth your time to pick this book up and steep in its well of emotions.
August 13, 2020
"A dazzling new literary voice" is right—this collection was stunning, hypnotic, and voyeuristic in the best way.
A House Is a Body by Shruti Swamy is a remarkable collection of short stories. Invasive with its characters, unflinching in its portrayals of the modern Indian woman and her experiences. Some of my favorite stories combined India's mythic roots with modern problems, and others told devastating tales of secrecy and loss.
Some of my favorite stories in the collection:
Earthly Pleasures - 5 stars
A woman meets Krishna, the divine lover in Hindu mythology. Her tale of loneliness, heartbreak , and alcohol intersecting with Krishna's check-ins into her life was beautiful—made even more so by their interesting relationship.
Mourners - 4.5 stars
A heavy-hitter. This tale of one woman's death—no longer a wife, a sister, a mother, a friend—and her family's attempt to salvage the situation as grief spins them out into spirals. Beautiful prose, interesting commentaries on how grief patches itself with grief.
The Laughter Artist - 5 stars
I don't even want to describe this one. It's perfect.
If you're interested in short stories, definitely pick this one up. If you're into feminism, motherhood, women loving women, modern juxtaposed with old... definitely pick this one up.
Thank you to Algonquin Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Instagram
A House Is a Body by Shruti Swamy is a remarkable collection of short stories. Invasive with its characters, unflinching in its portrayals of the modern Indian woman and her experiences. Some of my favorite stories combined India's mythic roots with modern problems, and others told devastating tales of secrecy and loss.
Some of my favorite stories in the collection:
Earthly Pleasures - 5 stars
A woman meets Krishna, the divine lover in Hindu mythology. Her tale of loneliness, heartbreak , and alcohol intersecting with Krishna's check-ins into her life was beautiful—made even more so by their interesting relationship.
Mourners - 4.5 stars
A heavy-hitter. This tale of one woman's death—no longer a wife, a sister, a mother, a friend—and her family's attempt to salvage the situation as grief spins them out into spirals. Beautiful prose, interesting commentaries on how grief patches itself with grief.
The Laughter Artist - 5 stars
I don't even want to describe this one. It's perfect.
If you're interested in short stories, definitely pick this one up. If you're into feminism, motherhood, women loving women, modern juxtaposed with old... definitely pick this one up.
Thank you to Algonquin Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Instagram
December 7, 2020
Shruti Swamy writes with precision and clarity and simplicity, about complicated subjects. I really loved that combination. There is a mastery of the short story form here, an almost classical approach to storytelling, that I also loved. My favorite story in the collection was "Didi," which begins with such an insightful back-and-forth scene between a husband and wife, where in spite of nothing much happening between them, an entire world of feeling and momentum has been established by the end of these opening pages:
"She lifted each item out of the grocery bag carefully, turning each orange over in her slim hands to inspect them or bless them. She took out a large wooden bowl and placed the oranges inside, and she was right to do so; they were beautiful in that bowl..."
I love this writing. It did keep me somewhat at arms' length because of its polish. It's a complicated criticism that I'm not sure I understand completely, myself, even though I'm the one making it, but I think what I mean is that the stories are a little tidy, written in a way where I was never surprised by an out-of-place shocker of a sentence, or a messy explosive scene...and sometimes I wanted to be surprised.
"She lifted each item out of the grocery bag carefully, turning each orange over in her slim hands to inspect them or bless them. She took out a large wooden bowl and placed the oranges inside, and she was right to do so; they were beautiful in that bowl..."
I love this writing. It did keep me somewhat at arms' length because of its polish. It's a complicated criticism that I'm not sure I understand completely, myself, even though I'm the one making it, but I think what I mean is that the stories are a little tidy, written in a way where I was never surprised by an out-of-place shocker of a sentence, or a messy explosive scene...and sometimes I wanted to be surprised.
September 17, 2021
I've been meaning to post a review of this book for a while... I keep coming back to it and glancing through these stories again, because this is one of my favorite short story collections of all time. Up there with George Saunders, Kelly Link and May-Lee Chai. The main word that comes to mind for a lot of these stories is "unmoored" --- Swamy so wonderfully captures the feeling of being a little bit lost in the world, and struggling to be a good adult. I dog-eared so many pages in this book that had gorgeous turns of phrase or lovely passages of prose. Like, "The house is old and shifts on its haunches, settling." And "The eyes of the man were amber with pity under his hat". Swamy's characters screw up in fascinating ways, like putting off evacuating their house in the middle of a forest fire, or sleeping with their dead sister's husband. Swamy creates a series of stories about people who are dislocated, carried along by other people’s desires or confusions. “The Laughter Artist” is a story about someone who has studied how to convey an emotion that she can no longer really feel in any meaningful way, except at unexpected times. In “Earthly Pleasures,” an artist who is descending into alcoholism meets the god Krishna and launches a strange intense friendship. Swamy conveys the feeling of being lost but seen in a really beautiful, arresting way. If you want to know what literary fiction is capable of right now, this book is an excellent window into the genre.
April 16, 2020
This novel consists of a collection of several short stories. As I find with most short story collections, some were more intriguing than others. However, in general I found that this book was just 'not for me'. Most of the stories I just did not understand. Throw in some explicit and unnecessary sexual encounters.... BAM you have a thought provoking, emotional story.... nope sorry, your magic did not work for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Algonquin Books for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Algonquin Books for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2020
Everyone, read this short story collection - I don't usually go for short stories in my read and this one really surprised me and I LOVED IT!! A HOUSE IS A BODY was a riveting collection of deep soul searching stories written in a prose so magical I was immersed into this debut.
A collection of twelve stories spanning the globe set between the United States, India and beyond, with each story unique and touching upon important themes about family, parenthood, sisterhood and brotherhood, and most of all, love. With a dream like quality, and very unique style of writing which I loved and devoured, Swamy transported me through these stories into worlds and experiences both fantastic and mythologic, and reality as well.
The stories were very well written and very poignant. Though this could be read in one sitting, I enjoyed the stories individually taking the time to savor and reflect first, then moving on to the next story. Just like a box of chocolates, each had its own unique flavor and I just never know what I will be getting next, but they were all oh so good.
I highly recommend this amazing short story collection. I am excited to see how you will savor this highly anticipated collection.
A collection of twelve stories spanning the globe set between the United States, India and beyond, with each story unique and touching upon important themes about family, parenthood, sisterhood and brotherhood, and most of all, love. With a dream like quality, and very unique style of writing which I loved and devoured, Swamy transported me through these stories into worlds and experiences both fantastic and mythologic, and reality as well.
The stories were very well written and very poignant. Though this could be read in one sitting, I enjoyed the stories individually taking the time to savor and reflect first, then moving on to the next story. Just like a box of chocolates, each had its own unique flavor and I just never know what I will be getting next, but they were all oh so good.
I highly recommend this amazing short story collection. I am excited to see how you will savor this highly anticipated collection.
August 17, 2020
If you like short stories you should dive in. Beautifully written. I personally liked more the stories that were rooted in reality and wished that the author had expanded more on them. I didn't connect with the fantasy/mythology ones which felt too abstract and difficult to follow.
July 27, 2024
Excellent collection of shorts.
Review to come.
Review to come.
August 11, 2020
Sincere thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
A House is a Body is an extraordinary collection of twelve stories that sparkle in their depth of sensual darkness. Swamy's debut explores vivid narratives that blur the lines of magical realism and character studies.
Not all of the stories are strong, and some like 'The Siege' and 'Didi' seem out of place, but no less intriguing. Easily the star of this collection is 'Earthly Pleasures' in which an artist in San Francisco begins a relationship with the Hindu god, Krishna. This story in particular demonstrates the range and power of Swamy's voice. Blending ancient imagery into a contemporary narrative. It is perfection. All of the stories are introspective with well-crafted characters, a good portion of which are queer! Some stories showcase the absolute love we are all capable of should we only dare, while others flash with anger revealing our deepest fears.
There is a fairytale-like quality to these stories. I recommend reading them like fables, as if each character is a mirror unto ourselves and a guide into a reality previously unexplored. Step into Swamy's world and be changed.
A House is a Body comes out August 11th, 2020
A House is a Body is an extraordinary collection of twelve stories that sparkle in their depth of sensual darkness. Swamy's debut explores vivid narratives that blur the lines of magical realism and character studies.
Not all of the stories are strong, and some like 'The Siege' and 'Didi' seem out of place, but no less intriguing. Easily the star of this collection is 'Earthly Pleasures' in which an artist in San Francisco begins a relationship with the Hindu god, Krishna. This story in particular demonstrates the range and power of Swamy's voice. Blending ancient imagery into a contemporary narrative. It is perfection. All of the stories are introspective with well-crafted characters, a good portion of which are queer! Some stories showcase the absolute love we are all capable of should we only dare, while others flash with anger revealing our deepest fears.
There is a fairytale-like quality to these stories. I recommend reading them like fables, as if each character is a mirror unto ourselves and a guide into a reality previously unexplored. Step into Swamy's world and be changed.
A House is a Body comes out August 11th, 2020
May 17, 2020
I had a really hard time staying engaged with this collection of short stories. I found myself just skimming through after the first couple of stories. Maybe it's me and I just don't understand this style of writing, I just found the stories confusing with no obvious plots. I didn't understand what was going on half the time and there were all these sexual scenarios thrown in for no reason that I could see. I'm no prude but they just didn't seem to lend to the stories much. The stories themselves seemed to just jump around all over the place and sometimes in different voices and I had no idea what was going on or whose perspective I was reading from. They had no clear beginning, middle, or end. It felt like walking into the middle of a conversation, not really knowing much, but then having it abruptly end, but you don't care because you had no idea what was going on anyways. I'm sure there are people out there that will absolutely love this book, but it was not for me.
Thank you to Algonquin Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
Thank you to Algonquin Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
August 19, 2020
Début collection of stories by Shruti Swamy..
Twelve stories that shows loss, love and friendship. I enjoyed some stories. Some stories I couldn’t read to intense.
I want to thank NetGalley, Algonquin Books and Shruti Swamy for this invitation to this Blog Tour with this free arc in exchange of an honest review.
Twelve stories that shows loss, love and friendship. I enjoyed some stories. Some stories I couldn’t read to intense.
I want to thank NetGalley, Algonquin Books and Shruti Swamy for this invitation to this Blog Tour with this free arc in exchange of an honest review.
August 31, 2020
Where do I begin with these stories? I have tried several times to describe how I feel about this book and to be honest I really don’t know what to say, but what I know is that, Swamy, isn’t afraid of experiment. This collection of twelve stories is very unique, some stories had me captivated while others were puzzling. Shifting between continents and cultures, Swamy, did something I don’t see too often, within a few of these stories I felt like she leaving it up to me, the reader, to complete the story and I think that’s where I struggled a bit.
The stories that I enjoyed the most were; My Brother at the Station', 'Wedding Season’, ‘The Neighbors' and 'A House is a Body. These stories were realistic to me, and they made me want more. Be warned there are triggers in this book, such as: sexual assault, rape and some domestic violence.
So overall, I didn’t love or hate this book, it's definitely one for acquired taste. Thank you, Algonquin Books for this gifted copy.
3.5/5 stars
The stories that I enjoyed the most were; My Brother at the Station', 'Wedding Season’, ‘The Neighbors' and 'A House is a Body. These stories were realistic to me, and they made me want more. Be warned there are triggers in this book, such as: sexual assault, rape and some domestic violence.
So overall, I didn’t love or hate this book, it's definitely one for acquired taste. Thank you, Algonquin Books for this gifted copy.
3.5/5 stars
July 15, 2020
You all know I ABSOLUTELY LOVE short stories. Starting August 9th there will be a blog tour for A House is a Body and it can be found on Instagram and Twitter @algonquinbooks and @theshruster! Check it out! Absolutely well worth it and you know I am stingy with my stars! I'm so happy to spread the word on these excellent stories!
August 12, 2020
I really struggled to rate this book. While I really liked this author's writing -- it was almost hypnotic in its poetry -- I didn't find myself particularly drawn to many of the stories. I even read several more than once to try and get a deeper handle on what she was saying, but I fear many of these stories will not stay with me very long. I'm finding most of them difficult to remember even the day after finishing this collection.
Out of all the stories, I found Mourners to be one of the few I think I liked. Perhaps, the title story as well. These two stories about the absent mother -- although different in how the mothers were absent, physically v. emotionally. However, while I know the author is going for deeper meaning, I just couldn't get there in my own reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc of this book. It has not influenced my review.
Out of all the stories, I found Mourners to be one of the few I think I liked. Perhaps, the title story as well. These two stories about the absent mother -- although different in how the mothers were absent, physically v. emotionally. However, while I know the author is going for deeper meaning, I just couldn't get there in my own reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc of this book. It has not influenced my review.
January 3, 2026
A House is a Body is a debut short story collection by Shruti Swamy. And what a strong debut it is! These stories are mostly centered around female characters in settings ranging from India to the US. The stand out central commonality between the stories for me was a dreamlike quality. Right now, the one that is standing out in my mind is the titular story, where a young mom is overwhelmed by motherhood and the raging wildfire that is approaching her house.
The stories were all very honest...almost raw with their look at humanity and all that it encompasses: love, loneliness, sadness, sexuality, fear. The author is not at all timid with her writing. It was refreshing to see such a searing look at the lives and minds of female Indian characters. The stories were both realistic and magical, which all played into that aforementioned dreamlike quality.
I highly recommend this collection!
Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy!
The stories were all very honest...almost raw with their look at humanity and all that it encompasses: love, loneliness, sadness, sexuality, fear. The author is not at all timid with her writing. It was refreshing to see such a searing look at the lives and minds of female Indian characters. The stories were both realistic and magical, which all played into that aforementioned dreamlike quality.
I highly recommend this collection!
Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy!
October 20, 2020
A House With No Body is Shruti Swamy’s debut collection of story stories that eerie, fresh, dreamy, a bit dark but overall leaves an impact. There are 12 stories some set in the US and others in India, but all are told from the perspective of a female character.
I am such a huge fan of short story collection for me this is the perfect way for me to read. One book with 12 different experiences and characters. I can explain my love for reading short story collection from high school day and it’s poured into my “adult life’.
Some of my favorites were:
Wedding Season
The Neighbors
While I did not LOVE every single story, and yes, others fell flat, overall it is a promising debut and I look forward to reading more from this author.
I am such a huge fan of short story collection for me this is the perfect way for me to read. One book with 12 different experiences and characters. I can explain my love for reading short story collection from high school day and it’s poured into my “adult life’.
Some of my favorites were:
Wedding Season
The Neighbors
While I did not LOVE every single story, and yes, others fell flat, overall it is a promising debut and I look forward to reading more from this author.
October 5, 2020
Review soon!
January 17, 2022
I thought this was a fresh and quirky collection of stories. Each story is innovative and differs from its siblings.
The book is a quick read and the stories range from short to very short. The author packs a lot in. She consistently creates this build up, winding the spring to a certain tension. Then there is an exhalation, a release. She uses irony or seeming contradiction or opposition to make a point.
My favorite stories were: The Siege, Earthly Pleasures, My Brother at the Station, and Wedding Season.
The writing is wondrous. She takes ordinary words and refashions them to become music or some shiny scalpel. I gasped in awe several times by how she crafted such language and imagery. She is very adept at word choices; it's very intentional and artful. Note also how she uses punctuation. The commas, semicolons, and colons produce a type of poetry; it's as if they are words themselves.
Several quotes:
...It was then the feeling arrived, but on those nights she had felt only the first pricks of it, the way a person crushed to death by stones might enjoy the first on his chest, the pleasant heaviness of the, the way they make the body feel smaller, or held in an embrace.
...Each morning she will wake with the metallic stain of absence on her tongue.
...Soon she is asleep. The house is soaked in night: night has contracted like a fist around the house. No matter. They can light every lamp in the house until morning burns.
Slowly I started to become aware of the dead, gathered in the corners of the house. I couldn't see them, but I sensed them the way you know someone is standing behind you before you turn around to look....
...At that time in my pregnancy, we wore each other like a kind of weather, the child and me, my moods, I imagined, passing over her like wind or rain, and her movements wild inside me some mornings like an electrical storm.
...His face had the keen quality of a person reading a book, which is to say it did not look bored, nor occupied in its own thoughts, rather, it was fully present in the direction it pointed....But I did not know how to be around animals or ghosts. I held them too tightly. The trick, I think, is to show some interest, but not too much wanting. But what did you do with all that wanting?
...A simple composition, like the one he chose for me, became something else in the belly of his sitar, something distilled to its essence. It was longing for god, or the longing for perfection. The longing for childhood or mother, the longing for lost days, or for a lover. His notes were never singular; he bent them into each other, playing just as time passes, one moment blending into the next. When he finished I could see tears in his eyes.
The book is a quick read and the stories range from short to very short. The author packs a lot in. She consistently creates this build up, winding the spring to a certain tension. Then there is an exhalation, a release. She uses irony or seeming contradiction or opposition to make a point.
My favorite stories were: The Siege, Earthly Pleasures, My Brother at the Station, and Wedding Season.
The writing is wondrous. She takes ordinary words and refashions them to become music or some shiny scalpel. I gasped in awe several times by how she crafted such language and imagery. She is very adept at word choices; it's very intentional and artful. Note also how she uses punctuation. The commas, semicolons, and colons produce a type of poetry; it's as if they are words themselves.
Several quotes:
...It was then the feeling arrived, but on those nights she had felt only the first pricks of it, the way a person crushed to death by stones might enjoy the first on his chest, the pleasant heaviness of the, the way they make the body feel smaller, or held in an embrace.
...Each morning she will wake with the metallic stain of absence on her tongue.
...Soon she is asleep. The house is soaked in night: night has contracted like a fist around the house. No matter. They can light every lamp in the house until morning burns.
Slowly I started to become aware of the dead, gathered in the corners of the house. I couldn't see them, but I sensed them the way you know someone is standing behind you before you turn around to look....
...At that time in my pregnancy, we wore each other like a kind of weather, the child and me, my moods, I imagined, passing over her like wind or rain, and her movements wild inside me some mornings like an electrical storm.
...His face had the keen quality of a person reading a book, which is to say it did not look bored, nor occupied in its own thoughts, rather, it was fully present in the direction it pointed....But I did not know how to be around animals or ghosts. I held them too tightly. The trick, I think, is to show some interest, but not too much wanting. But what did you do with all that wanting?
...A simple composition, like the one he chose for me, became something else in the belly of his sitar, something distilled to its essence. It was longing for god, or the longing for perfection. The longing for childhood or mother, the longing for lost days, or for a lover. His notes were never singular; he bent them into each other, playing just as time passes, one moment blending into the next. When he finished I could see tears in his eyes.
May 30, 2020
This is a beautifully crafted, insightful collection of stories dripping in surrealism.
Her poetic prose and dreamlike imagery pulls you into the stories and holds you captive. Some stories such as 'The Siege' and 'Earthly Pleasures' focus on mythology, others such as 'The Neighbors' and 'A House is a Body' are rooted more in reality, while others such as 'Blindness' blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Each story is unique in its own right, but the underlying theme in them all is tragedy. Varying aspects of grief, loss and trauma are explored and with stunning insight. Particularly powerful in these sediments are 'My Brother at the Station' and 'Wedding Season.'
Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Her poetic prose and dreamlike imagery pulls you into the stories and holds you captive. Some stories such as 'The Siege' and 'Earthly Pleasures' focus on mythology, others such as 'The Neighbors' and 'A House is a Body' are rooted more in reality, while others such as 'Blindness' blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Each story is unique in its own right, but the underlying theme in them all is tragedy. Varying aspects of grief, loss and trauma are explored and with stunning insight. Particularly powerful in these sediments are 'My Brother at the Station' and 'Wedding Season.'
Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2020
I am tired of Indian authors who write like the entire world’s weight lies on their shoulders, and leaving it upto the readers to understand the origin of this weight, what's causing it and how to remove it - that is how I feel whenever I read one of these convoluted ‘short’ stories. Paraphrasing from the book blurb on Goodreads, stop ‘making dreams collide with reality’, just narrate reality the way normal people can understand instead of pandering to literary critics who may see a rose blooming from a rock, even though it may be nothing more than fungus.
September 12, 2024
These stories are like pressing your forehead into a cool glass of water and looking at the world through droplets. It is disorienting but also oddly satisfying. Each story focuses on different South Asian women's experiences of marriage, pregnancy, girlhood, romance, and intimacy. I am excited to read more.
August 12, 2020
The short stories in this collection brought the author’s appreciation and memories of India vividly to life.
The beautiful use of language in these stories made them so compelling to read. No two stories were similar. They told of memories from childhood, marriage, motherhood, and love. Most of the stories took place in India. Those that did not talked of memories from India. The nostalgia was touching and descriptive.
Of the twelve stories in the collection, “My Brother at the Station,” in which the narrator discusses memories of her brother from childhood into adulthood, and “Wedding Season,” with two females lovers trying to fit in around a family’s traditional Indian wedding, both stood out as most memorable. That was a hard distinction to make, and many of the stories left an impression.
Overall, I’d give this short story collection 4 out of 5 stars. The word choices were powerful and evocative. I’d recommend these stories to adults who enjoy Indian stories and literary fiction.
The beautiful use of language in these stories made them so compelling to read. No two stories were similar. They told of memories from childhood, marriage, motherhood, and love. Most of the stories took place in India. Those that did not talked of memories from India. The nostalgia was touching and descriptive.
Of the twelve stories in the collection, “My Brother at the Station,” in which the narrator discusses memories of her brother from childhood into adulthood, and “Wedding Season,” with two females lovers trying to fit in around a family’s traditional Indian wedding, both stood out as most memorable. That was a hard distinction to make, and many of the stories left an impression.
Overall, I’d give this short story collection 4 out of 5 stars. The word choices were powerful and evocative. I’d recommend these stories to adults who enjoy Indian stories and literary fiction.
May 18, 2020
A fantastic collection, just a stunning debut. Shruti Swamy deals so beautifully with characters who are navigating lives often touched by loss, whether it be of a brother or child, a wife, a sister, or just the loss of a time before they were locked into an oppressiveness, a situation they never imagined. The loss of a time when their lives seemed boundless. Sometimes the grief seems unbearable, as related by one character after losing her son: "I died for a long time. But I opened my eyes and found that I was still living." And so we all must find a way to continue even when it seems impossible, and this collection deftly illustrates those attempts, sometimes in strange ways, such as in the wonderful story, "The Laughter Artist." Moving across locations from India, to San Francisco, Germany, and beyond, this collection captures characters in their realist moments as they work through lives that have shifted and altered. While many of the stories deal with forms of grief or loss, longing, other stories provide beautiful visions of love blooming and building, such as in "Wedding Season," offering elegant moments of tenderness. A wonderful collection of stories.
August 18, 2020
Between India and United States, A HOUSE IS A BODY is a short story collection that, through a mix of reality and mythology, touches issues of family, parenthood, love, identity, helplessness, liberation and grief.
Swamy's writing is infused with Indian culture and I enjoyed learning more while reading these unique stories. They are fun yet at the same time, dark; sometimes exuding intense feelings beneath words and impacting the readers in a different way. I particularly appreciated reading the subject of motherhood the most.
Having said that, I was more invested in some stories since few of them were confusing and others felt short. Also some stories felt “random” for me and I didn’t know what point the author was trying to convey.
Although it didn’t work for me, A HOUSE IS A BODY would be great for readers who enjoy thought-provoking short stories with a pinch of Indian culture.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review ]
Swamy's writing is infused with Indian culture and I enjoyed learning more while reading these unique stories. They are fun yet at the same time, dark; sometimes exuding intense feelings beneath words and impacting the readers in a different way. I particularly appreciated reading the subject of motherhood the most.
Having said that, I was more invested in some stories since few of them were confusing and others felt short. Also some stories felt “random” for me and I didn’t know what point the author was trying to convey.
Although it didn’t work for me, A HOUSE IS A BODY would be great for readers who enjoy thought-provoking short stories with a pinch of Indian culture.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review ]
May 31, 2020
I read this as an ARC.
I felt this short story collection was full of undeveloped good ideas. It is fine to write a really short story, but it felt like these stories were so short just to avoid having to delve deeper into the characters or resolve any issues. The story I liked the best was one of the longer ones and I thought it was really haunting.
I felt this short story collection was full of undeveloped good ideas. It is fine to write a really short story, but it felt like these stories were so short just to avoid having to delve deeper into the characters or resolve any issues. The story I liked the best was one of the longer ones and I thought it was really haunting.
April 22, 2020
A lovely collection of short stories. I am not usually a short story person, I like my stories longer. However I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book. The stories were confusing at times and sometimes hard to get into but it was a nice read.
June 23, 2022
rep: Indian and Indian American cast, sapphic mcs
tw: sexual assault
those stories make you feel like you're rushing towards an end you can't even see, but at the same time, they remind you of the safeness of home
tw: sexual assault
those stories make you feel like you're rushing towards an end you can't even see, but at the same time, they remind you of the safeness of home
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