Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

내 휴식과 이완의 해 by Ottessa Moshfegh

69 reviews

behindherpages's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cancer, Abortion, Chronic illness, and Death

spooderman's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Death, Vomit, Animal death, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Mental illness, Abandonment, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Ableism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, Xenophobia, and Lesbophobia

Minor: War, Racism, Cursing, Abortion, Miscarriage, Classism, Confinement, Medical trauma, Islamophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Medical content

marns20_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Honestly? This is the most UNHINGED book I’ve ever read and probably will ever read??? but I loved it sooo much and I can’t even tell you why. Every 5 pages I literally said ‘Wtaf’ to myself out loud. It’s truly bizarre, in the best way. There were so many moments that you couldn’t help but laugh that had me thinking omg am I crazy too, I definitely shouldn’t be laughing at that. Her perplexing friendship with Reva was my favourite thing to read. The complex feeling of loving someone but not liking them, your friendship evolving past having nothing in common anymore because you have both grown separately yet you are still inextricably linked by history alone, not being able to let them go even though they’re no good for you and vice versa. 

The weird candid way she describes her parents and her relationship with them throws you off balance because she says really deep and personal things but in a detached, emotionless way that keeps you at arms length almost like when someone is crying but they don’t want you to hug or comfort them and you just stand there awkwardly staring at them. As unrelatable as the main character is (white, rich, privileged) her experience of the lethargy and apathy towards life was very relatable. Her crazy experiment is probably something we have all wished we could do at some point. I know I have. At parts, I found myself desperately rooting for her experiment to work, for her to be able to pull herself out of her despair and then other times you really couldn’t ignore what a truly terrible person she was, terrible friend she was. This struck a chord thinking about how mental health affects your relationships, your inability to show up or want to show up for people, it makes you irritable and mean, only willing to do the bare minimum despite how much you hate it or how much you love them. The complex nature of the human condition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Drug abuse

Moderate: Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Grief, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

Minor: Vomit, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Suicide, Abortion, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness

motleybooksandtea's review against another edition

challenging tense

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Grief, Body shaming, Cancer, Drug abuse, Medical content, Addiction, and Mental illness

Moderate: Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Abortion

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

taylorgc721's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Excrement, Gore, Animal cruelty, Death, Death of parent, Cancer, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Body horror, Chronic illness, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

iluvmycats12's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

this book highlighted trauma and the aftermath it has on a person. It is reflective, emotional but also humorous. I found it helped me appreciate life more 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Cancer, Death of parent, Drug use, Death, and Drug abuse

lipstickitotheman's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.5

This is a really really well written book--I just didn't have a great time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Addiction, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Medical content, Drug use, Antisemitism, Body horror, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Vomit, Classism, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Blood, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

andreaestefania's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

3.25

It’s an often triggering and offensive, cruel take on something sadly even more relevant in today’s world. It often felt relatable in ways that had me feeling better then worse about myself in a span of minutes. It was definitely a cynical, darkly humorous way of getting the main point across. I enjoyed the way the deeply corrupted relationships between the main characters were portrayed as they reflect just how toxic they truly are from multiple angles. There’s not really a side you’re meant to root for, especially not the side of our protagonist despite her “best” efforts. Female friendship is portrayed in its darkest form and yet tenderness still seeped through at times. The ways in which the characters were unapologetically awful felt very lifelike and of the time which I was both awed and disgusted by.

I do wish there had been more expansion on the main character’s breakthrough after her last infermiterol pill… instead it comes across as a miracle that happens to her overnight. Like an out of character change of heart - especially with Reva. Even though we can clearly infer it’s not as simple as a miraculous change of heart - more on this would’ve tied it all together for me. It’s also insane that it took those events happening in the end for her to feel like life was worth living and meant to be lived fully but i guess that’s the irony and cruelty in all of it. It’s meant to highlight just how insane and important the mundane is. How even those that you resent are an important part of your experience and are often just reflecting you back to you. Despite the mostly vain, cynical, and horrifically careless narration by the protagonist, I felt oddly comforted by the set intention to make the reader feel almost embarrassed by their own similar thoughts and ways of living that led them to believe it was okay to “sleep” through their own life in a way. Almost like it’s mocking the reader for the very desire to lead a life just like hers. It reminds you that there’s a lot more to life and not at the same time. It forces you to realize there might be more credit owed to your own heart and moral compass - considering the main character sets the bar incredibly low and even she is allowed a second chance at feeling alive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Cancer, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Chronic illness, Racism, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Violence, Body shaming, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Sexual content, Addiction, Death of parent, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Cancer, Confinement, Addiction, Alcohol, and Death

Moderate: Body horror, Sexual assault, Abortion, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Self harm

Minor: Blood, Rape, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

itszosia's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Ableism, Racism, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Chronic illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Mental illness, Homophobia, Death of parent, Classism, Body shaming, Alcohol, Bullying, Xenophobia, Death, and Toxic friendship