Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

410 reviews

baielleebooks's review against another edition

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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Eating disorder, Excrement, Vomit, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Fatphobia, and Suicidal thoughts

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

guardachuva's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Child abuse

Moderate: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death and Suicidal thoughts

egnrussell's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

ephe16's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Death of parent, 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

xkrille's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.0

Eileen was perfectly fine. Again, my enjoyment of the book was hampered by the fact that I started back at university, resulting in a longer break from reading. This meant that I did not end up being completely immersed in the book. The book is really slow-paced, which you have to be ready for. However, something really started to happen in the last 20% of the book. But all in all, the book was compelling and it was a good read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Eating disorder, Vomit, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Fatphobia, and Suicidal thoughts

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

torihbu's review against another edition

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

3.0

this book describes the inner world of a troubled young woman. it's a difficult line to walk, but the author focuses so much on the inner workings of the main character's mind that the book doesn't really have much of a plot until almost the very end. i suppose that's meant to be a representation of the character's own experience--nothing mattering outside of herself until something comes along to force her into reality--but it makes for a slow, boring read. while i understand the main character, she's not very likable (again, likely by the author's design), so the reader is left to spend time only with her for the majority of the book. an interesting concept in theory but falls a bit flat in practice.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Ableism