Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

88 reviews

lagaialettrice's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Police brutality, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Lesbophobia

cookiestone's review against another edition

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!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Incest, Physical abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder

frances_frances's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Stalking

bs1801's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Incest, Rape, and Stalking

tanacef's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

2.0

My husband heard about Eileen and thought I would like it. It wasn’t badly written. In fact, one of the problems for me is that the FMC is so well-written, I just found her to be so viscerally unlikable and gross, which made the rest of the story, which already rambles and meanders quite a bit, very hard for me to “enjoy.” I flirted with the idea of DNFing this, but it wasn’t especially long, so I finished the audiobook in a day. If I’d been reading it, I probably would not have finished. The tale and prose gave me similar vibes as some works of Chuck Palahniuck, which I’ve also wanted to DNF—crude, bleak, and brutal stylings that make you wrinkle your nose and say, eww, that’s just weird for the sake of being weird. IYKYK. The ending and the reveal about Lee, for me, was also a little predictable, since it says right there in the summary that Eileen ends up complicit in a crime that Rebecca commits, however the summary also states that “This is the story of how I disappeared.” Well, the whole story was quite literally 77% exposition. I listened and listened and listened wondering when the main conflict would reveal itself, the crime and complicity mentioned in the summary, and then the action starts at 82%, and the ending is very anti-climactic.

This story is made 1000% more interesting when you consider the theory that Rebecca is Eileen’s alter-ego/imaginary friend, but none of that occurred to me until after I had already finished. Also, supposedly the author has confirmed this theory.

I guess I’ll watch the film now and see what it reveals.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Excrement, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Lesbophobia

carojust's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

1.0

This book is 90% tedious foreshadowing, with an unsurprising climax. I'm realizing that Ottessa Moshfegh's brand is bored psychotic girl inner monologue told through every trope of perversion and filth, copy paste. 

I'm okay with that premise, but a whole non-plot about incestuous rape and pedophilia and a weirdly dismissive and predatory lens on incarcerated boys? 

I wish I could erase this from my brain. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

eve81's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Medical content and Classism

alexandra13's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Eileen is filthy, and dark. Moshfegh's main character is a nobody who spends far too long living with her alcoholic father, pining over the hot woman in town who just showed up. I love the way Mosfegh writes, and how she creates dark pits for characters. But the discussion of themes such as incest and pedophilia can feel heavy handed at times, which is in line with Eileen's deplorable character, but it is very uncomfortable.

However, I don't believe Eileen's future in a beautiful house, in a beautiful town. I will give Moshfegh the benefit of the doubt and say that it is Eileen's unreliable narration, and desperation in making the reader believe that she turns into Rebecca after moving to New York, but I doubt it. The narration that describes her future feels disconnected from Eileen's past in a way that is impossible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape

Moderate: Fatphobia, Stalking, and Lesbophobia

lilyofmountain's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

ankiaisreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail