light up a cigarette - review of "the dangers of smoking in bed" by mariana enriquez

 

 

            I devoured this book over the course of four tram rides to and from university, praying that no one would peek over my shoulder and come across a line about a dead, rotting baby, a woman with a fetish for sick hearts, fangirls who eat their dead idol, or any of the other sordid and depraved characters or events Enriquez introduces us to. Mariana Enriquez' short story collection is dark, twisted, and thoroughly enjoyable. Translated for English-speaking readers in 2021 (originally published in Spanish in 2009), this collection has taken the new readers by storm. Picking up this book was in part due to this popularity, and due to my own desire to branch out from the fantasy novels that dominated my teen years, and to expand my horizons from English-as-first-language authors. 

The collection focuses on death, sex, and superstition, and has the rare ability to shock readers with every turn of the page; each short story seemingly more macabre and debauched than the others. Enriquez' narrative talent and ability to make her horror "Latin American" as she stated, provides us with a dangerous collection of stories that inspire fear, wonder, and even a touch of hedonistic excitement. Her ability to create stories that are both universal and possessing of extremely specific local references to life in Buenos Aires and Latin America largely creates a unique and instantly recognisable narrative voice; even in translation. 

The book holds sinister and ominous tones throughout, although seeps out more obviously in some stories than in others; Where Are You, Dear Heart?, Meat, and The Cart are the most graphic and most explicit stories; Where Are You, Dear Heart? and Meat particularly draw distinct connections between sex, desire, and death - they feature women who are plagued with an insatiable hunger in both the literal and metaphorical sense - one which is fed through consumption of their desires; the body of the pop star and the heartbeats of an ill man.

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed is well worth the read, especially for lovers of the horror genre, or those, like me, looking to expand their bookshelf and unsettle themselves a little.