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A review by dbuoih
Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh
dark
mysterious
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
2.0
This book confirmed for me that Otessa Moshfegh's fatphobic prose may be a more personal held belief than I would like. Especially as she clearly has a way of bringing filth to light and threading a story along in an undesirable character. She's great. She's one of my favorite authors, with her fair share of misses.
But her fatphobia is in no way justified in this story or any other. An argument can be made in MYoR&R, as there is more discussion about disordered eating and how it contributes to the downfall of the main character's relationships with her friends and herself. But yes, it serves no purpose beyond that novel. It builds no world in DiHH. Vesta, as a character, is shy and privately bitter, yet she goes out of her way to judge fat women in stores, how they feed their children? Instead of being critical of poverty? More can be said actually about how Otessa uplifts the rich subtly, especially in DiHH.
Odd Moshfegh. Get that shit settled.
Not my favorite Moshfegh, but the conversation with her mother at the end convinced me to keep the book. It was rambly, and by her own admission, Moshfegh couldn't find the point.
But her fatphobia is in no way justified in this story or any other. An argument can be made in MYoR&R, as there is more discussion about disordered eating and how it contributes to the downfall of the main character's relationships with her friends and herself. But yes, it serves no purpose beyond that novel. It builds no world in DiHH. Vesta, as a character, is shy and privately bitter, yet she goes out of her way to judge fat women in stores, how they feed their children? Instead of being critical of poverty? More can be said actually about how Otessa uplifts the rich subtly, especially in DiHH.
Odd Moshfegh. Get that shit settled.
Not my favorite Moshfegh, but the conversation with her mother at the end convinced me to keep the book. It was rambly, and by her own admission, Moshfegh couldn't find the point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Death
Moderate: Ableism and Fatphobia