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asliyase's review against another edition
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
4.0
laurentheresee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rey_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
complicated!
darkly funny. often horrible and repulsive. consistently absurd.
if you need to be able to like characters in the books you read, or believe that they are morally redeemable to enjoy a piece of writing, this isn’t for you.
you can make an argument for all of these characters being “bad people”. they aren’t nice. but they all contain this kernel of real, raw and horrible human nature. sometimes it reflects back at you. it’s brilliant. it’s funny!
sure, i can see the argument that a lot of this book hangs on character stereotypes. i don’t think this necessarily detracts from it. if you don’t like them - congrats! isn’t that part of the point?
before reading i saw a review that said it negatively impacted their own mental health - and yeah, i probably should have paid more attention to that.
potential detrimental effects on my own wellbeing aside i really did love it. i appreciated the looming spectre of 9/11. and i really do think that the final chapters - the end of ch 7 & 8 - were beautiful. i think Moshfegh just managed to tip the ending away from trite, but it was walking a bit of a tightrope and some really slight changes to any of it - the writing, the characters, the “emotional journey” would have absolutely upset that balance for me.
darkly funny. often horrible and repulsive. consistently absurd.
if you need to be able to like characters in the books you read, or believe that they are morally redeemable to enjoy a piece of writing, this isn’t for you.
you can make an argument for all of these characters being “bad people”. they aren’t nice. but they all contain this kernel of real, raw and horrible human nature. sometimes it reflects back at you. it’s brilliant. it’s funny!
sure, i can see the argument that a lot of this book hangs on character stereotypes. i don’t think this necessarily detracts from it. if you don’t like them - congrats! isn’t that part of the point?
before reading i saw a review that said it negatively impacted their own mental health - and yeah, i probably should have paid more attention to that.
potential detrimental effects on my own wellbeing aside i really did love it. i appreciated the looming spectre of 9/11. and i really do think that the final chapters - the end of ch 7 & 8 - were beautiful. i think Moshfegh just managed to tip the ending away from trite, but it was walking a bit of a tightrope and some really slight changes to any of it - the writing, the characters, the “emotional journey” would have absolutely upset that balance for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Eating disorder
Moderate: Abortion and Death of parent
laurynakeme's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
2.75
morganne_t's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
septembersaia's review against another edition
1.0
Knocked the book off from four stars, that I originally considered owing to the bizarre plot, to one star because I simply HATE poor execution in the face of great opportunity. This book could’ve been so much that it wasn’t, but it turned out to be a lazy piece of writing using metaphors to put on a facade of ‘cleverness’. I was curious about the five star reviews, but after finishing the book, I truly cannot be bothered to read anything even mildly related to it, or the author. Save your time and find a book with more a plot than ‘my plan is to sleep for a year and emerge like a butterfly out of a cocoon when I wake’.
Please do take into consideration the fact of how many careless times the ‘r-word’ is repeated in the book, at one point to INSULT an AUTISTIC CHILD !! No one seems to be bothered about it, however, it rubs me off the wrong way despite the fact that the setting is the very early 2000s. There are a million different ways to insult people, slurs do NOT have to be a part of it. And WHY does anyone in the book needed to be insulted at all ??? The mentioning of the autistic child was completely unnecessary and changes NOTHING in the plot. Do better Ottessa Moshfegh !
Please do take into consideration the fact of how many careless times the ‘r-word’ is repeated in the book, at one point to INSULT an AUTISTIC CHILD !! No one seems to be bothered about it, however, it rubs me off the wrong way despite the fact that the setting is the very early 2000s. There are a million different ways to insult people, slurs do NOT have to be a part of it. And WHY does anyone in the book needed to be insulted at all ??? The mentioning of the autistic child was completely unnecessary and changes NOTHING in the plot. Do better Ottessa Moshfegh !
tewis's review against another edition
3.0
not bad it just made me feel depressed but overall it’s okay
bl4ckstar's review against another edition
3.0
Wouldn’t go as far to say I loved this book but I did enjoy watching the main character deteriorate. Nothing really happened throughout the novel but the things that did were outstanding to me! (shitting on the floor of her workplace?? loved). The characters are all written well, whether you love or hate them, and the idea was one that isn’t heard of often
andraxa's review against another edition
Absolutely terrible. And I know. We need to be emphatic but this book is about a privilege white woman adamant on reducing every one to stereotypes. As a person who has mental health problems this book just enforces this idea of narcissism that depressed people have which is not true.