The Membranes by Chi Ta-wei, translated by Ari Larissa Heinrich
- Publisher: Columbia University Press, June 1st 2021
- Genre: Sci-Fi
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 168 pages
- My Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
Click on the cover for my review on Goodreads.
tl;dr: MIND-BLOWING TAIWANESE QUEER SCI-FI novella written by a 23yo queer Taiwanese guy in 1995 that is still super relevant today; as a queer Taiwanese, I am extremely happy to see this translated
Content warnings: surgery, animal abuse, blood, mention of organ harvesting, gassing, non-consensual medical procedures, hospitalization, murder, death, manipulation, gaslighting, child molestation, voyeurism
I read The Membranes (膜) in both Chinese and English with one immediately following another, at first scene-by-scene, and as the story picked up pace, chapter-by-chapter. Both versions have very similar feels, and I am amazed at Heinrich keeping the translation so atmospherically close to the Chinese writing. There were a few differences here and there, whether to fit the English language, the present time (this work was originally published in 1995/1996), or simply because Heinrich felt that these fit their translation better, I am not sure, but I love a lot of Heinrich’s decisions. Also, from my understanding of the Chinese original, there were minor misinterpretations and overlooking some of Chi’s deliberate word choices, but fortunately these did not affect the overall picture.
The story follows a thirty-year-old aesthetician Momo as she reunites with her mother, whom she hasn’t seen in twenty years since she recovered from a major surgery. Throughout the story, bits and bits of information is slowly revealed, and we learn about Momo’s past as she learns it herself. The Membranes is a disturbing read that questions perceptions, experiences, reality, gender, and sexuality within the thin volume of 136 pages.