Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

43 reviews

botulinum's review against another edition

dark fast-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

1.25

Disgusting. If I had a gun to my head and told to recommend this, I’d say pull the trigger. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Incest, Murder, Sexism, Pregnancy, Rape, Blood, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Violence

toujours753's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Chronic illness, Violence, Abandonment, Body shaming, Torture, Vomit, Gaslighting, Excrement, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Rape, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Infertility, Incest, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Stalking

b00murded's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

kind of disgusting in a "car crash you can't look away from" kind of way 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Murder, Violence, Blood, Child death, Self harm, Body shaming, Death, Incest, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, and Death of parent

theraindiary's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Torture, Abandonment, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Gore, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Pregnancy, Rape, Body shaming, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Incest, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cannibalism, Excrement, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, and Vomit

zlizzyv's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This was easily the strangest book I have ever read. Previous reviews said it felt like a fever dream. Truly it is beyond wild. I was, however, invested, so I did finish it and was surprised by the plot line/ending.

Was the point to be as repulsive and evil as possible? Is it a cruel irony to have so many trigger warnings in one book?

I do not regret finishing the book, but I cannot say I enjoyed it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Abortion, Alcohol, Confinement, Drug use, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Child death, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Animal death, Bullying, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexism, Grief, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Slavery, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

isabelamaro's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-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

I found the book to be very dark and quite upsetting personally. There are numerous scenes depicting abuse, neglect, and even rape. While I acknowledge that it is well-written and an overall commendable work of dark fiction, one must appreciate the style to truly enjoy it. Unfortunately, it does not align with my personal taste, and it's not a book I would choose to read again. It doesn't evoke a positive feeling upon completion. On the flip side, there is intriguing character development for the main character, Marek.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Abortion, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Addiction, Grief, Death, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Child abuse

alexlouise97's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Animal cruelty, Gore, Grief, Pregnancy, Self harm, Murder, Rape, Abortion, Sexual assault, Ableism, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pedophilia, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Cannibalism

mediocrity_is_expected's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Religious bigotry, Rape, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Child death, Classism, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Confinement, Sexual violence, Murder, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Blood, Bullying, Incest, Suicide, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexism

Moderate: Animal death

eemily's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Animal death, Child death, Self harm, Gore, Emotional abuse, Rape, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Miscarriage, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcoholism, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Body shaming, and Blood

cwiita's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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

Well, after marking My Year Of Rest and Relaxation as my only DNF ever, I managed to make it through this one. I purchased this book before I started MYORAR, before I had any idea how much I would struggle with Otessa Moshfegh. I find her to be a difficult read, not for lack of skill or quality, but for the simple fact that she seems to have an ongoing problem with fatphobia and ableism, among other things.  I discussed my initial problems with MYORAR with a friend who has read most of Moshfegh's work, and the consensus was that her stories relay very similar views each time and that her characters tend to be the same type of people across the board. I am a big fan of unreliable narrators and I appreciate the challenge of crafting a story around difficult characters, but to do it unrelentingly in every book while consistently implying hateful messages is tough for me to get behind.
With that being said, I blew through Lapvona. This book is absolutely vile, but incredibly readable when it comes to pacing and language. It was also much easier to tolerate the actions and views of the characters knowing that the events were taking place under a feudal system in medieval times. Moshfegh did a wonderful job of characterization, for better or for worse. The plot is somehow both ceaseless and unrecognizable. It's an infinite circle of pointless suffering, but maybe that's the point.  In an uncanny way, there was something enjoyable about this read. Since I already own MYORAR, this piece almost convinced me to give it another try. Almost.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Classism, Grief, Abandonment, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Body shaming, Child abuse, Abortion, Sexual assault, Drug use, Excrement, Ableism, Blood, Death, Cannibalism, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy