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vaaaleriechen's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Hints of Carol, but with a dark undertone.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Alcohol
samanthagillan's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. There is so much to unpack here that I have a feeling I'll be thinking about this book for days, week, maybe months. I might even come back and change this rating at some point because there are so many thoughts going through my head right now.
First, the strengths. Eileen may be the most well written character of all time. Not once did I feel as if Moshfegh was telling the reader who Eileen was, but instead letting the reader draw their own conclusions from Eileen's thoughts and actions throughout the story. She's a complicated little kook! Damaged, hypocritical, often revolting, and yet totally human in a messed up kind of way. The ending of this book was phenomenal. I had a hard time putting it down at around once I reached about 75%.
One thing that killed this book for me was the pacing. The first 75% was so slow and repetitive that I started to lose interest in where the story was taking me. For the most part it didn't seem like it had a story at all, which made the ending feel like whiplash. I wish there was some build up on the way to the events on Christmas Eve. Maybe there was and those hints just went right over my head, but the whole thing felt disjointed to me.
First, the strengths. Eileen may be the most well written character of all time. Not once did I feel as if Moshfegh was telling the reader who Eileen was, but instead letting the reader draw their own conclusions from Eileen's thoughts and actions throughout the story. She's a complicated little kook! Damaged, hypocritical, often revolting, and yet totally human in a messed up kind of way. The ending of this book was phenomenal. I had a hard time putting it down at around once I reached about 75%.
One thing that killed this book for me was the pacing. The first 75% was so slow and repetitive that I started to lose interest in where the story was taking me. For the most part it didn't seem like it had a story at all, which made the ending feel like whiplash. I wish there was some build up on the way to the events on Christmas Eve. Maybe there was and those hints just went right over my head, but the whole thing felt disjointed to me.
lesliebear9's review against another edition
2.0
While the premise of the book sounds intriguing, it is a real bore to get through. Eileen is an unlikeable and self-loathing character and nothing really happens until the last few pages. When it finally got to the reason why she left town, it felt rushed and lackluster. The book could have gone in so many other directions that would have been a lot more interesting, but instead just dragged on until its anti-climatic end. It is just a boring story about the mundane activities of a strange, yet dull woman.
chewtoy's review against another edition
3.0
eileen was an interesting character and i heavily related to her and some of her thought processes. the rest of the book is boring and slow, nothing really happens and the ending just made me shrug. it’s always murder with mentally unstable women, i suppose.. there’s never a new ending.
bajablastbaby's review against another edition
4.0
i really love the way ottessa moshfegh writes, and this was a super interesting story. none of the characters were likable, but that made it even better. she’s great at characterization and internal monologues. i will say there was some mildly offensive things in this book- but i truly don’t know if it was part of her “let’s make all these characters awful” strategy. i didn’t love the fatphobia and i’ve heard her other books have this same issue. i will also say the plot only ramped up at the end, but that’s fine by me. i enjoyed reading this and would read another one of books!
mudder17's review against another edition
4.0
Such an odd book and one with a thoroughly unlikeable protagonist and yet you can't look away. She is in part a product of her upbringing, as her parents were not exactly good role models, let alone good parents. Ottessa Moshfegh pretty much takes every (stereotypical) negative trait you could find in a woman and puts it into Eileen. She's self-absorbed, sexually and emotionally repressed, and absolutely OCD about some things, but completely comfortable with living in her own filth. She does little things (mostly unknown to others) that are her little ways of giving others the middle finger. I am a fan of complex characters because Eileen, as much as I dislike her, is very complex, full of neuroses and whatever other psychobabble you want to put on her. This book is narrated by the elderly Eileen 50 years later and you talks about how awful she was then, so you are given the impression that she did eventually grow up. Although she does allude to the fact that she still steals things even now, but that it all balances out in the end as she also gives freely to others.
This book is heavy on the character development and very light on the action--which basically doesn't happen until the end. It's almost an afterthought. So if you're looking for action/adventure, this is probably not the book for you. But if you're looking for a psychological drawing with some suspense thrown in as you try to figure out what's going to happen that will get her out of town, then this is the book for you.
This book is heavy on the character development and very light on the action--which basically doesn't happen until the end. It's almost an afterthought. So if you're looking for action/adventure, this is probably not the book for you. But if you're looking for a psychological drawing with some suspense thrown in as you try to figure out what's going to happen that will get her out of town, then this is the book for you.
georgiamackie's review against another edition
1.0
I get so mad when I finish books like this - why did I waste my money buying this book ???
delightt's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Eileen exposes dark aspects of herself in this book, disgusting and off-putting parts of herself, that I think many can relate to on some level. This book is appealing if you are self-hateful to a large extent, and are often seething. The end describes what we've all wanted to do at some point or another.
marusbooks's review against another edition
dark
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
5.0