ayzrules
she/her đĽ ⢠spooky class Oct â25 đđŚâď¸đˇď¸ ⢠writer and full-time clown đŤ ⢠i'm @ayzrules on discord if you ever want to add me and chat!
89022 points
3.30 average  ¡ 20 reviews
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Beautifully, gorgeously hopeful, this is a book of fairytales and families, and the madness within us all.
From the very first page, this book completely envelopes the reader in lyrical, storybook-like prose. Mehtaâs writing is lovely and vivid, but never dense; wondrous without being overwrought, and lush without being so flowery as to veer into purple territory. The words are imbued with a lilting, melodic rhythm and the text flows like water across the page, depicting even the strangest and most outlandish concepts with a deft, understated artistry. If I had to describe the style of this book in the most succinct way, I would have to liken it to poetryâthe kinds of poems that convey the most heartbreaking, profound realities of our lives with the deceptively simple language that we use every day.
The story asks its readers for patience. And I found that I was so enraptured by the writing that I could not help but to give it that patience. Still, I recognize that the narrative framework and structure of the book itself will not be for everyone. It meanders, turns back on itself like a snake curling around its own tail, winds and twists and spins in rhythms that seem completely inexplicable. Time becomes meaningless and melts into nothingness. The plot is as clear as it is impenetrable.
Nevertheless, I think that the trust the book asks of readers is well-rewarded, in the end. The chapters all serve a purpose, even if the purpose is not immediately obvious, and although the moments Mehta writes about may not always seem significant, there is no denying that the story is enriched for having those moments there. The only reason that this is not a perfect 5 stars for me is that sometimes it does get a bit encrusted in abstract, philosophical concepts that I have a hard time connecting with, but honestly itâs not super prevalent so itâs just a tiny subjective nitpick that I have.
Trying to summarize what this book is strictly about feels like a monumental, insurmountable task, because it really is a story within a story within memories and dreams and maybe yet another story. So, keeping it as brief as I can, itâs about finding family, and losing a sister, and searching for what was lost, and being irrevocably changed in the search. And finding family again, despite it all. Itâs about loving those who were once strangers, and being changed by the act of loving, and hearing the echoes of that love reverberate through all of timeâuntil time itself becomes meaningless, and you are surrounded by the ringing songs of every love that once was and will be; every love that created yours, and every love that will come from you.
The book also delves into how stories form, change, and are changed. No story is static forever, Mehta tells us, because we are only human and we do not last forever. But even if the story changes and morphs into a new shape, the kernel of what originally created it will remain, and that is a form of immortality in and of itself. She uses footnotes and in-universe sourcesâessays, academia, forewords to imaginary booksâto talk about these points, and they were just so fun! Even when she writes in a drier academic tone, there is still such a profound sense of enigma and wonder wrapped up in her writing. I firmly believe that Mehta could write a tax guide, and Iâd find it enthralling.
Overall, the tone of this book is deeply, deeply hopeful. The story spends time ruminating on what it means to âgo madâ, but Mehtaâs framing of madness is through the lens of human love and connection. What is madness, if not loving your sister so deeply that you would sacrifice everything for her? What is madness, if not spending your life and after-life and the lives and after-lives of your descendants, trying to find her again? The touch of whimsy that permeates the writing style and voice is just the cherry on top. Even when the narrative is heavy with loss, Mehtaâs voice reminds us that love never fades, and that simply the act of loving blossoms into a song that can change the universe.
â 4.5/5 stars
This was such a mind-trip of a book, it almost feels like it was all a dream. The writing is so soft and tinged with a palpable sense of quiet wonder and whimsy. It is at different times tender, lovely, lonely, mournful, haunted, anguished, reverent, and magical, but always in such layered and beautifully subtle ways.
This book is SO smart and intricate, especially in the first half, but the author is just THAT skilled, and had such a clear sense of what she wanted to do, that the experience of reading it feelsâŚsimple. There were parts where I was thinking about how each sentence and section has meaning upon meaning heaped onto it, woven together with an impressive complexity and deftness, but itâs crafted as naturally as water flowing downhill. The tone and style are so endearing and charming and delightful, itâs impossible not to fall a little bit in love with the narrator. Itâs a book that manages to make time stand completely and perfectly still, while also feeling a bit fleeting, somehow? It felt a bit ephemeral, a bit insubstantial, a bit not-there around the edges. As if I could look away from the pages for a moment, and the words would have disappeared when I looked back down, gone with the passing clouds.
In a way - and hopefully this is not too spoiler-y, lol - this is a book about endings, and like all endings, it is not without its unique anguishes. But itâs all so enchanting to get lost in it.
I will say that this book feels more about the Experience TM than it is about the plot and such. There is a plot, but itâs quite simplistic. Basically everything is wrapped up at the climax, and I wished that there were some points that were explored with more depth or complexity given how skillfully the author had built up to them in the first half. They were interesting and cool! I wanted to know more! And it felt like a little bit of a let-down to just breeze over everything the way that the book did. But, I still really enjoyed this regardless. Itâs all just so dang clever.
â 4.1/5 stars
The Kitchen Sink: New and Selected Poems, 1972-2007
Albert Goldbarth
i've seen this poem re-posted a lot online, and though I haven't read the full collection of poems, i am definitely planning to check out more work by Goldbarth because i think this may just be one of my favorite poems ever. for those who are unfamiliar, here's the entire poem (copied from this website):
Physics says: go to sleep. Of course youâre tired. Every atom in you has been dancing the shimmy in silver shoes nonstop from mitosis to now. Quit tapping your feet. Theyâll dance inside themselves without you. Go to sleep.
Geology says: it will be all right. Slow inch by inch America is giving itself to the ocean. Go to sleep. Let darkness lap at your sides. Give darkness an inch. You arenât alone. All of the continents used to be one body. You arenât alone. Go to sleep.
Astronomy says: the sun will rise tomorrow, Zoology says: on rainbow-fish and lithe gazelle, Psychology says: but first it has to be night, so Biology says: the body-clocks are stopped all over town and History says: here are the blankets, layer on layer, down and down.
as previously mentioned, I love this poem. itâs definitely one of my personal favorites. Itâs a very comforting poem to me, with its quiet rhythm and the verses and language that ring with truth, despite how simple they appear to be.
I love the way this poem frames fatigue and weariness as this inevitable, animal thing by invoking the scientific facts in the discussion of it all. The words carry a deep sense of relief to me. The way I read it, the poem is very soothing in how it emphasizes that exhaustion is natural, and how it says this exhaustion is a consequence of all the forces of the universe, so one should take time to rest without remorse. The weariness is built into the atoms you are made of, the sunlight and stardust you erupted from. Go to sleep, let it go. Whatâs the point in trying to fight it, to resist, to insist you are the exception? You are not stronger than physics or biology, and itâs okay. The world will still be there when you wake. Go to sleep.
Here, I interpret âgo to sleepâ as referring to the literal state of being asleep, of course, but also through a more figurative lens. âSleepâ implies resting, healing, being oblivious to the world and all the things about it that cause worry and pain. I like to think that the speaker of the poem is telling the reader to set down their burdens for a while, to let their worries cease for just a little bit. There is time enough for bearing the burdens of the universe, but the cosmos can only extend as far as physics will allow it, and we are merely earth-animals at the end of it all: warm-blooded creatures with red beating hearts and chemical signals that dictate our emotions, nerves and cells and receptors responding to external stimuli as a result of thousands upon thousands of years of continuous evolution. We must rest, and thatâs all right; we were not designed to be forever in pain, forever toiling. All motion must come to a stop if there is not enough energy to resist the forces of counter-motion. Go to sleep.
I think the technical construction and style of this poem also lends itself to the soothing feeling it evokes in me. Goldbarthâs language is very simple, almost deceptively so, written in the everyday, mundane language we use to conduct our daily lives. This makes the poem feel intensely familiar, almost intimate, like a casual phone call with a friend rather than an elevated oratory performance, of the kind youâd expect to see as part of an elaborate theatrical production. It feels comforting the way a postcard on the fridgeâcolorful but cheap, faded by the sun, unremarkable to everyone except the owner who has kept it there for 10 yearsâmight be comforting.
Physics says
The physics section emphasizes how we are made of atoms, these bits of matter that vibrate in constant, imperceptible motion. Where there is life, there is motion; the poem says as much with these verses:
Every atom in you has been dancing the shimmy in silver shoes nonstop from mitosis to now.
âMitosisââthe process by which cells replicate to create new cells, to grow the body, to repair damaged muscle and tissueâi.e., the cellular process we all started from. Itâs such a fun set of verses, as sprightly as the atoms and metaphorical dance steps that form the basis of the subject matter. The emphasis is firmly fixed on the movementâof the cells and atoms you are made of, and of the syllables as they hop and skip right off the tongue. Those s sounds come fast, playful, all breath-breath-breath as they fall out of the mouth without giving the reader time for a pause. And âshimmy in silver shoesâ, along with âtapping your feetâ and âTheyâll dance inside themselves without youâ, evoke the same feeling through visual image and physical sensation.
I really enjoy the way this stanza takes these microscopic cellular movements and draws them large, relating them to dancing and feet tapping. I understand the vibration of atomic particles and cellular division via mitosis on an abstract, intellectual level, but I feel the larger physical sensations of tapping my feet, drumming my fingers, and flashing quicksilver dance steps in my own limbs. Goldbarth draws a connection between these two distinct forms of motion, emphasizing both the frenetic energy of flesh-and-blood existence and how that existence means we must take time to rest and allow our cells to repair and replenish themselves.
Geology says
In a fun little parallel to the small-to-large arc contained within the previous stanza, the progression to the geology stanza immediately takes us from the scale of atoms to continents. Here, the speaker really hammers in the vastness of the universe, and paradoxically, it makes me feel small in a way that is deeply comforting. It reminds me that my existence is just a tiny speck in the universe, and no matter what I do, the world will go no long past Iâm gone. The poem seems to say: donât worry so much. Thereâs no rush; the earth moves too slowly for one, five, ten years to make a difference; you might as well take it slow, too. Enjoy the time you have.
I love the repetition of âyou arenât aloneâ. I think being lonely at various stages of my life has definitely been an influence as to why Iâm fascinated by the natural world and the âcycle of lifeâ, so to speak; the knowledge that all my cells and atoms came from the earth and will go back to the earth has always made me feel part of something larger than myself in a way that brought me comfort and reassurance. I like how the geology stanza evokes that feeling in describing Pangaea and the slow, constant shift and subduction of tectonic plates.
Finally, I really enjoy the line âLet darkness / lap at your sides. Give darkness an inch.â Darkness compared to the lapping of waves at the shore somehow transforms it away from a foreboding, consuming force, and instead one of peace. Iâm reminded of this description from Langston Hughesâs poem âAfter Many Springsâ: "[...] the night is a vast softness"
Astronomy and Zoology say
The poem begins its third and final stanza with a sunriseâhow lovely! I love the intention behind including "rainbow-fish" and "lithe gazelle". Both animals are known for jumping/leaping in graceful arcs, mirroring the path of the sun across the sky, so itâs very easy to imagine the sun on their backs (all that glittering, shimmering dawn-brightness) as they launch themselves upwards.
Psychology and Biology say
I'm honestly not too sure what this line refers to, in how it relates back to psychology as a scientific field (biology seems more straightforward, "body-clocks" being a layman's interpretation of circadian rhythm and all that). would love to hear others' interpretations!
History says
I adore the way the poem ends. It opens with the frantic, constant, minuscule movement of atoms, then expands into the wide edges of continents, then peers out of the darkness with promises of rising sun. But remember: itâs night, it is time to sleep. The poem returns to that idea with a definitive note in its final verses.
I like the double (maybe triple?) meanings of the last verse a lot. I interpret it as something like- here are the blankets, layered up for you: go to sleep. Down and down through the beginning of time, down and down through layers of the past, down and down through stone and earth, until you hit the molten core of the planet: this is what creatures like you have done for all of history. Go to sleep.
I'm definitely not a poetry expert or anything; I was doubting posting this at all, because I really am not qualified to speak authoritatively on poetry and haven't really had much chance to study it as a form of art and literature. but, I would really love to hear how other people read this poem, and if you have a favorite part and/or if you see any other fun scientific connections to be drawn!
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
Angela Carter
A quote from âThe Bloody Chamberâ that has stuck with me for years and years is from early on in the story:
"His wedding gift, clasped round my throat. A choker of rubies, two inches wide, like an extraordinarily precious slit throat."
Like, what a metaphor!!! Iâm obsessed with the imagery of it, the narrator in the white muslin shift at the opera and wearing this ruby chokerâthe way you can just imagine its deep red brilliance in contrast to the pristine, diaphanous dress, glittering and glittering in the dim opera lightingâbut it is the construction of the metaphor itself that makes me swoon.
In my mind, a metaphor is the joining of two dissimilar things in a way that enhances the original idea and/or subject that the author is trying to talk about. The reader will arrive at a text with knowledge of these dissimilar things, and with their own preconceived notions and associations they have for each item held in their head. The metaphor serves to connect these previously separate concepts into a single wholeâone that clarifies, demonstrates, and/or strengthens the point the author is trying to make, through the way the author merges the qualities and associations of the ideas that each part of the metaphor carries. Itâs all about how the author connects the two things, and what that connection can reveal.
And I think the thing that the best metaphors do is that they convince the reader, in a subconscious, subtextual way, of something important that the author wants the reader to think. More complex metaphors take things to another level by using the figurative language not only to emphasize, but to fold in a variety of other narrative techniques. I really, really love Carterâs metaphor here because it is imagery and foreshadowing and symbolism all in one. If I break it down, I get:
1- A choker of rubies being compared to a slit throatâthis is a stunning visual image, of course, and it immediately slants the tone and atmosphere of the story into something darker and more sinister. The connection is drawn between jewelry clasped at the throat, and the throat being cut. By invoking this violence in the same breath that she invokes a âwedding giftâ, Carter is layering in the foreshadowing here. Itâs a signal to the reader that this marriage will end in slaughter, that the reader should associate this man and his wedding gift with said violence. Like, itâs not subtle!!! This guy is trouble, and she wants us to know it!!
2- The connotation of blood, being drawn from the connection my brain makes between ârubiesâ and âslit throatââand this is so perfectly genius because Carter doesnât even say the word âbloodâ! She relies on the readerâs knowledge of what rubies look like and knowledge of what a slit throat produces to allow our brains to make that leap for ourselves. Itâs just such a deft, subtle move, so lush and macabre while also somehow economical with the word choice? Iâm going insane. Iâm not okay about it.
3- The deeper layers of this metaphor bring forth some more theoretical ideas, things that may differ depending on each readerâs interpretation. For me, the fact that the metaphor calls it âan extraordinarily precious slit throatâ implies that perhaps the husband finds the pain of his bride to be why she is valuable. Perhaps he loves and values the violence he will inflict upon her person, and this is why he is marrying her.
4- I love how there is no doubt at all in the metaphor, how it says completely and unequivocally: this marriage will result in violence. Being this manâs bride is as good as a death sentence. Itâs such a radical turning away from a traditional fairytale happily-ever-after, where the maiden marries the prince and that is considered a good ending, a source of joy, something all young women are assumed to dream and fantasize about. Gothic literature has a history of examining and dissecting the ideas of marriage, love, obsession, and violence, and the influence of gothic literary canon is very clear in Carterâs workâand I am entirely obsessed with how she applies this influence through the lens of a traditional fairytale.
This is a metaphor that is substantiated by the visuals (rubies > blood > slit throat), the associations/connotations of these things (rubies are jewels which are valuable, the POV character is a young bride for a rich man, indicating that maybe he sees her as simply an âextraordinarily preciousâ possession as well), and adds atmosphere and foreshadowing through the deliberate usage of âslit throatâ instead of any other comparison. In my reading of it, I think this metaphor convinces the reader of several things all at once, planting the seeds of suh ideas in the subconscious so that they may bloom fully later on in the story, even if the reader isnât going to be 100% conscious of what Carter is doing.
On a more personal note: I didnât realize I was aromantic (and thus do not really feel or want romance at all, let alone marriage) until much, much later, but I think I really gravitated to this when I first read it as a teenage girl because so much of my knowledge of traditional and historical womanhood and marriage had been shaped by the idea that marriage becomes the ultimate sacrifice on the part of the woman. I learned about Henry VIII from a nonfiction childrenâs book and never could forget how he went through wives like they were nothing (I mean, I knew it was politically motivated and all, but the fact that his was a world that empowered him to behead so many women he had married made my eight-year-old heart so anguished for those dead queens); I was a voracious historical fiction reader, and all the princesses and queens in those stories were always settling for marriages to men they did not love âfor the good of their countryâ and to âdo their dutyâ. To see that violence recognized and delineated here, so clearly, vividly, and in a way that did not let the reader hold any doubts about the fact that it was an act of violence at all, meant so much to me at the time.
Anyway, thank you to anyone who read all the way to the endâI know this was a long ass post about like 25 words from the entire story đ I would love to hear any other thoughts or theories people have!
Soldier Daddy (Wings of Refuge #5)
Cheryl Wyatt
In honor of achieving a follower milestone that will GROW my account and INFLUENCE the algorithm (pls remember to like, subscribe, hit the bell to turn on notifications, and comment your PO box so i can deploy a legion of secret pigeons to directly harass you every time cheryl wyatt gifts me with more divine inspiration), i am as promised sharing a preview of the Australian translation of Soldier Daddy, written by award-winning, #1 worldwide bestselling author Brandon Sanderson Brandana Danderson, otherwise known as @brandanadei đ
Original American version: "I'm fond of the microwave myself. Although I can grill a mean steak."
Now why had he said that? Maybe she was a vegan and he'd just offended her.
Then again, according to her dawning grin, maybe not.
"I love steak. Especially from the grill, juicy and marbled. With sea-salt baked potatoes and sweet corn on the cob dripping with hot butter. And pumpkin pie so smothered in whipped cream that you can't see the golden filling. It's my favorite meal."
Australian translation (to be released in bookstores VERY SOON): "Aw yeah nah I'm alright with the microwave meself. Though I'll chuck a couple steaks on the barbie."
Now she'll think he's just some dumb bloke. She's probably one of them oat milk vegans from Melbourne and she'll be pissed.
But she cracked a laugh, so maybe he'd saved it.
"Bloody oath mate. Gotta have a good steak. Add a coupla snags, grilled onion, the misso makes a potato salad. Top it off with a pavlova with the passionfruit drizzle, now that's a good feed."
What's your most diabolical reading flex?
Mine has to be reading spicy audiobooks without headphones.
Now hear me out, it's only in the comfort of my own home. In public, headphones all the way (obviously đ¤Ł)
ayzrules commented...
Since this keeps coming up and Iâve said my piece about why it exists, how people abuse it, etc on a few of the other threads youâll find in the club discussion forum, this is something Iâve been thinking about for a while that I wanted to add to the conversation: I encourage people who are really, truly bothered by a few stray downvotes to look inward and think about who they are and what they want to be as a person. When I find my posts on book forums downvoted, whether justified or not, it doesnât bother me nearly as much as it might have 10 years ago because I know who I am and what Iâm about. Since my teenage years, Iâve become more of myself, in every possible way. No amount of downvotes can take away what is truly and genuinely and deeply important to me; so why should I care if a few randos on pagebound donât think the book take I posted was very good? They donât know me. They donât know who I am or what Iâm about, so therefore their opinion as it is expressed through a downvote really has no meaning to me.
Every single person here is someone with an infinite capacity to cultivate an inner world where they are their most of themselves, an infinite and unbounded richness thatâs hard to put into words. Itâs more than who you are when nobody is looking. Itâs knowing yourself, both the good and the bad, and being aware of the kinds of values and ideas you want to uphold. Itâs where your mind wanders to when youâre bored and your phone has died, what you daydream about, what fascinates you, what makes you feel full of curiosity and wonder, what makes you sad (and knowing why you feel that way!), what you long for, what excites you, what makes you irrationally angry, the deepest and most secret things you wonât admit to anything else. no amount of downvotes does anything to reflect on this part of me, because nobody outside of me has the full entire picture, and especially not people Iâve never talked to, people who only know me through a handful of forum posts.
You really genuinely are more than your username and a few numbers on a screen. Downvotes are not and cannot be a reflection of your true character, because only you can cultivate that. Only you can know it in its entirety. I hope people can take some time to remember that before they feel upset over getting a handful of downvotes, because it really isnât meant to be as distressing as I think some people find it.
(And yes, this is with the caveat that people DO dogpile and feel empowered to downvote when they see a few people have already downvoted something, and I have noticed an uptick of downvotes for simple opinion posts, etc. unfortunately, people will abuse the downvote option anywhere it exists)
How do you feel about downvotes? Have you ever downvoted someoneâs post? Iâve just discovered this feature (someone downvoted a post I made on a book forum), and I felt kind of bad đ
ayzrules commented...
Couture look + book pairings
Mad Sisters of Esi â from Rahul Mishra Spring/Summer 2023 Couture, âCosmosâ
In an interview, Rahul Mishra said the following of this collection: âIndeed, Cosmos is a vast concept to borrow from. And I believe that itâs majorly beyond our imagination as limited beings. Realising this collection has been an ambitious task, but also a delight. This reason we borrow from this profound quote from the Puranas, âYat Pinde Tat Brahmandeâ which translates to: âWhat surrounds you, lies within youâ and vice versa. I had been watching this beautiful documentary on Netflix called âCosmosâ in which Neil deGrasse Tyson contemplates that the cosmos stretches across billions of light years, so you may be looking at stars in real time, that may have faded long ago. He also inspires one to imagine an entire multiverse in a water droplet that is made of tiny atoms. Rather than looking up, I started looking down for inspiration â as in, weâve been able to look beyond the stars for our cosmos. The collection explores a lot of stories and thoughts; but in a nutshell, seeks to incite curiosity and a sense of fantasy.â
They Bloom at Night â from Iris Van Herpen Autumn/Winter 2025 Couture, "Sympoiesis"
*"For nearly two decades, the couturier has worked in communion with the primordial rhythm of the organic and the human imperative of the technological. Within Sympoiesis manifests the growing fragility of their interdependence."
"To navigate the fracturing symbiosis, Van Herpen turns to the expansive, life-giving force of the ocean as a conceptual gateway, bearing witness to its ecological transformation and transcribing it into cloth via translucently layered textures, liquidised forms, and silhouettes that surge and wane as the tide. Guided by James Lovelockâs Gaia theory, the designer examines the ocean not as a singular ecosystem but as part of a wider biospheric consciousness. âThe ocean and the atmosphere and the climate are all coupled. They are not independent systems; they are tightly woven together in a self-regulating fabric,â mused Lovelock. Therefore, the collection explores how we are one with the ocean, the largest and most important ecosystem on our planet that generates more than half of the oxygen we breathe."
Book/look pairing provided by the brilliant @nezuu
Frankenstein â from Robert Wun Autumn/Winter 2024 Couture, "Time" (this particular gown is called "Through the Flesh")
"Wunâs penchant for horror took shape as a 40 kilo âmuscleâ dress completely covered in spiked bugle beads."
"đŠ¸Through The Flesh𩸠Inspired by the anatomy of muscle and veins, an embroidered gown with over 68500 vertical glass bugle beads, with over 1390 hours of embroidery work. Illustrating the complexity of human design from within, one of the most complex three-dimensional embroidery work we have achieved this season." (from @robertwun on Instagram)
Natural Beauty â from Robert Wun Autumn/Winter 2024 Couture, "Time"
"To mark a decade of his eponymous house, Robert Wun turned inward, using his anniversary collection to meditate on the passing of time...The final quartet distilled the body into elemental stages: the skin, the fleshâinterpreted as a blood-red column sheathed in bugle beads suggesting muscle fibreâthe bones, and finally the soul, shimmering in a constellation of multicoloured crystals that evoked the expanse of a night sky."
Shoutout to @fichannie for this idea :)
The Bloody Chamber â from Simone Rocha Autumn/Winter 2023 Ready-to-Wear and Rodarte Autumn/Winter 2024 Ready-to-Wear
"Lughnasadh (or Lughnasa) is the Irish harvest festival that goes back to pagan times, and tangentially about which Brian Friel wrote a great play. Before Christianityâs arrival and ever since, but differently, it has acted as a counterpoint to Beltane: a moment to offer thanks for summerâs bounty, and a moment for communities to commingle. This evening on the blood red carpet of Westminsterâs cavernous Central Methodist Hall, Simone Rocha used Lughnasadh as a vehicle for a forward expansion of her design language that last seasonâs addition of menswear to her catalog has catalyzed...As the looks unfolded and the tempo of the soundtrack gathered melodic urgency, you began to imagine the venueâs founding fathers feeling aflutter at the increasingly wanton, albeit very poetic, overtones within this collection. The red ribbons that fell from the hair, garments, and sometimes eyes of certain models were meant to represent blood traditionally daubed on childrenâs faces to ward off ill spirits and bad luck."
"American brand Rodarte presented its Fall 2024 collection, in which fashion meets fairy tale. This season embodies the ethereal in Victorian-inspired dresses, turning each piece into a tale of glamor intertwined with fairytale stories. It also blends vintage inspiration with contemporary fashion trends, from tight-fitting dresses to intricate lace pieces...A red dress embellished with ruffles and handmade roses combines elegance and whimsy."
Annihilation â custom Christian Siriano (worn by Janelle MonĂĄe at the 2026 Met Gala, "Costume Art")
"The artist wore a floor-length gown constructed from real electrical cables and wiring, interwoven with moss, succulents, and circuit board fragments, with butterfly motifs scattered throughout. Technology and nature tangled together."
The Starving Saints â from Alexander McQueen Autumn/Winter 2001 Ready-to-Wear and Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2013 Ready-to-Wear
"Alexander McQueen referenced the absurdities of past fashions in Autumn/Winter 2001. For this collection a golden skeleton was draped over a modelâs shoulder, in place of a fox-skin stole. This drew attention to the macabre, often barbaric, practices that have historically enabled fashion."
"Alexander McQueenâs Sarah Burton was drawn to bees, she said before her show, because theirs is âa matriarchal society where the females rule.â And because the artful shape theyâve given to nature, the honeycomb, opened a wealth of possibilities for her as she returned to a âheritage silhouetteâ â read: strict and form-fitting â in a collection with an undercurrent of erotic theatricality and a hint of Vargas pinups without the cute factor."
"Burton transported the honeycomb shape into jacquards, nets and laces, some embroidered with bees, and worked a considerable portion of the collection in iridescent versions of honey, gold and black. She opened with wasp-waist jackets, their peplums constructed for exaggeration over resin bustiers; racy, reed-thin skirts or pants and boots made from a crystal-studded stretch of netting that ran up the leg. Structural exaggeration of the jackets allowed for dramatic focus on the hips. As the collection went on, Burton began to simultaneously undress and add, putting traditional underpinnings, cages and corsets on the outside as dresses. Eventually these went undercover in exquisite, though not always sane, eveningwear. A yellow dress with flowers trapped within its bubble of a skirt looked party-ready; conversely, a huge, crazy cage of a flower-strewn gown, also yellow, looked right for Scarlet to wear home â if home were not Tara but Grey Gardens."
Shadows House â from Guo Pei Autumn/Winter 2019 Couture, "Alternate Universe"
"Chinese couturier Guo Pei concluded couture week with a poetic, dream-like collection. Completely free from any commercial constraints, the couturier imagined the afterlife as an alternate universe, where light and darkness co-exist."
Thank you to @nezuu for the suggestion!
The Wetworks Miracle â from Guo Pei Autumn/Winter 2019 Couture, "Alternate Universe"
"In âAn Alternate Universeâ Guo Pei delved into the realms of life, death, and the ethereal space in between. The collection, a symphony of masterpieces, boasted intricate embroidery, opulent fabrics, and avant-garde silhouettes."
"Pei was inspired by her childhood thoughts about death and the afterlife. She created a world where angels and demons mingled, and where the past and present collided. The predominantly cream, metallic, and grey palette gave the collection a cohesiveness reminiscent of Greek statuary."
"Peiâs use of various sewing techniques was masterful. Hand-folded pleats expressed the sense of architectural space, hot stamped fabric restored the remnants of ancient Greek scrolls, and exquisite silk embellished with radiant pearls, feathers, and Swarovski crystals depicted the elegance of genies and goblins."
Flyaway â from Guo Pei Autumn/Winter 2019 Couture, "Alternate Universe" and Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2026 Couture "The Agony and the Ecstasy"
"To kick off the spring 2026 couture shows in Paris on Monday, January 26, Schiaparelli creative director Daniel Roseberry took peacocking to new heights, with a celestial, mythical collection that rivaled the ornateness of the Sistine Chapel...There were densely feathered necklines, horned bodices, spiked shoulders, scorpion tail-accented backs(!). To put it simply: this was couture built for the bold."
"Roseberry has a history of creating unexpected, surreal work at Schiaparelli. But this collection may have been his most awe-inspiring yet, transcending the confines of fashion and heading more into the category of fine art. Other highlights included feathered jackets, hand-painted and adorned with hand-sculpted beaks. (Exaggerated rhinestone crowns finished the look.) A bustier gown was crafted from crystal-tipped peacock feathers. Tulle explosions were designed to mirror birds in flight, while heels came covered in black rooster feathers with pink crystals. All of the feathers in the collection were made from silk, while the beaks were crafted from resinâeven the realistic-looking eyes were really just pearls."
Don't Let the Forest In â from Guo Pei Autumn/Winter 2019 Couture, "Alternate Universe" and Alexander Mcqueen Autumn/Winter 2006 Ready-to-Wear, "The Widows of Culloden"
"Alexander McQueenâs The Widows of Culloden is a masterpiece that blends history, emotion, and artistry into one unforgettable collection. Inspired by his Scottish heritage, this show is often considered one of McQueenâs most personal works, weaving together elements of Highland dress, Victorian fashion, and Gothic storytelling."
"Inspired by his Scottish ancestry, the collection reflects on the aftermath of the 1746 Battle of Culloden, where the Scottish clan system was dismantled, and many women were widowed."
"The collection showcases McQueenâs signature precision in tailoring and his talent for reimagining historical motifs...Feathered gowns, antlered headdresses, and bird-themed prints brought a touch of wildness to the runway. A look featuring an ivory lace gown with Perspex antlers, was both haunting and breathtaking, blurring the line between a wedding dress and Victorian mourning attire."
Macbeth â from Alexander McQueen Pre-Fall 2013 and Robert Wun Spring/Summer 2024 Couture
"From those early heretical spectacles in deconsecrated churches, religiosity has always been a McQueen signature, but Sarah Burton added extraordinary new layers with her pre-fall collection for the label...Even in McQueen terms, the scenario was arcane to the nth. It was complicated further by looks that conveyed a muted opulence. The best examples: the black velvet dress with a keyhole neckline and cuffs outlined in a stiff white ruff of organza, and another gown, also black, with huge sweeping wings of red velvet (positively demonic, that one). True, there was still a rigorous purity to the actual line of the clothes, but they were more suggestive of aristocratic pride than humble devotion..."
"Robert Wunâs creative process is a little bit like journaling, he said backstage ahead of his second couture show in Paris, his surrealist creations on the runway a little peek into the workings of his mind. Horror movies, for one, are a big inspiration, informing moody surrealist silhouettes. âI love movies, and certain horror genres I donât really find scary; theyâre actually really poetic,â he said...The final look, a dramatic red bustier gown, featured a matching mannequin emerging from the waist at the rear, perched over the modelâs shoulders like the weight of the subconscious."
The House of Bernarda Alba â from Alexander McQueen Pre-Fall 2013 and custom Prabal Gurung (worn by Rachel Zegler to the 2026 Met Gala, "Costume Art")
"Rachel Zegler went straight to high drama in Prabal Gurung, channeling The Execution of Lady Jane Grey. The painting captures the final moments before the teenage queenâs execution, her blindfold symbolizing both her innocence and her complete vulnerability; she quite literally cannot see whatâs coming. Zegler translated that into a stark, off-the-shoulder white gown, letting the blindfold do the emotional heavy lifting."
My Darling Dreadful Thing â from Robert Wun Autumn/Winter 2025 Couture, "The Betrothed"
"âđťThe Betrothedđ¤đť The closing look of the FW25 Couture Collection. âThe Inner Childâ head sculpture, turning the blind eye on the left, saying âI Doâ on the right. A beige voluminous gown, made with 172 metres of sand toned tulles. Adorned with a dropped bust corset sculpture, with a pair of pressured hand prints, marking the moment of letting go." (from @robertwun on Instagram)
Book/look pairing provided by @demon đ
The Works of Vermin â from Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda 2019 and Guo Pei Spring/Summer 2018 Couture
âOpera is drama. Very Italian drama.â So said Dolce & Gabbanaâs Stefano Gabbana of the source material for a 159-look Alta Moda collection that was shown on stage at the worldâs greatest opera house this afternoon....Figaroâs beloved Rosina in The Barber of Seville cut a swathe in a huge, vaguely flamenco-touched gown in folded fans of red taffeta."
"Set in the Cirque lâhiver, a location which over the years has been used for Gaultier and Galliano shows alike, the Pei show was a true declaration of artisanal craft...the nymph-like characters who began appearing from behind the curtain, each in clear structural shoes that gave the appearance of floating - not too dissimilar to the McQueen gravity-defying shoes of yesteryear. Structural headpieces of swirls and gold added too to the fairytale elements. One felt a little as though they had stumbled into A Midsummer Night's Dream."
"The clothes that fell upon these flower faeries were incredibly detailed and ornate. When one thinks of traditional couture, one thinks of this. Fringing, beading, gilding, applique, lace, structure, silks, satins. It was an overload of artisanal craft. It was unapologetically decadent. That's part of what makes Pei so unique and brilliant. Who else can you say is so unabashedly palatial?..."
"Each piece exquisitely hand-decorated with natural gemstones and crystals - another indication of this gilded paradise that Pei has conjured...This show was flamboyant and feminine, romantic even. One felt transported to another world with Pei's imagination and detailed craft."
Many thanks to @bbyoozi for the brainstorming help!
Books that feel like couture pieces
(See pinned comment for book/look pairings). For those books that are lush, esoteric, perhaps a bit encrusted, convoluted, dense and/or lyrical; books that Commit To The Bit. Anything with something to say and a strong aesthetic sense that reinforces it; anything that's perhaps a bit weird and not afraid to take literary/artistic risks. Bonus if you can't figure out what it's supposed to mean đââď¸. Suggestions always welcome - feel free to give me a book to find a look for, or post a book/look pairing you came up with yourself! âŁď¸
Š 2025 Pagebound
ayzrules commented...
this is a really useless flex honestly LMAO, but my body is composed of the exact right combination of spite, hatred, stupidity, lack of self-preservation, and sodium chloride needed to power me through terrible shitty books just for the satisfaction of going completely scorched earth in my reviews. a recent 1 star ARC review of mine was too long for the goodreads review character limit, actually; i had to continue it in the comments đ