Book Riot
In this article:
Happy Stories, Mostly
Written by Erica Ezeifedi, originally published in Book Riot
Jun 06, 2023
Happy Stories, Mostly
Written by Erica Ezeifedi, originally published in Book Riot
Jun 06, 2023
In 12 dark and speculative stories, queer Indonesian writer Pasaribu uses Batak and Christian trappings to answer the question of how it feels to be almost happy. The characters in Happy Stories, Mostly are just at the cusp of joy, but never able to fully grasp it. Heaven has a department dedicated to archiving the prayers that go unanswered. A mother travels to Vietnam seeking closure for her son’s suicide. Each of these stories examines the consequences of colonialism, homophobia, and the insistence on heteronormativity.
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