Review: No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July

This was so not what I was expecting. No One Belongs Here More Than You has got to be one of the worst books I’ve read in years. I can’t even recall the last time I was this appalled by a short story collection.

I started off my reading experience thinking this would follow the usual way of having no real structure to the stories but still including great quotes to ponder. And at first, that’s exactly what was being delivered to me with pieces of writing such as: “They seem easy to write, but that’s the illusion of all good advice.”

And this line from the story Majesty that’s all about dreams: “That day I carried the dream around like a full glass of water, moving gracefully so I would not lose any of it. ”

But then the story collection decides to take a turn for the worst by having stories written about incest (“I Kiss a Door”) and pedophilia (“The Boy from Lam Kien”) in such a tone as if they’re perfectly normal and acceptable everyday things.

“It is as if she came up from hell to make this one thing, a record, and then she went back. But who am I to say. Maybe it wasn’t hell. Maybe she really wanted to go back.”

I felt physically sick, so much so that I had to open up a window in the middle of the freezing night. And I still can’t shake off my disgust. Needless to say, I didn’t even bother to complete the rest of the stories because I don’t despise morality.

• I usually note at the end of my reviews that I’m an Amazon Affiliate, and if you’re interested in buying the book I reviewed you can go through my link so that I’ll make a small commission. But instead, I’ll now implore you to browse through literally any other book on Amazon because No One Belongs Here More Than You is not worth your time or money.