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A review by conniemarch
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
dark
tense
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
3.0
I decided to give this a shot because of how much people rave over Moshfegh on TikTok.
Well.
I can definitely say her writing is exquisite – the prose is beautiful, even though the actual content of it is gross. However, I found the book extremely dull.
I was listening to the audiobook and since so many reviews said the novel was worth reading if only to see what would happen in the end, I didn't DNF it. My conclusion, having now finished it, is that the ending doesn't justify how much this book drags on. The pacing was very slow – maybe an ambiance choice, since Eileen lived in a very small town and didn't have an exciting life. Even at the end, I would say it was at most medium-paced. That's usually not an issue for me, but with this book specifically, I didn't enjoy the payoff. If I was physically reading it, I think I would have DNFd.
Eileen was right to sayno one had a reason to be interested in her, because she is indeed very boring .
Well.
I can definitely say her writing is exquisite – the prose is beautiful, even though the actual content of it is gross. However, I found the book extremely dull.
I was listening to the audiobook and since so many reviews said the novel was worth reading if only to see what would happen in the end, I didn't DNF it. My conclusion, having now finished it, is that the ending doesn't justify how much this book drags on. The pacing was very slow – maybe an ambiance choice, since Eileen lived in a very small town and didn't have an exciting life. Even at the end, I would say it was at most medium-paced. That's usually not an issue for me, but with this book specifically, I didn't enjoy the payoff. If I was physically reading it, I think I would have DNFd.
Eileen was right to say
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit
I didn't like (TW - SA) how in some sections Eileen seemed to glorify sexual assault, saying she was envious of a girl who had been r***d because no one ever tried to do it to her (Friday chapter). I don't think there was a need for that in the narrative at all.