In The Dream House

'Ravishingly beautiful' Observer 'Excruciatingly honest and yet vibrantly creative' Irish Times 'Provocative and rich' Economist 'Daring; chilling; and unlike anything else you've ever read' Esquire 'An absolute must-read' Stylist WINNER OF THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2021 In the Dream House is Carmen Maria Machado's engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad. Tracing the full arc of a harrowing experience with a charismatic but volatile woman; this is a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse. Each chapter views the relationship through a different lens; as Machado holds events up to the light and examines them from distinct angles. She casts a critical eye over legal proceedings; fairy tales; Star Trek and Disney villains; as well as iconic works of film and fiction; infusing all with her characteristic wit; playfulness and openness to enquiry. The result is a powerful book that explodes our ideas about what a memoir can do and be.