Summary
In the Dream House is Carmen Maria Machado's candid and innovative memoir chronicling her abusive same-sex relationship. The book takes an unconventional approach, with each chapter employing a distinct narrative trope, such as the haunted house or erotica, to examine the relationship from various angles. Machado delves into the complexities of psychological abuse, unpacking stereotypes about queer relationships and exploring the history and reality of abuse within the LGBTQ+ community.
Throughout the memoir, Machado reflects on her religious upbringing, dissects the tropes and cultural representations of domestic violence, and draws from various sources, including fairy tales, Star Trek, and Disney villains. Her harrowing account is told through a second-person narrative, with Machado referring to her victimized self as "you" and her abusive partner as only as "the woman in the dream house."
In the Dream House is a poignant work that challenges traditional memoir conventions. Machado's wit, candor, and willingness to explore difficult subject matter have earned the book critical acclaim and numerous awards, including the Bisexual Book Award, Lambda Literary Award, and Folio Prize. It has been hailed as a groundbreaking and necessary contribution to the canon of LGBTQ+ literature and the discourse surrounding domestic abuse.
Themes
Domestic violence/abuse in LGBTQ+ relationships
Psychological trauma and its effects
Exploration of narrative techniques/structures
Childhood experiences and their influence
Representation of queer relationships in media
Power dynamics in intimate relationships
Identity and self-discovery
Setting
In the Dream House is set primarily in Iowa City, Iowa, where author Carmen Maria Machado was pursuing her MFA at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. The memoir revolves around Machado's abusive same-sex relationship with another woman during this time period, which appears to be the late 2000s or early 2010s, though the exact years are not specified.
While the larger geographical context is the American Midwest, with Iowa City serving as the main setting, Machado also explores her childhood experiences and upbringing in other parts of the United States. However, the core narrative unfolds within the confines of Machado's small two-bedroom apartment in Iowa City, which she shared with her roommates John and Laura, and where much of the abuse took place.
Characters
Carmen Maria Machado: The author and protagonist of the memoir, recounting her experiences in an abusive same-sex relationship
The "woman in the dream house": Machado's unnamed ex-girlfriend who was the abusive partner in their relationship
Val Howlett: A woman who also dated the "woman in the dream house" and later married Machado in 2017
John: Machado's roommate in Iowa City
Laura: Machado's roommate in Iowa City
FAQs
What is the book about?
In the Dream House is a memoir by Carmen Maria Machado about her experience in an abusive same-sex relationship. It explores the psychological and emotional abuse she endured through various narrative styles and literary tropes.
What inspired the author to write this book?
Machado's personal experience of being in an abusive relationship with another woman inspired her to write this book as a way to articulate and make sense of her experiences.
What is unique about the book's structure?
Each chapter of the book is written using a different narrative trope or genre, such as horror, erotica, or bildungsroman, to examine the events of the abusive relationship from different angles.
How does In the Dream House handle the topic of domestic violence in queer relationships?
The book explores the reality and history of abuse in queer relationships.
What are some of the literary elements and references used in the book?
In the Dream House incorporates various literary elements and references, including fairy tales, Star Trek, Disney villains, and iconic works of film and fiction, as the author examines the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse.
How does the author refer to her abusive partner?
Throughout the book, Machado never directly names her abusive partner and only refers to her as "the woman in the dream house."
What awards and recognition has the book received?
In the Dream House has received numerous awards and honors, including the Bisexual Book Award, Lambda Literary Award, Judy Grahn Award, and the Folio Prize, among others.
What is the significance of the book's title?
The title "In the Dream House" likely refers to the idealized notion of a perfect relationship or domestic life, which contrasts with the author's experience of abuse within her own "dream house."
How does the author's writing style contribute to the book's impact?
Machado's candid, witty, and inventive writing style, combined with her openness to inquiry and critical examination, lends a powerful and engaging voice to the difficult subject matter.
What themes or issues does the book explore beyond domestic violence?
In the Dream House also explores themes of identity, trauma, and the author's religious upbringing, as well as broader societal and cultural representations of abuse and relationships.
Quotes
“We deserve to have our wrongdoing represented as much as our heroism, because when we refuse wrongdoing as a possibility for a group of people, we refuse their humanity.”
“Abusers do not need to be, and rarely are, cackling maniacs. They just need to want something and not care how they get it.”
“Love cannot be won or lost; a relationship doesn't have a scoring system. We are partners, paired against the world. We cannot succeed if we are at odds with each other.”
“You tried to tell your story to people who didn't know how to listen.”
“Places are never just places in a piece of writing. If they are, the author has failed. Setting is not inert. It is activated by point of view.”
“I thought you died, but writing this, I'm not sure you did.”
“Fear makes liars of us all.”
“And so you aren’t just mad, or heartbroken: you grieve from the betrayal.”
“Putting language to something for which you have no language is no easy feat.”
Quick facts
In the Dream House is a memoir written in teh second person, with author Carmen Maria Machado addressing her past self as "you".
Machado's ex-girlfriend also dated another woman named Val Howlett, whom Machado later married in 2017.
In the Dream House has won several awards, including the 2019 Bisexual Book Award, 2020 Judy Grahn Award, 2020 Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Nonfiction, and 2021 Folio Prize.
Machado explores themes of psychological abuse, queer relationships, and cultural representations of domestic violence.
The book incorporates references to various works of film, fiction, and pop culture, such as Star Trek and Disney villains.
Machado's memoir was praised for its candor, inventiveness, and experimentation with the memoir genre.
The book includes Machado's reflections on her childhood, adolescence, and past relationships leading up to the abusive relationship.
About the author
Carmen Maria Machado is an American writer recognized as a pioneering voice in queer and feminist literature. Her works, including the short story collection Her Body and Other Parties (2017) and the memoir In the Dream House (2019), explore themes of identity, sexuality, and the complexities of human relationships.
Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1986, Machado comes from a Cuban-Austrian background and grew up in a religious household, which initially caused her to feel guilt about her queer sexuality. She received her MFA from the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop and has been awarded numerous fellowships and residencies, including from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Michener-Copernicus Foundation. Her writing has been widely anthologized and featured in esteemed literary publications such as The New Yorker, Granta, and The Paris Review.
Her Body and Other Parties was a finalist for the National Book Award and won several honors, including the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Prize and the Bard Fiction Prize. The collection has been optioned for a television adaptation by FX. In the Dream House won the 2021 Folio Prize. Currently, Machado is the Writer in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania and lives in Philadelphia with her wife.
