Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - Lapvona

Was this published as a prank to see if people would actually read it?
It was so disgusting and pointless that I would have thrown it aside early on if I wasn’t reading it for a bookclub. This is especially strange because it had such potential - an interesting setting, ruined by a total lack of commitment to the alleged time period (people know disease was spread by ships, travelers, and rats [yet take no predations, just continue to die]; a character is asked if he had a “girlfriend”; a kid proclaims that he wants to be an “explorer” when he grows up, and so much more) and themes of religion, family, truth, sexuality, class, abuse, pandemics, isolation, and so much more are introduced, and then simply thrown aside.

In an especially jarring section at the end of the second to last chapter, the reader is suddenly addressed directly: “Everything seems reasonable in hindsight.

Right or wrong, you will think what you need to think so that you can get by. So find some reason here.” Unfortunately, there was no reason to be found there or in any other part of the book.

The only partial redemption and what even allowed me to finish reading was the flow and some actually funny lines:
‘What about heaven, Ina? Don’t you want to go?’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ she said. ‘I won’t know anyone.’
And even less often, a truly beautiful paragraph:
“his heart felt cold, like a sweat chilled by a sudden wind. It was a terrible feeling, the boy's first experience of nostalgia: the pain of his past. Until now, time had had almost no meaning. The sun rose and set. The church bells donged, but he didn't bother to count them.”

“She had a wisdom that nobody could recognize; the deaths of her children hadn't torn the innocence from her heart, but had calloused her against her own rage.”

Content Warnings

eveningreverie's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book felt like it was missing its final chapter in a very good way. The threads and themes that are introduced throughout the course of the book can be combined and built on in so many myriad ways that I still am finding new connections to explore even days after finishing the book.

It's dark, yes, it's gross, yes, it's intense, yes, but it's also genuinely and immensely funny. I feel like many people have been so mentally flashbanged by the content early in the story to fully realize the amount of humor in these pages. Utilizing each of these characters as their own self-foil was such an incredible method to tell a story about faith and the betrayal of faith, no matter what that faith may look like. Reading it as part of a book club definitely added another layer of enjoyment atop an already solid reading experience. There were so many connections that others had made that I had never seen, and it made for a constellation of constructively interfering brainstorming.

This is really good. I've seen mixed reviews on this, but this was so satisfying in a very real way. I'm very excited to read Moshfegh's other books after this, knowing how controversial those are as well.

Content Warnings

smacey's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

4.50/5.00

Ottessa Moshfegh does it again. I love this author so much, and it is wild how different this story is from My Year of Rest and Relaxation yet how similarly amazing it somehow is.

Stories set in medieval times are far from my usual read, but this was still an incredible and fascinating book. The comparisons you can make between the themes in Lapvona and modern-day religion, capitalism, social status, class, education, sex, gender, and so much more is jarring. Extremely well-done.

I will say though that I both loved and hated the main character in MYRR but mostly just hated all of the main characters in Lapvona (particularly Marek - that boy is so fucking stupid, I'm so sorry). I did, however, love Agata. Queen.

Also, the ending was genius and the perfect way to wrap up the story. Love. 10/10 recommend. Can't wait to read Eileeeeeeeeeeeeen.

Content Warnings

sarahherm's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I hope you like trauma. Because you’re going to get some.

Content Warnings

orangewitchling's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Incredibly triggering book! I wanted to throw up on several descriptions, not because they were descriptive, but because the writing style was emotionally disconnected to how triggering the situation described was.
It was a masterpiece in a very dark way, because the writing style was disconnected but it sold the story. It felt almost like a subconscious newscast on the character and the story.
There was no well defined main character, but the plot revolved around certain characters whilst providing the perspective of those characters and other supporting characters in an equal unemotional manner.
I think it’s a worthy read, it was an exploration of humanity in my opinion and I kinda loved reading it, but I don’t think it’s the kind of book that everyone should read until they are ready.

Content Warnings

crybabybea's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

What the fuck.

This book felt like watching a medieval play; the fiefdom is nothing more than a backdrop to watch our characters act out their darkest desires. It worked really well as a vehicle to tell the story of the human condition of trying to find meaning in life and how people's perspectives shape the way they experience the world and make sense of the things that happen to them and the choices they make. The story is told with an omniscient narrator that jumps from character to character, which does make for some telling-not-showing issues here and there. But overall the writing was well done, and Moshfegh is very intentional about each and every word she chooses to really dial up the grotesque imagery that fills every page. In Lapvona, babies are not birthed, they are plunked out.

The characters we follow are like caricatures of the worst people you have ever met. You have the perpetual victim Jude, who sees it as his manly duty to beat his child and rape women; the pitiful Marek who makes excuses for his own actions but judges the actions of others; the pious holier-than-thou servant Lispeth, who denies herself all mortal desires except a single piece of cabbage every day; the imbecile lord Villiam that can't be alone with his thoughts for more than 2 minutes

and lies to the villagers about bandit raids and droughts

; and the priest Barnabas that preaches gospel (despite knowing nothing about the Bible) so he can live in comfort at the manor.

The characters are exasperatingly self-serving. They don't think about others except to judge them. Their interactions with each other are always transactional, full of projections that each casts onto the other.

"You're too kind, young sir," Villiam said. "It is all a testament to God's glory, not mine." He looked at the priest to say something further, but Barnabas was picking the bones out of his fish stew. He'd been ornery and distracted lately. Perhaps the priest suffered from envy--Villiam would soon be a father to the son of God; Barnabas would never attain such glory.

At this point in the story, the priest is distracted and ornery because he's

having a complete psychotic breakdown, believing the supposed immaculately conceived baby to be God punishing him for lying about his religious knowledge.

Each character spends all their time in their own head, constantly feigning moral superiority over arbitrary rules, lacking empathy and self-reflection. At the same time, the reader can see bits of themselves in each character too which causes a bit of ironic self-reflection. I, too, cannot eat my dinner without watching a silly little guy dance for me on a screen.

The idiocy of the characters and the disgusting plot that ensues opens up a commentary on things like religion, moral piety, putting certain ideas or people on pedestals, all that jazz. It explores the idea of perspective and uses a lot of (disgusting) imagery about eyeballs.

I don't want to say this book was funny because of its horrifying content, but the whole book was filled with a sardonic tone that worked really well for me. Characters had sarcastic, dry one-liners that did make me chuckle:

"Why do I feel unhappy?" he asked Lispeth.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Don't you have any wisdom?"
"No."

The witchy character, Ina, adds a bit of dark fairytale imagery that lends itself well to the setting and overall themes of religion and perspective. Don't get me wrong, she is also a terrible person that abuses everyone she comes across for her own benefit, but her storyline in particular is super interesting and its fairytale-esque quality adds a bit of supernatural mystery and causes reflection on things like higher powers and idols.

This was a good introduction into horror, even though this book doesn't really get classified as horror. I definitely think it leans more on the literary side, but it reads like a depressing gothic fairytale and calls upon some of the imagery that is often used in horror such as religion and inner turmoil, but with a sarcastic, ironic twist. Yeah I liked this a lot despite (or in part, because of?) its gratuitous depravity. I really liked how Moshfegh used horror elements to an absolutely absurd degree. I read a lot of reviews saying that the horrific scenes served no purpose except cheap shock value, which I definitely can see, but to me it felt like that was exactly what she was going for. They are needlessly graphic to the point that they veer into absurdity which only amplifies the characters' issues with moral superiority and lack of self-reflection.

If you like horror or want to try to get into horror I think this would be a good read for you.

Content Warnings

jenniferthor's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

wow this book made me uncomfortable. but i loved it?

it really is a weird lit fic read for the weird girlies.

now i need to find someone to talk about this one with. otherwise i might go crazy.

Content Warnings

botulinum's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark fast-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? Yes

1.25

Disgusting. If I had a gun to my head and told to recommend this, I’d say pull the trigger.

Content Warnings

More...