Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

39 reviews

princesspunkass's review against another edition

dark sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Pregnancy, Violence, Vomit, Ableism, Death, Suicide, Child death, Grief, Body horror, Murder, Abortion, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Body shaming, Classism, Domestic abuse, and Suicide attempt

issyd23's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

3.0

Elites use religion and class to control masses 3🍇 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Animal death, Cannibalism, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Classism, Torture, Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Incest, Gore, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Rape, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Infertility, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Suicide

elenabamburg's review against another edition

dark reflective tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Gore

Moderate: Abortion, Abandonment, Death, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death of parent, and Child abuse

Minor: Miscarriage, Infidelity, and Infertility

rumblethumps's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Animal death, Classism, Misogyny, Infidelity, Sexism, Violence, Sexual violence, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, and Rape

quietlex's review against another edition

dark funny sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book. It’s disturbing, uncomfortable, and makes you feel icky inside, but it is written beautifully. So many horrible things happen- sexual assault, imprisonment, suicide, cannibalism, murder, drought, starvation, greed, religious trauma… and lots more I won’t mention, this book has it all. You hate every character, yet can’t wait to turn the page to see what they do next. Nothing is predictable, besides maybe the legitimacy of heirs. Trigger warnings galore, but a captivating story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Incest, Child death, Cannibalism, Rape, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Death, Child abuse, Blood, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual assault, Grief, Excrement, Animal death, Abortion, Sexual harassment, and Murder

sweetpea's review against another edition

dark fast-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

1.5

I had a difficult start with the first 1/3 of the book. Put it down for months and then read it all in one sitting. I felt I had no entry point for any of the characters. Truly all were unlikable, which is not a fault in and of itself, but the way they were written was so alien to me that I could not be remotely invested.  The characters seem to survive off spite. Mosfegh's obsession with bodily functions and filth, while curiously funny in other works, was so tiresome here!  There was something generally underbaked about the novel. I'm not a deeply religious person, so, the novel's central themes of faith and religious artifice might have gone over my head. This was just a chore to get into and a bit predictable (again not a fault). The setting was really intriguing to me and I could tell she put effort into researching it. I just felt the story never went anywhere... 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Death of parent, Incest, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide, Vomit, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Pedophilia, Excrement, Kidnapping, Rape, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Miscarriage and Abortion

shoohoob's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I just don’t like Ottessa Moshfegh books. 

Not as gruesome as people make it out to be. Maybe I’ve just been on the internet for far too long though 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Suicide, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Abandonment, Ableism, Bullying, Death, Grief, Animal death, and Toxic relationship

ropalimpia's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is probably my favorite book that I've read this all year, and I picked it up as a hate read. After having read My Year of Rest and Relaxation a while ago and having absolutely abhorred it, this felt entirely different. It was disgusting, grotesque, gory, it smelled bad. It felt like a project in filth, immorality, religion, class, and abusive family dynamics. This book is "Religion is the opium of the masses. It is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of the heartless world, and the soul of our soulless conditions": The Novel. Most of the dynamics present in Lapvona were the rich looking down on the poor for being too pious, stupid, and easy to manipulate, and the poor looking down on the rich for being too indulgent, stupid, and distant from God.

Lapvona is not for the reader who turns to reading for comfort and escapism. It's not even for readers who want to read about the complexities of the human condition. It's not for readers who want a creepy horror read. Everything in this book is exaggerated and digusting. It's meant to cause revulsion in the reader. I'm not someone who is easily fazed by text, but there were times when I would physically cringe, but over time, you grow numb to the vile acts. It's like you become one of them. 

I really loved this book. I loved Moshfegh's project. I loved how much care she put into something so irreverent. It's not something I would recommend to anyone, frankly, but, for me, it's the single best book I've read all year. I like to be uncomfortable. Maybe that's it. This is for the reader who wants to be uncomfortable, but still enjoys amazing writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Gore, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Death, Classism, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Kidnapping, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Alcohol, Excrement, and Incest

ephemeral_remi's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Gore, and Violence

rhinaissance's review against another edition

dark funny 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

5.0

This book had me in a chokehold the whole time. It is bizarre, perverse, and a bit uncertain of its own ideas at times, but really really fascinating. And enjoyable (if you're weird, like me). I barely put it down the entire time, because I could not at all predict what would happen next. It was chock-full of "....what?" moments without being too overstated and obscene like Tender is the Flesh. I will admit, the moment I finished the book I was mad, but then as 24 hours have passed I find myself laughing at the absurdity. So it has won me back. 

On the surface, it appears as if there is no point, but I urge you to not stop there when thinking about it. There doesn't need to be a neon sign for something to be worth reading/analyzing. 

This book is not everyone's style but Moshfeg has really won me over.  I liked this novel a lot more than My year of Rest and Relaxation. But now I am *almost* tempted to go back. 
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Child death, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Abandonment, Body shaming, and Bullying