What do you think?
Rate this book
She Is Haunted
With remarkable grace and an assured style, She Is Haunted masterfully grapples with charged mother-daughter dynamics, grief, exes, and the complexities of friendship in a debut collection of stories that range from competitive call centers to Chinatown restaurants.
A ballerina nurses an injured leg and struggles to learn Cantonese while her husband dances on an international tour of Don Quixote with a new female lead; a mother cuts her daughter’s hair because her own hair begins falling out; a woman undergoes brain surgery in order to live more comfortably in higher temperatures; a woman attempts to physically transform into her husband so that she does not have to grieve.
Praised as the “strongest fiction debut” of the year in the Sydney Morning Herald and shortlisted for the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction, the stories collected in She Is Haunted deal with transnational Asian identity and intergenerational trauma with an unforgettable voice and exuberant wit that mark Paige Clark as an entrancing new literary talent.
A ballerina nurses an injured leg and struggles to learn Cantonese while her husband dances on an international tour of Don Quixote with a new female lead; a mother cuts her daughter’s hair because her own hair begins falling out; a woman undergoes brain surgery in order to live more comfortably in higher temperatures; a woman attempts to physically transform into her husband so that she does not have to grieve.
Praised as the “strongest fiction debut” of the year in the Sydney Morning Herald and shortlisted for the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction, the stories collected in She Is Haunted deal with transnational Asian identity and intergenerational trauma with an unforgettable voice and exuberant wit that mark Paige Clark as an entrancing new literary talent.
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2021
74 people are currently reading
2927 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
May 23, 2023
“Neil reassures me this is normal.
'Denial, he says. 'You'll see a lot of it now that you're dead?
I trust Neil because he's been dead since 2012 and because he's been to the moon.
It's nothing like a brie or a Jarlsberg,' he says, 'more of a Grana Padano.
'I'm lactose intolerant,' I say.”
A collection of literary short stories centred around themes of relationships, grief and transnational Asian identity.
She is Haunted is a collection of beautifully written stories ranging from the heartbreaking to the absurd and often a combo of the two. It was all kinds of weird and wonderful. We have a story of a woman who makes a deal with God and another whose obsession with her ex-husband's dog leads her to making a clone. We are introduced to the Department of Recovery, a service that develops plans for people to ‘recover' from a breakup.
My favourite, was the title story, told from the point of view of a ghost visiting her family and keeping company with a few other dead folks like Elvis, her Po Po and Neil Armstrong. She reminisces about her past life and watches her mother and children grieve.
“I haunt not so she can see me, but so I can see her”
Paige Clark is a brilliant writer. She's creative and imaginative and while the stories are a little unusual, they are all layered with meaning. Although all are stand alone stories, they have loose connections through themes of grief, heartbreak, Asian identity and mother-daughter relationships. I think most prominent was the depiction of grief and loss throughout the stories, with the experiences and perspectives being quite diverse. I seem to gravitate toward and really enjoy reading stories with strong themes of grief. While reading, I couldn’t help but think of my favourite of 2022 New Animal by Ella Baxter. Coincidentally, both authors are Australian.
I picked up She is Haunted at my local library on a whim. I saw it from the corner of my eye as I was checking out some reservations. I’m really glad I picked it up. I’ll definitely be purchasing a copy!
I can’t recommend this highly enough. I can see myself doing a re read before the year is out.
She is Haunted was Longlisted for the 2022 Stella Prize
'Denial, he says. 'You'll see a lot of it now that you're dead?
I trust Neil because he's been dead since 2012 and because he's been to the moon.
It's nothing like a brie or a Jarlsberg,' he says, 'more of a Grana Padano.
'I'm lactose intolerant,' I say.”
A collection of literary short stories centred around themes of relationships, grief and transnational Asian identity.
She is Haunted is a collection of beautifully written stories ranging from the heartbreaking to the absurd and often a combo of the two. It was all kinds of weird and wonderful. We have a story of a woman who makes a deal with God and another whose obsession with her ex-husband's dog leads her to making a clone. We are introduced to the Department of Recovery, a service that develops plans for people to ‘recover' from a breakup.
My favourite, was the title story, told from the point of view of a ghost visiting her family and keeping company with a few other dead folks like Elvis, her Po Po and Neil Armstrong. She reminisces about her past life and watches her mother and children grieve.
“I haunt not so she can see me, but so I can see her”
Paige Clark is a brilliant writer. She's creative and imaginative and while the stories are a little unusual, they are all layered with meaning. Although all are stand alone stories, they have loose connections through themes of grief, heartbreak, Asian identity and mother-daughter relationships. I think most prominent was the depiction of grief and loss throughout the stories, with the experiences and perspectives being quite diverse. I seem to gravitate toward and really enjoy reading stories with strong themes of grief. While reading, I couldn’t help but think of my favourite of 2022 New Animal by Ella Baxter. Coincidentally, both authors are Australian.
I picked up She is Haunted at my local library on a whim. I saw it from the corner of my eye as I was checking out some reservations. I’m really glad I picked it up. I’ll definitely be purchasing a copy!
I can’t recommend this highly enough. I can see myself doing a re read before the year is out.
She is Haunted was Longlisted for the 2022 Stella Prize
October 2, 2021
So I finished this and I'm pretty sure I didn't understand any of it but I still kinda liked it? *shrugs*
Some of the stories are straight up bizarre and seem to be pointless, but others had me really sucked in and feeling real things. Pretty much all of them end awkwardly, though, so be prepared to work out all the meanings yourself.
I liked that some were long while others were nice and short. There was almost a dystopian element to some of the tales, but overall it had a very contemporary feel. The stories are about people and relationships, rather than any logical kind of action, so I think once you get used to that it's easier to appreciate.
Still, I do really loathe that 'literary fiction' usually means 'totally vague and nonsensical'.
I definitely liked some stories more than others, and some had me really scratching my head wondering what the heck I was supposed to take from it, but in the end I somehow managed to enjoy the randomness of it all.
It won't be for everyone, but for those who think themselves clever for untangling symbolism and hidden meanings, this will be a treat.
With thanks to A&U for a copy.
Some of the stories are straight up bizarre and seem to be pointless, but others had me really sucked in and feeling real things. Pretty much all of them end awkwardly, though, so be prepared to work out all the meanings yourself.
I liked that some were long while others were nice and short. There was almost a dystopian element to some of the tales, but overall it had a very contemporary feel. The stories are about people and relationships, rather than any logical kind of action, so I think once you get used to that it's easier to appreciate.
Still, I do really loathe that 'literary fiction' usually means 'totally vague and nonsensical'.
I definitely liked some stories more than others, and some had me really scratching my head wondering what the heck I was supposed to take from it, but in the end I somehow managed to enjoy the randomness of it all.
It won't be for everyone, but for those who think themselves clever for untangling symbolism and hidden meanings, this will be a treat.
With thanks to A&U for a copy.
November 29, 2023
The collection holds several ways of feeling haunted, not just in the title story. These hauntings are not supernatural, not even the story told from the point-of-view of the deceased. The main characters are all “she,” though with different roles: daughters, mothers, wives, girlfriends, friends, widows, and immigrants, many bereaved in one way or another.
Most of the stories focus on daughters who’ve been damaged by distant or brutal mothering. A few flip that theme and concentrate on mothers who have distant daughters; whether the mothers have “made” their daughters turn out that way or not, the mothers are disappointed by their own past, by what has made them who they are. The penultimate story is sensitive and effective on this topic: a mother in a care home who has no other choice of domicile. She reflects on a past sin, committed before she was a mother. She longs for the physical touch of her stern daughter; the pandemic seems to be a convenient excuse for the lack.
A line from the last story encapsulates the collection: “What I didn’t know then is that part of living is being afraid of dying.”
Most of the stories focus on daughters who’ve been damaged by distant or brutal mothering. A few flip that theme and concentrate on mothers who have distant daughters; whether the mothers have “made” their daughters turn out that way or not, the mothers are disappointed by their own past, by what has made them who they are. The penultimate story is sensitive and effective on this topic: a mother in a care home who has no other choice of domicile. She reflects on a past sin, committed before she was a mother. She longs for the physical touch of her stern daughter; the pandemic seems to be a convenient excuse for the lack.
A line from the last story encapsulates the collection: “What I didn’t know then is that part of living is being afraid of dying.”
August 8, 2021
My full review of She Is Haunted can be found on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
I liked the stories where Clark nudged at the supernatural (or, to put it another way, when things got weird). This is also the first “post-pandemic” fiction I’ve read that directly and explicitly describes the impact of COVID-19. I must offer a trigger warning, for that and for dog-related trauma. This is a fine debut, showcasing glimpses of good things to come from a young Chinese-American-Australian writer.
I liked the stories where Clark nudged at the supernatural (or, to put it another way, when things got weird). This is also the first “post-pandemic” fiction I’ve read that directly and explicitly describes the impact of COVID-19. I must offer a trigger warning, for that and for dog-related trauma. This is a fine debut, showcasing glimpses of good things to come from a young Chinese-American-Australian writer.
May 12, 2021
A debut collection of thematically linked short stories exploring late capitalism, complex difficult mothers, Asian fetishisation and hate, women’s desires and the joy of a good dog. The style is gorgeously detached and understated, while remaining precise and well crafted. The gentle weirdness in each story is subtle and clever. Clark shows such restraint and the stories here are so fully rendered that it’s hard to believe this is a debut.
July 19, 2021
3.5★s
She Is Haunted is a collection of eighteen short stories by Chinese/American/Australian author, Paige Clark.
The stories vary in subject matter, length and quality: some are a little weird, some veer towards surreal, making the reader feel witness to an “in” joke to which they are not privy. These are not necessarily representative of the whole.
A pregnant woman makes a deal with God; an injures ballet dancer is jealous of her husband’s dancing partner; an obsessive call centre worker falls for a colleague; a young woman has a morbid fear of earthquakes, perhaps justified while living in Los Angeles; a young wife grieves; a husband’s old flame visits; a student strives to excel in a breaking home;
An ex-wife obsesses about custody of the dog; a sister remembers childhood when she and her brother move her mother out of the family home; a Chinese woman begins a relationship with a vegetarian anaesthetist; a daughter is estranged from her mother over hair cutting issues; a barista recalls a childhood friendship; a couple has complementary brain surgeries to help them cope with the parlous state of the planet.
A dead Chinese daughter divides her time between her living mother and the dead she has met, her Po Po and a certain dead Neil with lunar connections, while her dead mother in a hell ruled by a certain blue-suede-shoed Devil, remembers differently; friends share a yellow pea coat; two friends share horoscopes, fortune cookies, tea leaves, superstitions and sentimentalities and secrets; in her Care Facility, eighty-year-old Rosa reviews an unsatisfactory life; after the death of her mother, a young woman considers suicide.
The names of protagonists from many of the stories are variations of Elizabeth, and while there may be some tenuous connections, it seems more like these are different iterations of the same character. What humour there is humour seems a bit warped.
While it is likely that different readers will connect with different stories, most outstanding of this mixed bag are Safety Triangle, Times I’ve Wanted To Be You, In A Room Of Chinese Women, Cracks, Private Eating, and Amygdala. An original, eclectic and unusual debut.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Allen & Unwin.
She Is Haunted is a collection of eighteen short stories by Chinese/American/Australian author, Paige Clark.
The stories vary in subject matter, length and quality: some are a little weird, some veer towards surreal, making the reader feel witness to an “in” joke to which they are not privy. These are not necessarily representative of the whole.
A pregnant woman makes a deal with God; an injures ballet dancer is jealous of her husband’s dancing partner; an obsessive call centre worker falls for a colleague; a young woman has a morbid fear of earthquakes, perhaps justified while living in Los Angeles; a young wife grieves; a husband’s old flame visits; a student strives to excel in a breaking home;
An ex-wife obsesses about custody of the dog; a sister remembers childhood when she and her brother move her mother out of the family home; a Chinese woman begins a relationship with a vegetarian anaesthetist; a daughter is estranged from her mother over hair cutting issues; a barista recalls a childhood friendship; a couple has complementary brain surgeries to help them cope with the parlous state of the planet.
A dead Chinese daughter divides her time between her living mother and the dead she has met, her Po Po and a certain dead Neil with lunar connections, while her dead mother in a hell ruled by a certain blue-suede-shoed Devil, remembers differently; friends share a yellow pea coat; two friends share horoscopes, fortune cookies, tea leaves, superstitions and sentimentalities and secrets; in her Care Facility, eighty-year-old Rosa reviews an unsatisfactory life; after the death of her mother, a young woman considers suicide.
The names of protagonists from many of the stories are variations of Elizabeth, and while there may be some tenuous connections, it seems more like these are different iterations of the same character. What humour there is humour seems a bit warped.
While it is likely that different readers will connect with different stories, most outstanding of this mixed bag are Safety Triangle, Times I’ve Wanted To Be You, In A Room Of Chinese Women, Cracks, Private Eating, and Amygdala. An original, eclectic and unusual debut.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Allen & Unwin.
December 31, 2024
3.5
my last read of 2024! this was a great little short story collection about the complexities of family relationships—mothers and daughters, brothers and sisters, wives and husbands. admittedly i’m not a huge short story enjoyer in general (although i desperately want to be) but this is certainly one of the better collections i’ve read.
my last read of 2024! this was a great little short story collection about the complexities of family relationships—mothers and daughters, brothers and sisters, wives and husbands. admittedly i’m not a huge short story enjoyer in general (although i desperately want to be) but this is certainly one of the better collections i’ve read.
June 27, 2021
Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending us a copy to read and review.
She is Haunted has baffled me.
A read I spent most of the time trying to work out how all the stories were linked and if there was a wider reason for the collation.
I am good at surmising, few theories have surfaced but have decided not to speculate and just enjoy what was on offer.
A collection of insightful stories, some excellent others not, had me at times laughing and self reflecting.
The settings were a mixture of California and Melbourne which I found interesting and familiar.
The Chinese element was dominant as the reader was treated to customary traits and the integration into Anglo societies.
The prejudice that exists and the coping mechanisms highlighted.
Life and death showcased.
The cover itself invites preemption and perhaps the disconnect people feel.
I thoroughly enjoyed a number of the stories especially the one titled She is Haunted and could’ve read a whole book on it yet others like Private eating had me giggling. Sadly others left me scratching my head.
Well written and articulate I can vouch for the accolades adorning the cover.
An author to watch out for especially for me if she writes a full length novel.
She is Haunted has baffled me.
A read I spent most of the time trying to work out how all the stories were linked and if there was a wider reason for the collation.
I am good at surmising, few theories have surfaced but have decided not to speculate and just enjoy what was on offer.
A collection of insightful stories, some excellent others not, had me at times laughing and self reflecting.
The settings were a mixture of California and Melbourne which I found interesting and familiar.
The Chinese element was dominant as the reader was treated to customary traits and the integration into Anglo societies.
The prejudice that exists and the coping mechanisms highlighted.
Life and death showcased.
The cover itself invites preemption and perhaps the disconnect people feel.
I thoroughly enjoyed a number of the stories especially the one titled She is Haunted and could’ve read a whole book on it yet others like Private eating had me giggling. Sadly others left me scratching my head.
Well written and articulate I can vouch for the accolades adorning the cover.
An author to watch out for especially for me if she writes a full length novel.
August 1, 2021
I enjoyed the stories in this collection. The author is a Chinese American Australian. The stories appear to have some of all of her background. There is a lot to do with mothers in the stories as well as loss. It is a collection well worth reading.
June 28, 2021
This one will stick with me. Very unusual and interesting. Found myself utterly enthralled at the same time as I felt a bit uncomfortable. The various short stories took a while to decode and I'm not sure I understand the meaning and linkages between them, felt more like poetry than prose. I feel like I might have to re-read this one a few times to get an idea of what the central themes are but there's definitely something there.
The front cover is a perfect metaphor for this collection, whenever I put it down I felt a sense of unease as if I'd positioned it at the wrong angle. Gave me feelings of discomfort and disconnect and yet it was compelling and provocative.
The front cover is a perfect metaphor for this collection, whenever I put it down I felt a sense of unease as if I'd positioned it at the wrong angle. Gave me feelings of discomfort and disconnect and yet it was compelling and provocative.
July 8, 2021
This book was not what I was expecting at all! It's a collection of short stories, all with their sense of purpose.
The writing style is great, and the author does a great job at fitting alot of information into each short story without them feeling overcrowded.
I definitely recommend this one.
Thank you to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of this book to review.
The writing style is great, and the author does a great job at fitting alot of information into each short story without them feeling overcrowded.
I definitely recommend this one.
Thank you to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of this book to review.
August 1, 2021
Something about this book of short stories is very satisfying. They are all quite different, some quirky, others reflective and the theme of grief pops up every so often. Well written stories, that invite you to read slowly and enjoy.
July 12, 2022
A stylish and deeply strange short story collection from Chinese/American/Australian author Paige Clark. Two common themes run through many of the stories - grief and loss, and mother/daughter relationships.
Read
August 30, 2023I don’t think this is a bad book, I just think that I wasn’t the intended audience for this one.
Read
August 31, 2021I remember vividly the first Paige Clark story I read: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. It was runner-up in Meanjin’s Peter Carey Short Story Award; my wonder was why it hadn’t won. Like Carey’s early work, it was formidably imagined, graceful; an exploration of grief as memorable as the conceptual models proposed by the title’s psychiatrist.
As I lay on the shore, the day beginning to die – weeks later, blanketed in smoke and pandemic upheaval, the whole world seemed to buckle, convulsed by planetary-death – I wondered when we might meet again on the page.
If this seems unusually intimate, I can only say that all writing is. Brian Castro, in Looking for Estrellita, observed that “Everyone’s first novel is automatically claimed by critics to be autobiographical in some way”. Overzealous critics notwithstanding, it is a truism to say that the writer reveals more of themselves than they can ever know.
She Is Haunted, Clark’s debut, is a short-story collection. Its primary theme or obsession is relationships: in particular, those between men and women, and – as friends or competitors (Lie-in), and in mother/daughter relationships (What We Deserve) – between women and women. It is a theme favoured by other diasporic authors – Clark is Chinese, American, and Australian – like Christos Tsiolkas (with a more masculine focus) or, recently, Jessie Tu.
In designating these concerns as obsessions, I do not wish to imply any value judgment about their worth. A writer’s obsessions are always worthy. They are the lodestone for the work; an intuitive author will follow them wherever they lead.
Clark’s is a laconic, wry voice, delicately tiptoeing between comedy and pathos, always alert to idiosyncratic detail. (Amy Hempel comparisons readily suggest themselves, not least in the authors’ shared affection for dogs.) Take Elisabeth Kübler-Ross: it opens, Kate Bush-style, with the narrator making a deal with God. God picks off the narrator’s loved ones – her mother, her dog, her cat. She acquiesces, hoping to stave off the creator who would take her lover or baby (“Why would he stop wanting them now? I haven’t”).
Continue reading: https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/...
As I lay on the shore, the day beginning to die – weeks later, blanketed in smoke and pandemic upheaval, the whole world seemed to buckle, convulsed by planetary-death – I wondered when we might meet again on the page.
If this seems unusually intimate, I can only say that all writing is. Brian Castro, in Looking for Estrellita, observed that “Everyone’s first novel is automatically claimed by critics to be autobiographical in some way”. Overzealous critics notwithstanding, it is a truism to say that the writer reveals more of themselves than they can ever know.
She Is Haunted, Clark’s debut, is a short-story collection. Its primary theme or obsession is relationships: in particular, those between men and women, and – as friends or competitors (Lie-in), and in mother/daughter relationships (What We Deserve) – between women and women. It is a theme favoured by other diasporic authors – Clark is Chinese, American, and Australian – like Christos Tsiolkas (with a more masculine focus) or, recently, Jessie Tu.
In designating these concerns as obsessions, I do not wish to imply any value judgment about their worth. A writer’s obsessions are always worthy. They are the lodestone for the work; an intuitive author will follow them wherever they lead.
Clark’s is a laconic, wry voice, delicately tiptoeing between comedy and pathos, always alert to idiosyncratic detail. (Amy Hempel comparisons readily suggest themselves, not least in the authors’ shared affection for dogs.) Take Elisabeth Kübler-Ross: it opens, Kate Bush-style, with the narrator making a deal with God. God picks off the narrator’s loved ones – her mother, her dog, her cat. She acquiesces, hoping to stave off the creator who would take her lover or baby (“Why would he stop wanting them now? I haven’t”).
Continue reading: https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/...
September 2, 2021
Short spookies
March 13, 2022
Some stories left me laughing out loud, then chuckling again when I thought about it later. Others, left me rather flat.
May 15, 2022
I love a good short story collection. In a fast-paced world, small snippets of text can suit my busy lifestyle. I was even more pumped to see where a young, female, Chinese- American-Australian would take me, and for the most part I was not disappointed.
Paige Clark is a great writer, and some of these short stories would suggest she is an exceptional writer and one to watch and some kinda suck.
As a collection - 'She is Haunted' could have been contrived and overly focused in the 'female fiction' genre (one I weirdly resent) and sometimes the stories waver towards crossing that line, but only some, most are cool.
Side note - some are just weird, in content and writing style. I dont know if it's a 'bit' or maybe Paige was 'born with music in her head' :)
My favourite stories are below:
'Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' - God wants your husband, baby, mum, pet. Devastating and possibly the strongest.
'Lie in'- The Ballet dancer, jealousy, learning another language. Love a little 'we tear each other down unfairly' plot twist
'Gwendolyn Wakes' - Department of Recovery into Department of Unrequited Love. So witty and Dystopian and baller (and I have been there in the friendzone)
'A woman in love' - 50k to clone your ex dog. I mean I would!
'Conversations with my brother about trees' - title says it all.
'Times I've wanted to be with you.' - Dressing as your dead husband, hopeful and raw.
'Why my hair is long' The devastating mother issues, hair cut one.
'Private eating' - Fake vegetarian, I laughed out loud. I mean I am vego and sometimes fake - 'chips and gravy please'
'The Cranes' sad af, trying to drive to see a dying childhood friend, not making it, but kinda making it. Oh shit - I dont wanna do those hard calls or visits.
'She is Haunted' title and beautiful - see quote below.
'Dead Summer' - This is her most sparse and similar to how I think and write and about sleeping with the weird neighbour and I bloody loved it.
My favourite line 'We are all babushka dolls of each other; my mother is the outside. She has the ornate details, the brightest colours. God made her good. he painted her perfect to the last mole. I am tiny inside, a grain of rice with a smiley face.'
Paige Clark is a great writer, and some of these short stories would suggest she is an exceptional writer and one to watch and some kinda suck.
As a collection - 'She is Haunted' could have been contrived and overly focused in the 'female fiction' genre (one I weirdly resent) and sometimes the stories waver towards crossing that line, but only some, most are cool.
Side note - some are just weird, in content and writing style. I dont know if it's a 'bit' or maybe Paige was 'born with music in her head' :)
My favourite stories are below:
'Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' - God wants your husband, baby, mum, pet. Devastating and possibly the strongest.
'Lie in'- The Ballet dancer, jealousy, learning another language. Love a little 'we tear each other down unfairly' plot twist
'Gwendolyn Wakes' - Department of Recovery into Department of Unrequited Love. So witty and Dystopian and baller (and I have been there in the friendzone)
'A woman in love' - 50k to clone your ex dog. I mean I would!
'Conversations with my brother about trees' - title says it all.
'Times I've wanted to be with you.' - Dressing as your dead husband, hopeful and raw.
'Why my hair is long' The devastating mother issues, hair cut one.
'Private eating' - Fake vegetarian, I laughed out loud. I mean I am vego and sometimes fake - 'chips and gravy please'
'The Cranes' sad af, trying to drive to see a dying childhood friend, not making it, but kinda making it. Oh shit - I dont wanna do those hard calls or visits.
'She is Haunted' title and beautiful - see quote below.
'Dead Summer' - This is her most sparse and similar to how I think and write and about sleeping with the weird neighbour and I bloody loved it.
My favourite line 'We are all babushka dolls of each other; my mother is the outside. She has the ornate details, the brightest colours. God made her good. he painted her perfect to the last mole. I am tiny inside, a grain of rice with a smiley face.'
August 28, 2021
She is Haunted (Allen and Unwin 2021) is a collection of stories by debut Chinese/American/Australian author Paige Clark. These vignettes focus on the minutiae of daily life as well as exploring grand themes such as transnational Asian identity, intergenerational trauma, and the effects of loss and grief. This is a contemporary, literary, slightly experimental work that asks questions and allows the reader much space to contemplate their own answers. The stories are funny and fantastic, devastating and dangerous, cryptic and clever, poignant and punishing, weird and wonderful. They share an exploration of love, empathy, family, recognition and connection. If you love highly literary, occasionally ambiguous short stories that embrace white space or alternatively search for the tiniest details under a literary microscope, then this book will appeal. I was sometimes frustrated by investing in a character only to have their story come to an end, but I suppose that is often the nature of short stories. This book definitely provokes thought and gives the reader opportunities to consider issues around tender relationships, dramatic and poisonous dynamics, ethical dilemmas and identity politics.
October 5, 2021
This is the first time I’m reading a book that references the pandemic and lockdowns - and what a surreal experience it was! Covid was not a major them of the book, but it did pop up here and there. This collection of short stories was really well done and felt very cohesive but never repetitive. Themes of mother daughter relationships, womanhood, Asian identity and experience, mortality, marriage, and capitalism were prevalent throughout. As always, some stories were certainly stronger than others, but overall I enjoyed them all. Definitely an author I look forward to reading more.
August 6, 2022
The best short story collection I’ve ever read.
June 8, 2023
3.5 stars
I started reading this collection a long time ago and only just finished it. I enjoyed the writing, but really only a couple stories are memorable (Gwendolyn Wakes was my favorite and was very weird and fun). Anyway would recommend and will watch for more things this author puts out!
I started reading this collection a long time ago and only just finished it. I enjoyed the writing, but really only a couple stories are memorable (Gwendolyn Wakes was my favorite and was very weird and fun). Anyway would recommend and will watch for more things this author puts out!
July 19, 2021
She is Haunted requires time and effort to wander through what appears as a collection of memories. The reader is invited to join these at any stage, and wander in and out selectively as the story unfolds. Some are extremely poignant, others wonderfully weird and amusing, whilst others are disheartening. There is a thread of failure running throughout the novel which is grating, appropriate, and sad. The alienation in moving between the Asian and Anglo worlds, and not feeling at ease in either drove the premise that for women to move beyond their past, others’ expectations and be an individual, devoid of even their own expectations, is a difficult path to tread.
The prose is exquisitely detailed throughout each story. I found this particularly so in the title story, She is Haunted. The matter-of-fact way Paige Clark writes about dying and the humour of who she encounters in the afterlife – all willing to give advice – was extremely tender and unconventional.
At times confusing, She is Haunted, gives the reader a novel that is offbeat, frustrating, intuitive, but overall a satisfying read. Just look at the cover and you’ll be drawn in.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the ARC.
The prose is exquisitely detailed throughout each story. I found this particularly so in the title story, She is Haunted. The matter-of-fact way Paige Clark writes about dying and the humour of who she encounters in the afterlife – all willing to give advice – was extremely tender and unconventional.
At times confusing, She is Haunted, gives the reader a novel that is offbeat, frustrating, intuitive, but overall a satisfying read. Just look at the cover and you’ll be drawn in.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the ARC.
November 29, 2022
I was so excited to find a collection of short stories written by another Asian American/Australian woman at the library. I've been looking for reflections of my own voice for a long time, and even if not every piece intersects, I still wanted to see how someone else would translate the very specific, very nuanced experience of being an Asian woman. The writing was smooth and at times punchy, and most stories to me held a distinct atmosphere of loneliness and longing and a sense of grappling at different pieces to form an identity. Really appreciated the portrait of mother daughter relationships, and how understood I felt both by what was said and what wasn't. Would totally recommend as a read to any of my other AsAm friends with any sort of alignment to womanhood.
June 3, 2023
"here is another fact. trees that grow together are sometimes so intertwined at the roots that they die together."
a short story collection with a few memorable pieces and some that are not so memorable. my personal favs ranked:
- fortune
- cracks
- why my hair is long
- a conversation with my brother about trees
a promising debut, but it could've been better :)
a short story collection with a few memorable pieces and some that are not so memorable. my personal favs ranked:
- fortune
- cracks
- why my hair is long
- a conversation with my brother about trees
a promising debut, but it could've been better :)
August 19, 2021
Its mindless shorts to read. The assembly has a loose flow but not enough to draw and maintain my interest. Cant pinpoint what was wrong with it but it just was too lacking for me.
December 30, 2021
A series of short stories about relationships and life. Couldn’t really recall any of them. 🥱
October 22, 2022
These stories mix vividly imagined and varied worlds with resonant, repeated emotional themes: Clark's characters are all haunted by relationships, stuck wondering if this is/was the best they could have done and grieving for loss, even if just of something unattainable. But they do this in wildly different situations: a couple choose brain surgery to cope with the trauma of an unbearably hot and bereft 2040 Sydney, a civil servant works a call centre for relationship resentment claims, an elderly woman desperately and dysfunctionally tries to connect from a nursing home prison surrounded by deadly infection, a pregnant woman trades wildly with God. Others seem set in the world as we know it: a woman turns vegetarian to impress the man she is dating, another starts dressing in her dead spouse's clothes, and another plots to clone a dog she loves wildly.
In perhaps the most moving story, a woman overthinks how to deal with her partner's ex, only to discover the woman as a person and potential friend. Rarely have I read literature that deals so subtly with the dynamics of female relationships and their comfort and power.
Lest this sound too serious, the collection is wryly hilarious, and Clarke manages to entertain without ever losing the ethereal tone of the collection. And it is a collection - while the 17 stories are terribly varied, the themes echo throughout, and so do other elements: characters with variations on Elizabeth and a love of dogs. It feels as if this could be a multiverse collection of what could be the lives of someone in differing worlds.
All up, it made for a wonderful read. It isn't one to tear through - I ended up cutting it with other books to give the stories some time to settle, but it wasn't a one-story-at-a-time book either.
In perhaps the most moving story, a woman overthinks how to deal with her partner's ex, only to discover the woman as a person and potential friend. Rarely have I read literature that deals so subtly with the dynamics of female relationships and their comfort and power.
Lest this sound too serious, the collection is wryly hilarious, and Clarke manages to entertain without ever losing the ethereal tone of the collection. And it is a collection - while the 17 stories are terribly varied, the themes echo throughout, and so do other elements: characters with variations on Elizabeth and a love of dogs. It feels as if this could be a multiverse collection of what could be the lives of someone in differing worlds.
All up, it made for a wonderful read. It isn't one to tear through - I ended up cutting it with other books to give the stories some time to settle, but it wasn't a one-story-at-a-time book either.
July 25, 2021
http://jessjustreads.com
Paige Clark’s She is Haunted is a collection of eighteen short stories, each grappling with issues of recognition and connection, as well as loneliness and intimacy. Other themes peppered throughout the book include identity, grief, intergenerational trauma, sickness and hurt.
My favourite stories are Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Gwendolyn Wakes, In A Room of Chinese Women, A Woman in Love, Why My Hair is Long, She is Haunted, and Snow Angels.
“I know lots of things now that I'm dead. Peter from Apartment Two has a spastic bladder. My former boss Morgan keeps her toenails in a gold jewellery box. My brother and his wife are trying for a baby. I always excuse myself before things get too heated. I don't know much about my mother yet. I am waiting for grief to catch her, but she mostly seems ashamed-of her body, of what it made.”
Strengths lie in Paige’s ability to evoke instant imagery, with piercing prose and sharp dialogue. There are moments of humour in some of the stories, as well as irony and wit.
Stories vary in length, but all are self-contained. With females taking centre-stage across most of the book, each story in She is Haunted grapples with multiple themes and tones and will resonate with readers of all ages. Many of the stories offer insights into intergenerational trauma and Asian heritage. Each story possesses an element of strength and capability, but together, the collection is a really incredible piece of writing. Naturally, some stories won’t resonate with every reader but that’s the beauty of a collection — it’s about finding the ones you love most amongst a suite of impeccable work.
“Every morning I wake up, put on his robe and his slippers and shuffle to the bathroom. In the mirror, I hope to see his face instead of mine. I try to erase the woman I find with cakes makeup and waterproof mascara. She is relentless.”
Readers will be able to relate to elements within each story, and perhaps a reader’s favourite story will give insight into what kind of person they are. Short stories allow us to glimpse into the most compelling moment of a much wider journey, and will often leave us with much to ponder. Familial dynamic has a strong presence in the collection, particularly mother-daughter relationships, the connection between romantic partners, and also female friendship.
“Gwendolyn scanned the screen. She had an eagle eye for errors. The numbers were all in the low eighties at least. There was a ninety-six. And two ninety-twos. She reached out and put her hand to Forrest’s upper back. She couldn’t recall the last time she had touched someone who wasn’t her mother.”
Evocative, electric and moving, She is Haunted is Paige’s debut and will please seasoned readers, and those who love short stories and literary works. Readership skews female, 25+
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Paige Clark’s She is Haunted is a collection of eighteen short stories, each grappling with issues of recognition and connection, as well as loneliness and intimacy. Other themes peppered throughout the book include identity, grief, intergenerational trauma, sickness and hurt.
My favourite stories are Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Gwendolyn Wakes, In A Room of Chinese Women, A Woman in Love, Why My Hair is Long, She is Haunted, and Snow Angels.
“I know lots of things now that I'm dead. Peter from Apartment Two has a spastic bladder. My former boss Morgan keeps her toenails in a gold jewellery box. My brother and his wife are trying for a baby. I always excuse myself before things get too heated. I don't know much about my mother yet. I am waiting for grief to catch her, but she mostly seems ashamed-of her body, of what it made.”
Strengths lie in Paige’s ability to evoke instant imagery, with piercing prose and sharp dialogue. There are moments of humour in some of the stories, as well as irony and wit.
Stories vary in length, but all are self-contained. With females taking centre-stage across most of the book, each story in She is Haunted grapples with multiple themes and tones and will resonate with readers of all ages. Many of the stories offer insights into intergenerational trauma and Asian heritage. Each story possesses an element of strength and capability, but together, the collection is a really incredible piece of writing. Naturally, some stories won’t resonate with every reader but that’s the beauty of a collection — it’s about finding the ones you love most amongst a suite of impeccable work.
“Every morning I wake up, put on his robe and his slippers and shuffle to the bathroom. In the mirror, I hope to see his face instead of mine. I try to erase the woman I find with cakes makeup and waterproof mascara. She is relentless.”
Readers will be able to relate to elements within each story, and perhaps a reader’s favourite story will give insight into what kind of person they are. Short stories allow us to glimpse into the most compelling moment of a much wider journey, and will often leave us with much to ponder. Familial dynamic has a strong presence in the collection, particularly mother-daughter relationships, the connection between romantic partners, and also female friendship.
“Gwendolyn scanned the screen. She had an eagle eye for errors. The numbers were all in the low eighties at least. There was a ninety-six. And two ninety-twos. She reached out and put her hand to Forrest’s upper back. She couldn’t recall the last time she had touched someone who wasn’t her mother.”
Evocative, electric and moving, She is Haunted is Paige’s debut and will please seasoned readers, and those who love short stories and literary works. Readership skews female, 25+
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2022
Longlisted for the 2022 Stella Prize.
This book is a masterclass in artistic omission. The aperture through which the reader peers is no wider than necessary. Every word is deliberate, precise. Meaning drips from the washcloth of Clark's words as she wipes clean a hand mirror, angles it at the underbelly of womanhood, motherhood, cultural discombobulation, grief, love, and death. Bizarre and unsettling, this collection of ostensibly whimsical stories is underscored by a detached melancholia symptomatic of the 21st century.
"He has a cleft lip and the unformed face of a baby born too soon, so I know that, like me, his mother has failed him in some way. He chain-smokes menthol cigarettes and is the fastest walker I have ever known. He is always overheated and his skin has an unhealthy, sweaty sheen."
"In her new apartment, I draw the curtains and flick on a small lamp. We move more certainly in this yellow light. Still I can't shake the image that we are characters on parchment painted by the unsteady hand of childhood, with black hair and black eyes made in wobbly brushstrokes."
Short story collections often suffer from 'compilation syndrome', and are experienced by readers as erratic collages of fiction. She is Haunted is a book in its own right - a mosaic. The narrators are all different, all the same. Clark is innovative, yet restrained. Perplexing, yet compelling. These stories crash against the cliff of thematic synthesis until the haze of bizarreness has eroded and the reader is left musing beneath the overhang.
A splendid read.
This book is a masterclass in artistic omission. The aperture through which the reader peers is no wider than necessary. Every word is deliberate, precise. Meaning drips from the washcloth of Clark's words as she wipes clean a hand mirror, angles it at the underbelly of womanhood, motherhood, cultural discombobulation, grief, love, and death. Bizarre and unsettling, this collection of ostensibly whimsical stories is underscored by a detached melancholia symptomatic of the 21st century.
"He has a cleft lip and the unformed face of a baby born too soon, so I know that, like me, his mother has failed him in some way. He chain-smokes menthol cigarettes and is the fastest walker I have ever known. He is always overheated and his skin has an unhealthy, sweaty sheen."
"In her new apartment, I draw the curtains and flick on a small lamp. We move more certainly in this yellow light. Still I can't shake the image that we are characters on parchment painted by the unsteady hand of childhood, with black hair and black eyes made in wobbly brushstrokes."
Short story collections often suffer from 'compilation syndrome', and are experienced by readers as erratic collages of fiction. She is Haunted is a book in its own right - a mosaic. The narrators are all different, all the same. Clark is innovative, yet restrained. Perplexing, yet compelling. These stories crash against the cliff of thematic synthesis until the haze of bizarreness has eroded and the reader is left musing beneath the overhang.
A splendid read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews