Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Mein Jahr der Ruhe und Entspannung

I appreciate "weird" books, but the protagonist of this story is such a truly dreadful person it makes it difficult to read.

I'm not necessarily going to judge this book for having a lack of plot because a lot of literary fiction has that as a convention of the genre. I can also acknowledge that the story has something to say metaphorically and symbolically about parenthood. Parental trauma, parental loss, and also specifically the loss of a mother to a daughter are all themes that are present. Unfortunately, though the theme is present, it doesn't come to any meaningful conclusion, or even really present commentary. It feels like the author has dropped a thousand puzzle pieces in your lap and then walked away.

I'm not inclined to read further into those metaphors because of the protagonist. I understand that she is meant to be a bad person, and somehow sleeping for a year is meant to make her a better person. It's argued in the text that this is because she is able to let go of her emotions and trauma. She hibernates theoretically so she can process these feelings, but instead she just grows some distance and thus is less attached to those feelings. I believe the author could be trying to make a point about how we don't give mental injuries the same rest that we do to physical injuries. On a surface level, that's very true, but I think it misunderstands how people process emotions and mental injury. Resting is important, but working your mind and re-laying neural tracks is arguably more important.

The narrator... how do I even describe her? She's a rude, entitled, misogynistic, racist, anti-Sematic, fatphobic, brat. She's completely horrible to everyone around her, but especially her best friend Reva. When the narrator goes on her hibernation, Reva tries over and over to connect with her and help pull her from this self-imposed isolation. Even as Reva's mother is dying from cancer, the narrator just complains about how she's sick of hearing about it while also being sure to point out how she's skinnier than Reva. She goes on and on about how she's so skinny, and she doesn't even have try unlike poor Reva who is bulimic. The narrator hates Reva, she complains about how she's not cool, and she's annoying, and she's not fashionable, and she's talkative, and she's sweet, and blah blah blah. Reva isn't perfect. She's judgmental and she's sleeping with her married boss, but the way the narrator treats her is so unacceptable. She doesn't even want to attend Reva's mother's funeral because it'll interrupt her sleep experiment.

It's impossible to describe how horrible and entitled she is. When she was fired from her job at an art gallery for sleeping in the supply closet all the time, she SHIT ON THE FLOOR OF THE GALLERY! Like girl, they are not committing some heinous crime against you. You were fired for not doing your job.

The description describes this book as funny. It's not. I don't think I laughed or even smiled a single time while reading this. Was I supposed to laugh when she made fun of men for not wanting to hit on her, implying that they were scared of her "perfectly pink pussy"? Because I didn't. Was I supposed to laugh when she called the "old Jews" in her apartment lobby slovenly? Because I didn't. Was I supposed to laugh when she threatened to kill herself to get her ex-boyfriend, who is currently in a committed relationship, to come over and fuck her? Because I didn't. Was I supposed to laugh when she called an autistic child "retarded"? Because I FUCKING DIDN'T. This book is not funny. It's mean-spirited, and just because the protagonist magically gets better in the last 30 pages of the book doesn't mean all is forgiven.

I'm not convinced by the premise. This women is just going to sleep for a year, and it's going to magically make herself a better person? I thought the message was going to be different. I thought the message was going to be that you can't wish your way to a better self. You need to work and apologize and change your ways, and then maybe someday you can be a person that you like. But NO! Her plan actually works. She literally wakes up one day and is a better person! Now she wants to be around Reva, and she even says she loves her. She feeds the birds, and is polite to retail workers. The narrator is just BETTER. I'm baffled by that. Even within the metaphor of treating a mental injury like a physical one, you still need to slowly rebuild strength in your injured limb.

Also Reva dies in 9/11. I saw it coming, of course. But that is literally so ridiculous. I've never seen a book do a drive-by mention of 9/11, so that at least was a unique experience.

Don't read this. It's boring and horrible. I'm sure there are better literary fiction books that you could be reading.

Content Warnings

bourbonneuse's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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? Yes

2.25

I mostly enjoyed reading it. The writing was good although the characters were very predictable and unlovable, they felt kind of true despite all the stereotypes. I felt a little disappointed with the end. And a little lost about the meaning of all of it or at least what to make of it. Maybe it will come to me later.

Content Warnings

andreamatallin's review against another edition

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dark 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

3.0

Content Warnings

cheyison's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

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

3.0

Content Warnings

ams5x9's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad 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

2.5

This was hard to get through…The main character is pretty miserable. The last 1% of the book had the smallest redemption/semblance of humanity. And holy depression (pills) and drug use, Batman! This book had more normal, everyday villains than any other book that comes to mind. An interesting look into the mind of a brain I’m very glad not to inhabit.

Content Warnings

il0vepasta's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

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