Reviews with content warning for Eating disorder - Eileen

I have to admit that I did not like Ottessa Moshfegh’s book “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” at all. Thankfully, this book was a pleasant surprise. Eileen is very weird. She is not a likable character and often makes you cringe, but there’s a realness to her. The time period gave added a unique perspective into Eileen’s, and society’s, prudishness. I didn’t love the parts of the story told from mature Eileen’s perspective.

I loved that Rebecca felt like the main character of a different book. It was like Eileen was a side character in Rebecca’s book but “Eileen” was told from her perspective. I loved the sapphic aspects of the book where Eileen seemed to struggle with her romantic feelings for Eileen (kinda horrid and accurate for the time period). I don’t think Rebecca had feeling for her but knew how to lead a “nobody” along. The dad’s psychosis was an interesting and disturbing touch. I also understood Rebecca’s decision at the end. I do wish there was some sort of ED warning though.

Parts of the story dragged but I enjoyed the book overall.

Content Warnings

baielleebooks's review against another edition

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dark tense 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? Yes

3.75

Ottessa Moshfegh's resounding literary talents patterns the prose in Eileen. Her descriptions of total dreariness and dilapidation, and her framing of the introspections of a pained, pitying yet manipulative narrator, made for a strong reading experience.

There were elements of the plot that I felt would have benefitted from some finessing (exploring the deeper motivations of Rebecca’s actions, changing what is experienced as the slight runoff of tension when Mrs Polk confesses etc.) Truthfully, I wasn't quite struck with the same electric urgency I had reading Lapvona and My Year of Rest and Relaxation.

All's to say that Eileen is still a novel that excited me and evidenced the power of literature to tour the minds of protagonists, who for all their unlikeability, are deeply interesting and carry cultural weight.

Content Warnings

lagaialettrice's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

ad1t1s's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

cookiestone's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

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

4.0

Great read before Halloween-
Suspenseful, creepy, disturbing, enthralling, shocking…
But my next book will definitely be something more lighthearted!

Content Warnings

guardachuva's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-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

4.0

Content Warnings

ephe16's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Content Warnings

frances_frances's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I can very much understand why people either love or hate Moshfegh's work. Eileen, like her other novels, is an uncomfortable read that managed to pull me in right from the start.

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