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Self-Portrait with Ghost: Short Stories
“A knockout short story collection...Each one of these 10 dizzyingly immersive stories offers up a heady and visceral portrait of what ails us, from isolation and self-doubt, to unrequited love and regret over what might have been, to what it means to be (and to be considered) an American." -- San Francisco Chronicle Meng Jin’s critically acclaimed debut novel, Little Gods, was praised as “spectacular and emotionally polyphonic (Omar El-Akkad, BookPage ), “powerful” ( Washington Post ), and “meticulously observed, daringly imagined” (Claire Messud). Now Jin turns her considerable talents to short fiction, in ten thematically linked stories. Written during the turbulent years of the Trump administration and the first year of the pandemic, these stories explore intimacy and isolation, coming-of-age and coming to terms with the repercussions of past mistakes, fraying relationships and surprising moments of connection. Moving between San Francisco and China, and from unsparing realism to genre-bending delight, Self-Portrait with Ghost considers what it means to live in an age of heightened self-consciousness, seemingly endless access to knowledge, and little actual power. Page-turning, thought-provoking, and wholly unique, Self-Portrait with Ghost further establishes Meng Jin as a writer who “reminds us that possible explanations in our universe are as varied as the beings who populate it” ( Paris Review ).
224 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2022
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January 28, 2023
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3 ¼ stars
Sly and surreal Self-Portrait with Ghost makes for a playfully weird and refreshingly inventive collection of short stories. Like most collections, not all of its stories are created equal, as there are a couple, especially the shorter ones last, that are rather forgettable.
The most effective stories were the ones that, although characterized by a whimsical & off-beat tone, contained surprising moments of introspection and incisiveness. The surreal elements within these narratives are rendered all the more peculiar by Meng Jin’s deadpan delivery. In ‘Philip Is Dead’, our narrator recollects her relationship with Philip, a solipsistic artist who would routinely use her for his art or during his creative process. Convinced of his brilliance, he consistently failed to see the narrator’s own potential and talent. In ‘Suffering’ Ling, a single mother begins an online exchange with Mr. Fu, an older man. As soon as the two attempts to meet IRL, someone begins poisoning Ling’s favorite cream. In ‘Self-Portrait with Ghost’ our narrator, a writer, finds herself ‘haunted’ by a childhood friend, who challenges her understanding of real and unreal. In ‘First Love’ a woman, employed by her friend to look after her child, falls for X. The two knew each other growing up and have once again found one another so their rekindling is bittersweet. While most of the previous stories are set in China, ‘Selena and Ruthie’ transports us to America where we follow Selena, a Chinese American girl with a promising voice. She becomes fast friends with Ruthie, who also sings in the chorus. Ruthie and her ‘cool’ mother offer an escape for Selena, who lives with her widowed father. As Selena becomes more engrossed in Ruthie, she begins to draw away from her only friend, Helen. This short story was one of my favorites, as it presents us with a compelling coming-of-age exploring sexuality, identity, and unrequited love. Many of these stories feature characters who are attempting to gain self-knowledge as they navigate their regrets, jealousies, and desires. Past mistakes and disappointments encroach on their present-day lives, sometimes in the guise of actual ghosts. Otherness, whether stemming from one's queerness and/or one's cultural background, is also a motif in this collection, as time and again we follow characters who are lonely & disconnected. Death, beauty, and creativity are other recurring themes, and Jin explores these with ingenuity.
Meng Jin plays around with perspective and narrative modes but her language always retains a wry tone, which often enhances a story’s absurd elements and moments. I can definitely see this collection appealing to fans of authors like Kevin Wilson, Helen Oyeyemi, and Hiromi Kawakami.
3 ¼ stars
Sly and surreal Self-Portrait with Ghost makes for a playfully weird and refreshingly inventive collection of short stories. Like most collections, not all of its stories are created equal, as there are a couple, especially the shorter ones last, that are rather forgettable.
The most effective stories were the ones that, although characterized by a whimsical & off-beat tone, contained surprising moments of introspection and incisiveness. The surreal elements within these narratives are rendered all the more peculiar by Meng Jin’s deadpan delivery. In ‘Philip Is Dead’, our narrator recollects her relationship with Philip, a solipsistic artist who would routinely use her for his art or during his creative process. Convinced of his brilliance, he consistently failed to see the narrator’s own potential and talent. In ‘Suffering’ Ling, a single mother begins an online exchange with Mr. Fu, an older man. As soon as the two attempts to meet IRL, someone begins poisoning Ling’s favorite cream. In ‘Self-Portrait with Ghost’ our narrator, a writer, finds herself ‘haunted’ by a childhood friend, who challenges her understanding of real and unreal. In ‘First Love’ a woman, employed by her friend to look after her child, falls for X. The two knew each other growing up and have once again found one another so their rekindling is bittersweet. While most of the previous stories are set in China, ‘Selena and Ruthie’ transports us to America where we follow Selena, a Chinese American girl with a promising voice. She becomes fast friends with Ruthie, who also sings in the chorus. Ruthie and her ‘cool’ mother offer an escape for Selena, who lives with her widowed father. As Selena becomes more engrossed in Ruthie, she begins to draw away from her only friend, Helen. This short story was one of my favorites, as it presents us with a compelling coming-of-age exploring sexuality, identity, and unrequited love. Many of these stories feature characters who are attempting to gain self-knowledge as they navigate their regrets, jealousies, and desires. Past mistakes and disappointments encroach on their present-day lives, sometimes in the guise of actual ghosts. Otherness, whether stemming from one's queerness and/or one's cultural background, is also a motif in this collection, as time and again we follow characters who are lonely & disconnected. Death, beauty, and creativity are other recurring themes, and Jin explores these with ingenuity.
Meng Jin plays around with perspective and narrative modes but her language always retains a wry tone, which often enhances a story’s absurd elements and moments. I can definitely see this collection appealing to fans of authors like Kevin Wilson, Helen Oyeyemi, and Hiromi Kawakami.
July 11, 2022
3.5 stars
Self-Portrait with Ghost is a strange and elusive collection, slippery and compelling, defying easy understanding and so drawing your attention all the more.
First: Jin's writing is so impressive, at times keen and direct, at others more reflective and analytical. Her stories are elusive in the sense that they don't easily give you that aha moment at their end, that moment that clinches together the whole point of the story and, in doing so, makes it immediately understandable. Instead, they make you look twice, go back and try to put your finger on what eluded you the first time, or else try to make sure that what you got out of the story was in fact in line with what it was trying to do. More than anything, they're just really interesting stories: I didn't fully "get" all of them, but rather than that alienating me, it just drew me to them all the more. I didn't "get" all of them, but I wanted to--and that's what ultimately made them so compelling to me.
Though all distinct in their own ways, these stories also feel like they're echoes of each other, particularly in the way that some of them reconfigure themes and ideas from other stories. "Suffering" and "Self-Portrait with Ghost," for example, both deal with the troubled (?) distinction between reality and unreality, what is real and what is not. In the former story, the narrator attempts to give us an account of Ling, a woman overtaken by an increasing sense of paranoia; in the latter, the narrator encounters the ghost of her dead friend, who forces her to question her approach to her academic work. "Philip is Dead" and "First Love" are another pair that felt complementary to me, both stories that explore how romantic relationships shape--or indeed warp--your sense of self. Where "Philip is Dead" examines this in the context of artistic practice, "First Love" delves more into the nature of want and longing.
Thematically, the stories of Self-Portrait with Ghost are concerned with how we know ourselves through others: in contrast to others, in opposition to them, in imitation of them, or simply alongside them. It's a collection that's interested in how we construct our sense of self not just through relationships--friends, lovers, family members--but also through narrative and art more broadly. In some stories like "Suffering," "First Love," and "The Three Women," this is more of a thematic focus, whereas in a story like "The Odd Women," it's very much literalized through the inclusion of speculative elements (the only story that's overtly speculative). When it comes to thematic focus, the title of the collection also effectively gestures at what it's interested in exploring: "Self-Portrait with Ghost" speaks to how self-portraits, this conception of our selves by our selves, can be based on illusory images we may have of ourselves, or even of others. (That's my interpretation anyway ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
My favourite stories were "Suffering," "First Love," and "The Odd Women," though honestly I felt like all of them had something that I liked or was drawn to. "The Odd Women" is the real standout here, in my opinion. It's the longest story, and the most ambitious one, and it absolutely sticks the landing--which is doubly great, because it's also the concluding story, ending the collection with a nice flourish.
Self-Portrait with Ghost was a collection whose stories I wasn't necessarily emotionally invested in, but rather one that intellectually engaged me; a "thinking" book more than a "feeling" book--and a really great one at that.
Self-Portrait with Ghost is a strange and elusive collection, slippery and compelling, defying easy understanding and so drawing your attention all the more.
First: Jin's writing is so impressive, at times keen and direct, at others more reflective and analytical. Her stories are elusive in the sense that they don't easily give you that aha moment at their end, that moment that clinches together the whole point of the story and, in doing so, makes it immediately understandable. Instead, they make you look twice, go back and try to put your finger on what eluded you the first time, or else try to make sure that what you got out of the story was in fact in line with what it was trying to do. More than anything, they're just really interesting stories: I didn't fully "get" all of them, but rather than that alienating me, it just drew me to them all the more. I didn't "get" all of them, but I wanted to--and that's what ultimately made them so compelling to me.
Though all distinct in their own ways, these stories also feel like they're echoes of each other, particularly in the way that some of them reconfigure themes and ideas from other stories. "Suffering" and "Self-Portrait with Ghost," for example, both deal with the troubled (?) distinction between reality and unreality, what is real and what is not. In the former story, the narrator attempts to give us an account of Ling, a woman overtaken by an increasing sense of paranoia; in the latter, the narrator encounters the ghost of her dead friend, who forces her to question her approach to her academic work. "Philip is Dead" and "First Love" are another pair that felt complementary to me, both stories that explore how romantic relationships shape--or indeed warp--your sense of self. Where "Philip is Dead" examines this in the context of artistic practice, "First Love" delves more into the nature of want and longing.
"Alone, she inched toward that feeling. It was painful, unbearable, to not have another against which to orient herself. It was also the closest she felt to free."
Thematically, the stories of Self-Portrait with Ghost are concerned with how we know ourselves through others: in contrast to others, in opposition to them, in imitation of them, or simply alongside them. It's a collection that's interested in how we construct our sense of self not just through relationships--friends, lovers, family members--but also through narrative and art more broadly. In some stories like "Suffering," "First Love," and "The Three Women," this is more of a thematic focus, whereas in a story like "The Odd Women," it's very much literalized through the inclusion of speculative elements (the only story that's overtly speculative). When it comes to thematic focus, the title of the collection also effectively gestures at what it's interested in exploring: "Self-Portrait with Ghost" speaks to how self-portraits, this conception of our selves by our selves, can be based on illusory images we may have of ourselves, or even of others. (That's my interpretation anyway ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
"Who are they, and who is he? The patches on Ling's face are real--this I can see. So she has summoned me in, to read her life, so what is boring and endless might achieve the grace of plot. Because I do pity Ling, pity her suffering and its intractability, how she's wound her life around herself in these most exquisitely foolproof chains. I pity her so much, I envy her. Would my own mind ever be capable of such imaginative feats as these?"
My favourite stories were "Suffering," "First Love," and "The Odd Women," though honestly I felt like all of them had something that I liked or was drawn to. "The Odd Women" is the real standout here, in my opinion. It's the longest story, and the most ambitious one, and it absolutely sticks the landing--which is doubly great, because it's also the concluding story, ending the collection with a nice flourish.
Self-Portrait with Ghost was a collection whose stories I wasn't necessarily emotionally invested in, but rather one that intellectually engaged me; a "thinking" book more than a "feeling" book--and a really great one at that.
August 10, 2022
These are quirky stories, some of which I liked more than others. IMHO, however, the one story which should not be missed is the last one "The Odd Women." It is extraordinary.
November 29, 2022
Phewww.....
That was indeed, a bloody collection! I can't fathom how much the last story impacted me, to a point that I got goosebumps just thinking about it.
There's something about Meng Jin's writing that feels ethereal. If you're reading it in one glance without thinking about it too much, you'll find that the story is mundane, and has no absolute plot; but when you delved in deeper, there's so much to the story than just the surface. Jin dives into the subject of self-identity, to a point that it felt suffocating in some stories; how we can't seem to find ourselves in the midst of chaos in the world.
The recurring theme for all the stories are the question of loneliness, and how as oneself; we try to make ourselves useful to others in order to not 'lose' ourselves altogether. The elements of magical realism, mixed with representation of Asian culture makes the collection of stories unique. Whilst there are some stories that made you feel like ...... "Am i the dumb one?" ; I feel that its best to appreciate the writing as it is told without thinking too much about it.
Amongst the 10 stories, my TOP FAVOURITE would be the last of the story , which is entitled Odd Women, and I absolutely LOVED how Jin plays around with the characters and the possibility of oneself to have different powers. It has hints of fantasy and I feel that Jin wrote out and concludes the whole collection beautifully with the last story; on how humans still searches for oneself through multiple lenses and it can lead to a question of identity crisis and the constant feeling of never being enough. This story had impacted me so much, I still think about it until now and get goosebumps.
Another top stories that I liked is the title of the book the itself, which is Self-Portrait with Ghosts. I love how art is one of the constant topics that is written by the author, and the line between reality and what is not is interpreted differently by the human mind. I love that there's a sense of warmth and nostalgia to the story but also ; its somewhat told the story as a whole; how perception can either be humans best friend or worst nightmare.
Overall, this collection of short stories are a hit and miss for some, but mostly, it had impacted me and left me something deep to think about. You might need to dive deeper into some stories, but mostly, Jin's writing is definitely exquisite. Loved it!
Personal Ratings : 4🌟
Biggest thank you to Times Reads for this copy! I absolutely loved it :)
That was indeed, a bloody collection! I can't fathom how much the last story impacted me, to a point that I got goosebumps just thinking about it.
"It was useful to fracture yourself, but what happened when you wanted again to be whole? And how is it possible to still feel lonely in a house full of bodies?
There's something about Meng Jin's writing that feels ethereal. If you're reading it in one glance without thinking about it too much, you'll find that the story is mundane, and has no absolute plot; but when you delved in deeper, there's so much to the story than just the surface. Jin dives into the subject of self-identity, to a point that it felt suffocating in some stories; how we can't seem to find ourselves in the midst of chaos in the world.
The recurring theme for all the stories are the question of loneliness, and how as oneself; we try to make ourselves useful to others in order to not 'lose' ourselves altogether. The elements of magical realism, mixed with representation of Asian culture makes the collection of stories unique. Whilst there are some stories that made you feel like ...... "Am i the dumb one?" ; I feel that its best to appreciate the writing as it is told without thinking too much about it.
Amongst the 10 stories, my TOP FAVOURITE would be the last of the story , which is entitled Odd Women, and I absolutely LOVED how Jin plays around with the characters and the possibility of oneself to have different powers. It has hints of fantasy and I feel that Jin wrote out and concludes the whole collection beautifully with the last story; on how humans still searches for oneself through multiple lenses and it can lead to a question of identity crisis and the constant feeling of never being enough. This story had impacted me so much, I still think about it until now and get goosebumps.
Another top stories that I liked is the title of the book the itself, which is Self-Portrait with Ghosts. I love how art is one of the constant topics that is written by the author, and the line between reality and what is not is interpreted differently by the human mind. I love that there's a sense of warmth and nostalgia to the story but also ; its somewhat told the story as a whole; how perception can either be humans best friend or worst nightmare.
Overall, this collection of short stories are a hit and miss for some, but mostly, it had impacted me and left me something deep to think about. You might need to dive deeper into some stories, but mostly, Jin's writing is definitely exquisite. Loved it!
Personal Ratings : 4🌟
Biggest thank you to Times Reads for this copy! I absolutely loved it :)
August 20, 2022
Self Portrait with Ghost is a collection of ten short stories written by Meng Jin, most set against the backdrop of a global pandemic and the turbulent years of Trump presidency. While the collection tackles a wide range of topics, which include art, grief, racism, pandemic, relationship and belonging, identity seems to be the common thread that connects all of the stories in this book. Each story is rich and precise in its portrayal of identity, whether in connection to oneself or others. I also loved how this collection brims with subjectivity and ambiguous narratives, which in my opinion makes for a good, refreshing discussion with friends.
”Death is the certainty of life. The one thing every person can be sure to accomplish, regardless of circumstances of birth.”
There was not a single story in this book that I didn’t like but there were two in particular that I kept thinking about. The first one, Self-Portrait with Ghost is about a writer who encounters the ghost of his aunt who has been dead for sixteen years. Her aunt was labelled “crazy” by the society and she wonders whether she had ever made light of what her aunt went through when she was alive. The second story, Odd Women, was the real deal. It follows three women with a unique ability (or curse, you decide) that allows each of them to become immaterial at will, adopts shape that reflects the needs of other people and divides oneself into many entities; and how they live with these abilities. See what I mean? Smart.
In conclusion, Self-Portrait With Ghost reminded me why I love reading fiction: I get to experience magnificent writing, imaginative story telling and the various human condition and emotion with which I may be able to relate and identify with. I have not read Meng Jin’s Little Gods, but clearly I need to get a copy. Thank you Times Read for the review copy. Appreciate it.
”Death is the certainty of life. The one thing every person can be sure to accomplish, regardless of circumstances of birth.”
There was not a single story in this book that I didn’t like but there were two in particular that I kept thinking about. The first one, Self-Portrait with Ghost is about a writer who encounters the ghost of his aunt who has been dead for sixteen years. Her aunt was labelled “crazy” by the society and she wonders whether she had ever made light of what her aunt went through when she was alive. The second story, Odd Women, was the real deal. It follows three women with a unique ability (or curse, you decide) that allows each of them to become immaterial at will, adopts shape that reflects the needs of other people and divides oneself into many entities; and how they live with these abilities. See what I mean? Smart.
In conclusion, Self-Portrait With Ghost reminded me why I love reading fiction: I get to experience magnificent writing, imaginative story telling and the various human condition and emotion with which I may be able to relate and identify with. I have not read Meng Jin’s Little Gods, but clearly I need to get a copy. Thank you Times Read for the review copy. Appreciate it.
July 10, 2022
I've enjoyed Meng Jin's 'Little God' which was published about two years ago, and this is the reason why her second book "Self-Portrait with Ghost" automatically makes it to the list. Unlike her first book "Little God" which is an immigrant literature primarily based on the event of Tiananmen Square massacre, 'Self-Portrait with Ghost' consists of 10 short stories, all derived from the points of view of ordinary Chinese women from different background, spanning across China to San Francisco. To set your expectation right, her collection isn't about the sensationalised Chinese immigrants experience in the US nor a feminism wake against patriarchal system in the modern society. Essentially, Meng Jin "Self-Portrait with Ghost" chronicles the sophiscated sense of "self" which has always been the core of Western literature and each story ends with open-ended closures that leave the readers with a handful of potential interpretations. Artistically, many of her stories - some of my favourites : Suffering, Self-Portrait with Ghost, First Love and In the Event - demonstrate an humanistic and existential perspective on personal uncertainty beneath the surface of women's lives, including the feeling of paranoia and sense of insecurity in fraying relationship, and how these women make of their lives amid constant changes. Meng Jin also offers readers a deeper reflection of her identity as a Chinese American (albeit in piecemeal manner) through the portrayal of how the White American "otherness" and casual racism experienced in the past shaped the worldview of her characters. Overall, a book not to be missed. 4 stars.
June 13, 2023
In this short stories collection, the stories are not closely intertwined, yet the female protagonists share a common experience of seeking identity and purpose in life. It poses questions like "What makes a relationship?", "What was I?", "What am I now?" etc. Meng Jin's prose is captivating and disjointed, it made you feel distant yet evokes an overwhelming sense of emotion. At some points, it made me depressed for no clear reason.
The stories are surreal and have no clear-cut ending. This was my second attempt and it took me over a week to finish it. Readers will need to give it time to slowly immerse into the stories.
Rating: 4 stars
The stories are surreal and have no clear-cut ending. This was my second attempt and it took me over a week to finish it. Readers will need to give it time to slowly immerse into the stories.
Rating: 4 stars
September 26, 2022
Self-Portrait with Ghost explores the expansiveness of moment and emotion. Navigating space and time with a visceral artistry that feels downright cinematic, Jin constructs people and places painfully lifelike in the paradox of their desire to be both known and unknown.
The complexity of their desire is disregarded, as Jin peels her characters for us like potatoes. They exist in a constant state of motion, flitting between tension, harmony, and inversion: death and resurrection, visibility and invisibility, singularity and plurality, running to and from loneliness.
They are, as she writes, "arrows readied and in flight," their internal lives churn and roil and they thrill on the secret of their storms, believing the waves will bring them to a shore they cannot name but have desperately been seeking.
Jin has the rare ability to chronicle the slow chaos of an unraveling life with the impossible precision of a clinician and a poet. Her gaze is clear and calm like a hunter's. Over and over again she returns to her mark: What it is that makes us who we are—the impossible, ephemeral, and vaporous; echoes and shadows, forgetting and prophesying; desire and revulsion.
The complexity of their desire is disregarded, as Jin peels her characters for us like potatoes. They exist in a constant state of motion, flitting between tension, harmony, and inversion: death and resurrection, visibility and invisibility, singularity and plurality, running to and from loneliness.
They are, as she writes, "arrows readied and in flight," their internal lives churn and roil and they thrill on the secret of their storms, believing the waves will bring them to a shore they cannot name but have desperately been seeking.
Jin has the rare ability to chronicle the slow chaos of an unraveling life with the impossible precision of a clinician and a poet. Her gaze is clear and calm like a hunter's. Over and over again she returns to her mark: What it is that makes us who we are—the impossible, ephemeral, and vaporous; echoes and shadows, forgetting and prophesying; desire and revulsion.
May 1, 2022
I'm extending my gratitude to Mariner Books and Meng Jin for sending me this Advanced Reader Copy of Self-Portrait with Ghost which is set to publish on July 5, 2022. I chose a great time to read this collection of tales, what with it being May where we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander voices and also due to the fact that May seeks to highlight short-stories. It was a win-win. These somewhat haunting and intimidating stories detail the author's many interactions with "ghosts" and how they are perhaps -- perhaps not all the time physically but a lot of the time we find ourselves mourning the loss of chance with an old friend or the person you used to be.
Presented with different outcomes, but similar themes of loss, understanding, and growth, Meng Jin takes the reader on a ride through what it feels to live and overcome uneasy encounters being of the Asian-American background. I felt these stories were beautifully done and I look forward to reminiscing and re-reading on a sunny day in the future.
5/5
Presented with different outcomes, but similar themes of loss, understanding, and growth, Meng Jin takes the reader on a ride through what it feels to live and overcome uneasy encounters being of the Asian-American background. I felt these stories were beautifully done and I look forward to reminiscing and re-reading on a sunny day in the future.
5/5
July 25, 2022
I was completely captivated by the cover for this collection of short stories unfortunately it was just an okay read for me. Short stories are often a hard sell for me and some of these stood out more than others but there wasn't a great cohesive feel to the collection and I just didn't connect strongly with any of them. Great cover, okay but unmemorable content.
January 24, 2025
made me feel a lot of things, but maybe a little too often that thing was confusion. favorites were three women, first love, and the garden.
highlights
"Not the rapturous kind that turns and thins your sleep, but a satisfying, contented love. I woke in the mornings well-rested and warm, like a loaf of risen bread."
"I wanted something to be better than I remembered."
"to suffer for someone would be by then how I'd learned to love"
"The sweetness had drained from my suffering. What had earlier been an alive and flailing pain had hardened into stone."
"I imagined good as an inside-out bank. The more people owe you, the richer you are."
"asking the questions that were asked of new friends -- favorite color, favorite animal, Doritos Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese"
"He did not need to survive living like I did, he could simply live."
"It was useful to fracture yourself, but what happened when you wanted again to be whole?"
highlights
"Not the rapturous kind that turns and thins your sleep, but a satisfying, contented love. I woke in the mornings well-rested and warm, like a loaf of risen bread."
"I wanted something to be better than I remembered."
"to suffer for someone would be by then how I'd learned to love"
"The sweetness had drained from my suffering. What had earlier been an alive and flailing pain had hardened into stone."
"I imagined good as an inside-out bank. The more people owe you, the richer you are."
"asking the questions that were asked of new friends -- favorite color, favorite animal, Doritos Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese"
"He did not need to survive living like I did, he could simply live."
"It was useful to fracture yourself, but what happened when you wanted again to be whole?"
June 3, 2022
Thank you to Goodreads for the advanced copy! This is unlike any book I have ever read. It’s a collection of short stories and it’s set in the time of Covid. It follows so many different characters that I would have to stop after each story to more fully comprehend. Some of the stories were still very confusing to me. Some will stick with me for a long time! The way she writes is both disjointed yet haunting and beautiful! A great thought provoking read!
April 12, 2024
3.5 stars. Some hits and some misses, but many contained enjoyable surprises in some way. Theme of music, notes, and rhythm throughout the pieces. Feel like these stories are written by someone for whom music is a big part of her life.
Phillip Is Dead — primarily weird. A tired theme in a fresh setting, but ultimately felt wanting for more depth, or more creativity in the underlying thrust.
Suffering — I thought this was going to be a cliche 华桥 story at first but it suddenly got more interesting. The reveal of the narrator’s identity toward the end (once was a feint, the second was the real deal) was really well done.
Self-Portrait with Ghost — I really jived with this. Sometimes u just need a short one that’s a vehicle for thought.
Three Women — a little all over the place. Insecurity and womanhood redux.
First Love — this was actually riveting LOL
Selena and Ruthie — started out feeling this was boring and unnecessary. And then got to the fast forward timeskip part which was kind of interesting (a story that muddles so long around this set of laughably flat middle schoolers to a speed up through time — an interesting construction). Saw the ending twist coming from a mile away though.
In the Event — super cool, interesting premise. I think it’s more unique among AA literature — interacting with multiple generations of Asian-American immigrants, rather than with the home country. CRAZYYY ALMOST-TWIST TO TWIST LOL. Excellent, layered. One of my faves of this collection.
The Garden — classic immigrant grandmother tearjerker set in the pandemic. Prose in this one was too effortful.
The Odd Woman — yeah Meng Jin should avoid prose styling lol. Felt a bit heavy handed and a bit too long.
Phillip Is Dead — primarily weird. A tired theme in a fresh setting, but ultimately felt wanting for more depth, or more creativity in the underlying thrust.
Suffering — I thought this was going to be a cliche 华桥 story at first but it suddenly got more interesting. The reveal of the narrator’s identity toward the end (once was a feint, the second was the real deal) was really well done.
Self-Portrait with Ghost — I really jived with this. Sometimes u just need a short one that’s a vehicle for thought.
Three Women — a little all over the place. Insecurity and womanhood redux.
First Love — this was actually riveting LOL
Selena and Ruthie — started out feeling this was boring and unnecessary. And then got to the fast forward timeskip part which was kind of interesting (a story that muddles so long around this set of laughably flat middle schoolers to a speed up through time — an interesting construction). Saw the ending twist coming from a mile away though.
In the Event — super cool, interesting premise. I think it’s more unique among AA literature — interacting with multiple generations of Asian-American immigrants, rather than with the home country. CRAZYYY ALMOST-TWIST TO TWIST LOL. Excellent, layered. One of my faves of this collection.
The Garden — classic immigrant grandmother tearjerker set in the pandemic. Prose in this one was too effortful.
The Odd Woman — yeah Meng Jin should avoid prose styling lol. Felt a bit heavy handed and a bit too long.
February 6, 2025
I loved every character so much, and wanted more time with them. The tell of a good short story collection! The last story took my breath away.
July 17, 2022
This collection of short stories captures so much humanity and raw emotion from characters seeking self worth, seeking purpose and revival from their horrific pasts, seeking clarity on their identity, control for their lives, ability to be joyful when the world around them is falling apart, seeking forgiveness for naivety, answers in a time of hopelessness and doom, comfort and peace with themselves and the choices they have made and the person they have become. Meng Jin makes you feel deeply connected to each character’s lives with all the beauties and complexities of humanity.
Thank you Kismet books in Verona, Wisconsin for the advanced reader copy!
Thank you Kismet books in Verona, Wisconsin for the advanced reader copy!
June 20, 2022
"Self-Portrait with Ghost" is such a uniquely jarring compilation of stories; I read this right after "Bliss Montage" and while both contain a collection of short stories written by Asian American female authors, are vastly different in content. Meng Jin's writing takes on a number of different voices and perspectives, alternating across first and third-person narratives, and while it was hard to say that I fully understand any of them, all seem to center on the topic of identity, and how easily outside experiences and people can alter our own.
Stories like "Phillip is Dead", "First Love', and "Suffering" touch on the ways romantic relationships can alter our sense of self - often in ways that are more detrimental than not. Jin also utilizes aspects of fantasy and magical realism in stories like "The Odd Women", questioning the ease with which we can split ourselves across multiple identities as well as no identity at all. Stories like "In the Event" and "The Odd Women" also allude to the time period she wrote these stories, and the impact natural disasters and pandemics have had on society and the ways we live and interact with others. I found "Selena and Ruthie" to be her most grounded work, a piece which feels more like a coming of age novel that looks at two teenage girls and how their friendship changes after they become adults.
Admittedly, I am the type of person to prefer more concrete stories, but even though I couldn't fully wrap my head around all of these covered, perhaps the best way to describe this novel is in Jin's own words, in the "Self-Portrait with Ghost" story:
Thank you Mariner Books for an advance copy of this novel!
Stories like "Phillip is Dead", "First Love', and "Suffering" touch on the ways romantic relationships can alter our sense of self - often in ways that are more detrimental than not. Jin also utilizes aspects of fantasy and magical realism in stories like "The Odd Women", questioning the ease with which we can split ourselves across multiple identities as well as no identity at all. Stories like "In the Event" and "The Odd Women" also allude to the time period she wrote these stories, and the impact natural disasters and pandemics have had on society and the ways we live and interact with others. I found "Selena and Ruthie" to be her most grounded work, a piece which feels more like a coming of age novel that looks at two teenage girls and how their friendship changes after they become adults.
Admittedly, I am the type of person to prefer more concrete stories, but even though I couldn't fully wrap my head around all of these covered, perhaps the best way to describe this novel is in Jin's own words, in the "Self-Portrait with Ghost" story:
“My novel was all about subjectivity... Each character tells their version of reality and the various realities add up to something that looks more like unknowing than a solution.”
Thank you Mariner Books for an advance copy of this novel!
August 13, 2022
Abandoned at 37%. Maybe I’m not in the right headspace for short stories like this right now, or maybe it’s that I’m listening rather than reading that makes it slippery in my mind, but I can’t follow a single one of these stories.
July 25, 2023
This collection was written at a very uncertain time, some stories were written during the first years of the Trump administration and then during the pandemic. I think that this collection shows that sort of chaos. Some of the stories are much more grounded than others; from a girl growing up and reflecting on her childhood friendships to three women coming to terms with their super powers. Overall, I liked it even if the genre switches caused a bit of whiplash.
Phillip is Dead: A woman reflects on her toxic relationship with a man named Phillip after she finds out he has died. For having a fairly dry tone, this one was very emotional. I think that we have all been with someone that doesn't treat us well or have to work with someone that puts us and our work down. Surprisingly uplifting, a full life for the narrator after her experiences.
Suffering: A woman who starts dating a man begins to get sick. Honestly I didn't really get this one. It is told from the perspective of a woman who is interviewing the woman who was sick. I feel like i missed something in this one, pretty confusing and dreamlike.
Self-Portrait With Ghost: Another dreamlike one. A woman speaks with an imagined version of a childhood friend of hers. I feel similar to Suffering on this one.
Three Women: Reflections on three older girls that the narrator grew up with and what happened to them.
First Love: A look at a woman’s first relationship and love, X. She takes the train with the child she is nannying to go see X. Eventually it is revealed that X is engaged and the narrator is certain that he will not leave his fiance for her. She and X have sex and she gets pregnant, realizing she loved the child she’s nannying much more than this man.
With Feeling Heart: A woman finds it hard to walk through life with such a tender heart, pretending that a homeless man she sees ends up having a large warm dinner. I thought that this one was really good, a really good illustration of having to harden your heart in order to function in a society that makes it difficult to show care to others.
Selena and Ruthie: We see a girl grow up. The majority of the story is about her growing up with her middle school friends. She wants to fit in so she ends up leaving one of the girls to cry alone as she joins the others after the girl confides that she was sexually assaulted on a recent trip. Later in her life she sees her ex-friend as an opera singer. A heartbreaking story about girlhood, growing up, and forgiveness.
In the Event: A couple drifts apart after the 2016 election. The story is scattered with fears of an impending apocalypse. Finally her boyfriend confesses to kissing one of their friends while she was on tour. I liked the intertwining of natural disasters with those that are human made
In the Garden: This one was an odd one, much more dreamlike than all of the other ones. A grandmother and her granddaughter in her garden.
The Odd Women: By far my favorite story. Three women with superpowers and how they deal with that. One is able to move through solid objects, one can split off sections of her personality into separate people, the last appears to look like whatever the viewer wants. Ursula’s (the woman who can split into pieces of herself) section is so well told. Starts off as a mystery of dead bodies that are genetically the same being found and no one being able to explain them. The ending when Ursula is killing the parts of herself to move on so that there is only one of her is so beautifully written. “Her hope reached forward, riding an imagined future freedom into the burst of nothing. A climax whose zenith is .”
Phillip is Dead: A woman reflects on her toxic relationship with a man named Phillip after she finds out he has died. For having a fairly dry tone, this one was very emotional. I think that we have all been with someone that doesn't treat us well or have to work with someone that puts us and our work down. Surprisingly uplifting, a full life for the narrator after her experiences.
Suffering: A woman who starts dating a man begins to get sick. Honestly I didn't really get this one. It is told from the perspective of a woman who is interviewing the woman who was sick. I feel like i missed something in this one, pretty confusing and dreamlike.
Self-Portrait With Ghost: Another dreamlike one. A woman speaks with an imagined version of a childhood friend of hers. I feel similar to Suffering on this one.
Three Women: Reflections on three older girls that the narrator grew up with and what happened to them.
First Love: A look at a woman’s first relationship and love, X. She takes the train with the child she is nannying to go see X. Eventually it is revealed that X is engaged and the narrator is certain that he will not leave his fiance for her. She and X have sex and she gets pregnant, realizing she loved the child she’s nannying much more than this man.
With Feeling Heart: A woman finds it hard to walk through life with such a tender heart, pretending that a homeless man she sees ends up having a large warm dinner. I thought that this one was really good, a really good illustration of having to harden your heart in order to function in a society that makes it difficult to show care to others.
Selena and Ruthie: We see a girl grow up. The majority of the story is about her growing up with her middle school friends. She wants to fit in so she ends up leaving one of the girls to cry alone as she joins the others after the girl confides that she was sexually assaulted on a recent trip. Later in her life she sees her ex-friend as an opera singer. A heartbreaking story about girlhood, growing up, and forgiveness.
In the Event: A couple drifts apart after the 2016 election. The story is scattered with fears of an impending apocalypse. Finally her boyfriend confesses to kissing one of their friends while she was on tour. I liked the intertwining of natural disasters with those that are human made
In the Garden: This one was an odd one, much more dreamlike than all of the other ones. A grandmother and her granddaughter in her garden.
The Odd Women: By far my favorite story. Three women with superpowers and how they deal with that. One is able to move through solid objects, one can split off sections of her personality into separate people, the last appears to look like whatever the viewer wants. Ursula’s (the woman who can split into pieces of herself) section is so well told. Starts off as a mystery of dead bodies that are genetically the same being found and no one being able to explain them. The ending when Ursula is killing the parts of herself to move on so that there is only one of her is so beautifully written. “Her hope reached forward, riding an imagined future freedom into the burst of nothing. A climax whose zenith is .”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2024
Started this collection after finishing a novel that spans three familial generations -- the abrupt cryptic style and way of observing the world threw me off at first: not bad, but just different from what I was expecting. Relations between people are stated in such brutally honest terms; there is no sugar-coating the liking or dislikes ("Perhaps I didn't like her because she was just like me"). Depression is portrayed so interestingly, as if in another dimension. As you read in the voice of the character's minds, you wonder if they are mentally stable or hallucinating the entire exchanges (my favorite subject, re: hongloumeng: can one distinguish between reality and unreality?). Women, and girls.
embedded in relations with men (of sexual desire) are the female narrator’s relations with women: with mothers, with other women/girl friends, and i found these to be more complex/interesting.
the irony of the analogy: “i stepped into the shoes she had bought me, accepting her apology”
descriptions i loved:
“a beige minivan with big soft dents on the doors”
questioning of fluid sexuality.
what does exuding “womanness” mean/look like?
my favorite has been interstitial
omg “in the event” references what i think is three body series!!!
how ones accent can betray one’s history (dialect, twang, v bland “neutered of history”)
“survive living” v simply living
actually it is definitely referencing three body.
i think “in the event” has become my new favorite
first temperate day where i have felt it was nice enough to open my windows and air out my studio.
post interstitial 3 is a collection of pandemic - esquse world of immateriality, related but separate excerpts.
loneliness, personified as a virus?
embedded in relations with men (of sexual desire) are the female narrator’s relations with women: with mothers, with other women/girl friends, and i found these to be more complex/interesting.
the irony of the analogy: “i stepped into the shoes she had bought me, accepting her apology”
descriptions i loved:
“a beige minivan with big soft dents on the doors”
questioning of fluid sexuality.
what does exuding “womanness” mean/look like?
my favorite has been interstitial
omg “in the event” references what i think is three body series!!!
how ones accent can betray one’s history (dialect, twang, v bland “neutered of history”)
“survive living” v simply living
actually it is definitely referencing three body.
i think “in the event” has become my new favorite
first temperate day where i have felt it was nice enough to open my windows and air out my studio.
post interstitial 3 is a collection of pandemic - esquse world of immateriality, related but separate excerpts.
loneliness, personified as a virus?
September 7, 2022
𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙂𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩 consists of 10 stories with an element of magical realism, mystery and the complexities of women having theme ranging widely from identity and self isolation, of cultural and family dynamics, loss and grief, about love, friendship, on coming-of-age as well as racism, life tribulations and intimacy.
Having mixed reviews for each, I love most of the characterization as I think it was so uniquely crafted especially the three women from The Odd Women, both narrators from First Love and Self-Portrait With Ghost as well as Ling from Suffering. These characters captured the beauty of individuality, of despair and consciousness, having a touching subtlety with riveting musings that both intimidating and gripping to me. Love the mellow and intriguing exposition and dynamics in Selena and Ruthie, also how the narrator sharing her 'haunting' thoughts in Philip Is Dead.
However, I don't fancy much on the storytelling and way it was written as most plotlines leaving me with a baffled understanding. Some were confusing and hard to grasp, few felt ambiguous and underwhelming that at times the premise did not lend me any memorable after read. Although I was captivated on how each having that raw emotional story arc basically because of its characters execution, the scenes and plot stakes did not weave that seamlessly or engaging much to my liking. I only love Suffering and First Love the most for its plot ideas, exploration and characters, also The Odd Women which I think was quite offbeat compared to the other stories.
Overall, it was not much of an exceptional or powerful collection to me. Still a good catch if you want a character-based short stories specifically narrated through a woman voice; of selfhood, inner conflicts and self fragility with a pinch of quirkiness and open-ended closure for you to explicate. 3 stars to this!
Thank you Times Reads for sending me a proof copy for review!
Having mixed reviews for each, I love most of the characterization as I think it was so uniquely crafted especially the three women from The Odd Women, both narrators from First Love and Self-Portrait With Ghost as well as Ling from Suffering. These characters captured the beauty of individuality, of despair and consciousness, having a touching subtlety with riveting musings that both intimidating and gripping to me. Love the mellow and intriguing exposition and dynamics in Selena and Ruthie, also how the narrator sharing her 'haunting' thoughts in Philip Is Dead.
However, I don't fancy much on the storytelling and way it was written as most plotlines leaving me with a baffled understanding. Some were confusing and hard to grasp, few felt ambiguous and underwhelming that at times the premise did not lend me any memorable after read. Although I was captivated on how each having that raw emotional story arc basically because of its characters execution, the scenes and plot stakes did not weave that seamlessly or engaging much to my liking. I only love Suffering and First Love the most for its plot ideas, exploration and characters, also The Odd Women which I think was quite offbeat compared to the other stories.
Overall, it was not much of an exceptional or powerful collection to me. Still a good catch if you want a character-based short stories specifically narrated through a woman voice; of selfhood, inner conflicts and self fragility with a pinch of quirkiness and open-ended closure for you to explicate. 3 stars to this!
Thank you Times Reads for sending me a proof copy for review!
July 4, 2022
A beam of sunlight washed over her porcelain skin as she retreated into the cocoon of silky fabric and plush pillows. Life was not worth thinking of today when the unconscious form was more appealing in the early morning light. The sunbeam was relentless in its pursuit of waking her mind and try as she may to fight off its persistence, she loses the battle and forces her body to break free of comfort and instead break into conscious thought.
Self-Portrait With Ghost is a collect of short stories focusing on the complexities of women and how they adapt and change themselves to fit into societies definitions of normal and acceptable. Stories navigating how to get through life’s trials and tribulations… isolation vs. intimacy. Tales of love and the exploration of new and old relationships, also the discovery of one’s self and how it’s okay to not be okay. A rhythmic, dynamic collection of stories sharing how powerful and also how powerless women are in this world… especially poignant in today’s world.
As with all short story collections, I enjoyed some more than others, but each one had a powerful underlying message and I highly recommend giving this collection a read.
TW: Death, Mention of Suicide, Self-Harm, Abortion, Infidelity, Grief, Mental Illness.
*I received a gifted copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.
Self-Portrait With Ghost is a collect of short stories focusing on the complexities of women and how they adapt and change themselves to fit into societies definitions of normal and acceptable. Stories navigating how to get through life’s trials and tribulations… isolation vs. intimacy. Tales of love and the exploration of new and old relationships, also the discovery of one’s self and how it’s okay to not be okay. A rhythmic, dynamic collection of stories sharing how powerful and also how powerless women are in this world… especially poignant in today’s world.
As with all short story collections, I enjoyed some more than others, but each one had a powerful underlying message and I highly recommend giving this collection a read.
TW: Death, Mention of Suicide, Self-Harm, Abortion, Infidelity, Grief, Mental Illness.
*I received a gifted copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.
December 23, 2022
i am done work for the year, and kicking off my holidays by lying on the couch by the “fire” (aka the fireplace channel), sipping a cup of tea, and once again catching up on reviews. i’m starting to think that i’ll never actually be fully caught up, but here we are.
last night, i finished reading ’self portrait with ghost’, a short story collection by meng jin (author of ‘little gods’). short story collections are hard for me, and once again, i’m pretty 50/50 on this one. the ten stories in this collection are related in that they all, to some degree, deal with the ideas of isolation and intimacy with others (these stories were written during the pandemic), but vary wildly between genre and setting. i enjoyed the stories that felt more rooted in reality (selena and ruthie, in the event), but didn’t really care for the stories that felt more in the realm of speculative fiction (the odd women). there were also some stories that went right over my head, due to their very short length. i’m still glad i read this collection, and i am excited to read ‘little gods’ because meng jin is obviously a talented writer.
i think 2023 might be the year i realize short story collections just aren’t for me. and maybe i need to be ok with that.
last night, i finished reading ’self portrait with ghost’, a short story collection by meng jin (author of ‘little gods’). short story collections are hard for me, and once again, i’m pretty 50/50 on this one. the ten stories in this collection are related in that they all, to some degree, deal with the ideas of isolation and intimacy with others (these stories were written during the pandemic), but vary wildly between genre and setting. i enjoyed the stories that felt more rooted in reality (selena and ruthie, in the event), but didn’t really care for the stories that felt more in the realm of speculative fiction (the odd women). there were also some stories that went right over my head, due to their very short length. i’m still glad i read this collection, and i am excited to read ‘little gods’ because meng jin is obviously a talented writer.
i think 2023 might be the year i realize short story collections just aren’t for me. and maybe i need to be ok with that.
July 6, 2023
I found this collection of short stories interesting. Not my type reading style. What I found with these stories is that they touched on human emotions...love, loss, intelligent, wonder, etc. So, these stories were not just "stories" but ones that did make you think and ponder for a while.
While I did appreciate these stories, I did feel like I was more of an outsider trying to look in. There was never any moment where I could fully embrace the stories. This is because the characters were not really specific to any type of person. It was like the stories were of faceless people. So, I did struggle to fully become connected to what I was reading. Sometimes I would find myself rereading passages. Overall, this collection was good just not really for me.
While I did appreciate these stories, I did feel like I was more of an outsider trying to look in. There was never any moment where I could fully embrace the stories. This is because the characters were not really specific to any type of person. It was like the stories were of faceless people. So, I did struggle to fully become connected to what I was reading. Sometimes I would find myself rereading passages. Overall, this collection was good just not really for me.
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June 28, 2023Complicated, sophisticated, intricate - these are some of the adjectives that spring to mind when I consider Meng Jin's work. With short stories, these mesmerizing qualities are on display throughout. Thoughtful interracial realities dissected by a clever, eloquent, emotionally invested author.
February 26, 2023
Beautiful, beautiful collection of stories. A patient, creative, loving consideration of reality, self consciousness, and human connection.
September 18, 2022
I won this ARC in a goodreads giveaway!
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. Most of them were pretty dark and mildly ominous which I really liked. There wasn't a single story that I didn't like. I think my favorites were First Love and Selena and Ruthie. I highly recommend it.
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. Most of them were pretty dark and mildly ominous which I really liked. There wasn't a single story that I didn't like. I think my favorites were First Love and Selena and Ruthie. I highly recommend it.
November 25, 2024
Beautifully written, but some of the short stories were a bit too esoteric for me
July 7, 2023
Series of short stories written with Asian characters without a clear idea of what is happening. Every story comes away with me feeling disoriented. I wasn’t even sure what the overall message or moral of the story was and that was a different reading experience for me. Beautiful writing. My favorite was the last series of stories that seemed supernatural and interesting.
May 16, 2022
Thought provoking and complex characters and some of the most precise, unexpected diction I’ve encountered in a long while.
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