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danielwestheide's review
4.0
This short story is not only an origin story for Mishima, one of the main characters in Older's novel Infomocracy, it also sheds some light on her so-called narrative disorder, which was first introduced in the novel, how it was first diagnosed and how Mishima learned to live with it and even use it to her advantage.
jaji's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mentat_stem's review
5.0
Great to see the a strength of dyslexia extrapolated I to such a compelling story. Read this when I was about half way through Infomacracy. If you want to get a popular science take on this topic, I'd recommend the Narrative Reasoning section. of The Dyslexic Advantage.
dr_matthew_lloyd's review
4.0
"Narrative Disorder" by Malka Older is a short story starring the character Mishima from her novel Infomocracy (and subsequently Null States). It concerns Mishima's diagnosis of "narrative disorder", the eponymous disorder/syndrome/mental illness mentioned in Infomocracy but only minimally explored. The disorder, it transpires, is the compulsion to see, invent, and consume narrative content whether or not it exists. The title might also be taken as a pun as the narrative is, well, disordered, with several different threads from Mishima's life intertwining throughout.
It's no secret that I loved Infomocracy and will recommend it almost indiscriminately; "Narrative Disorder" is also excellent, although it is not concerned with the systems of government of Older's dystopia that so fascinated me in the novel, but rather the eponymous disorder and how it affects Mishima's life. We largely get Mishima's perspective, although she sees the consequences for others diagnosed with narrative disorder who do not have her privileges, too. Then, of course, there's us, consuming content and recognizing in Mishima's actions and what we learn about narrative disorder in our own lives. How does something that seems so normal get pathologised as an illness? That's the question we should be asking ourselves, taking our of this narrative.
[A note: this story could have been five-stars, but I don't like reading off a computer screen. I hope the praise makes up for the dropped star!]
It's no secret that I loved Infomocracy and will recommend it almost indiscriminately; "Narrative Disorder" is also excellent, although it is not concerned with the systems of government of Older's dystopia that so fascinated me in the novel, but rather the eponymous disorder and how it affects Mishima's life. We largely get Mishima's perspective, although she sees the consequences for others diagnosed with narrative disorder who do not have her privileges, too. Then, of course, there's us, consuming content and recognizing in Mishima's actions and what we learn about narrative disorder in our own lives. How does something that seems so normal get pathologised as an illness? That's the question we should be asking ourselves, taking our of this narrative.
[A note: this story could have been five-stars, but I don't like reading off a computer screen. I hope the praise makes up for the dropped star!]
kateofmind's review
4.0
A great sketch elucidating the oft-mentioned "narrative disorder" (which I was badly misunderstanding) that colors the Centenel Trilogy heroine's (so far) character, and a taut little plot to boot. I'm glad I hunted it up!
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