Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Byłam Eileen, by Ottessa Moshfegh

4 reviews

triple_m's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Really unenjoyable.

This book is boring for like 200 pages. I was literally forcing myself to read it. It was very bleak and repetitive and I like dark topics but nothing really happens until the very end.

I’m okay with slow burns but I was never invested because I found the hook of this book uninteresting and weak. The whole thing we’re leading up to is why a 24yo “ran away” from home. ?? That’s just called moving out. And of course it alludes that “something” happens to make her suddenly leave but since she fantasized about leaving the entire novel I wasn’t surprised she left.

Eileen is wholly unlikable to me. I get that she had a rough life but I can’t bring myself to sympathize with her, and I definitely was never rooting for her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Stalking, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, and Rape

Moderate: Religious bigotry

ameliasbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

The story had huge potential, but made me feel uncomfortable, unfortunately for the wrong reasons most of the time.
Telling the story retrospectivly was a weird decision and made the book less suspenseful. It also could have been definitely shorter, which was mainly caused by the author underestimating the reader and over explaining every single characteristic or situation important for the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual violence, Vomit, Violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness

dealingwithdragons's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Incest, Injury/injury detail, Lesbophobia, Murder, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Torture, Animal death, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Excrement, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Abortion

nora__reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Read this having read My Year of Rest and Relaxation, similar dark atmospheric writing, odious main characters and pessimistic attitude to life. 
It’s quite easy to see how her writing has evolved between the two books and would recommend it for fans of Moshfegh’s writing, but it is definitely an acquired taste. 
The prose is deliberate and the characterisation is excellent, it’s a book which leaves you with questions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Rape, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Incest, Eating disorder, and Drug use