Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

내 휴식과 이완의 해 by Ottessa Moshfegh

323 reviews

morregano's review against another edition

challenging 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

2.75

I don't know that the author needed to add as much drug use and detail about it as they did. I think it fell flat at the end of the day because it became redundant.

of course we all saw the end coming but i didn't care as much because i didn't feel for the main character or value their friendship much at all.

also. This book seems like a self lobotomy, as if we didn't learn that sedating people with mental illness doesn't actually switch psychosis off. I don't like the message of this book, and i don't find it sardonic

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Self harm, Body shaming, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Grief

Minor: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Dysphoria, Chronic illness, Suicide, Violence, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Cursing

geraldinerowe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad 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

4.0

This is the second of Ottessa Moshfegh's books that I've read and, like Lapvona, I loved it but couldn't tell you why. The blurb says that it's about alienation, but I interpreted it as the main character dealing with a severe case of depression which leads her to feel alienated and makes her behave so appallingly, especially towards her only friend who continues to try to help her no matter how she's treated. I don't think the ending is supposed to come as a surprise, but it was certainly more effective than I was expecting and it brought a tear to my eye. Moshfegh's writing immerses me in her storytelling (not that there's much plot here to speak of) and I think that's her secret. In fact, I've put holds on two more of her books at the library.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Mental illness, and Addiction

Minor: Abortion

jbbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-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

2.5

Tragic, absurd and very sad, often felt revolted by the depravity of the lives depicted, yet also aware that there were deep seated reasons for the behaviour. If it is funny, it’s very warped. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Toxic friendship

It’s been an experience!

potatereader's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Eating disorder, Drug use, Addiction, Cancer, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Vomit, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Grief, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death of parent, Infidelity, Addiction, Cancer, Self harm, and Sexual assault

liz_rath's review against another edition

reflective fast-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

Could have been an e-mail.
If this had just been the last chapter I'd have given it a much higher rating, but the way it is I feel like it's just very deeply mid. Don't read this if you don't like unlikeable protagonists though or it will feel like torture.

Honestly the book seemed deeply confused about it's themes becauee unless the intended take away was "If you're unhappy with your life and suffer from depression Jus continue being a shitty person refusing to cope with your issues abouse a bunch of drugs and your attitude and life will magically fix themselves eventually" then it was lost. If that was supposed to be the take away then "Uh weird message bro, but sure". I liked the whole disaffected Millenial stick but it did not carry a whole book. At times it felt more like I was reading a character bible instead of a story. And with how it ends, her plan just working no real twists or curveballs, I was just left wondering what the point was.
Like I'm not one to demand a classic american story structure. You just had a cool quick idea and protagonist doesn't change substatially or learn anything by the end - fine by me. But we did not need so many words to tell this story (and I am using the term very liberally here) and the thing doesn't have that many words to begin with.

But whatever the prose was competent and it was a very quick read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Self harm, Mental illness, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Gaslighting and Alcohol

Minor: Ableism

lenacamci's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

3.5

First and foremost, this character is very unlikable - clearly on purpose. 
She also deals with depression and grief and pain that a life of privilege could not shield her from.

This book is so driven by its character and the way she perceives the world and copes with it and yet, she does not learn. She changes but she doesn't grow. 
It's very well written but it's not a pleasant read. It makes you reflect on how you can relate to her and yet leaves you frustrated by her decisions and just general unpleasantness. Which is fine, it's good to have bad, well written morally bad, insufferable but nuanced female characters. 

The ending was the bitter note for me, as Reva is yet another somewhat unlikable character but who at least somehow tries and loves as superficial as she could be. Struggling with mental health, I didn't expect this book who is already a dark take having such a bitter, "life is unfair", painfully real ending. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Addiction, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Cancer, Drug abuse, Suicide, Chronic illness, Confinement, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Drug use, and Mental illness

Minor: Pregnancy, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Abortion

puttingwingsonwords'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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Racism, Classism, Vomit, Addiction, Grief, Alcohol, Body shaming, Death, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Ableism, Excrement, Antisemitism, and Abortion

caseybeis's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Alcohol, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Abortion, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Suicidal thoughts

katilh's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

1.0

did you know that pretty privileged people can be depressed too?
the ending felt unearned, superficial, cheap.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content

Moderate: Infidelity and Toxic relationship

thealbapoems's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

2.75

Hm, this was… a read. I bought this book after seeing it everywhere, and because I felt like after my back surgery it could maybe resonate with me a little more? Having to stay inside, lay down, sleep, etc. But it did not resonate with me at all. I don’t know I didn’t analyze it very much, but it all just felt very sensationalist, it’s a story I feel like I’ve read before, only the main character hibernates for a year. I found it unsettling how much focus there was on the main character’s appearance, how pretty she is, how thin and blonde and rich. Maybe it was done on purpose to showcase how much she had internalized what other people thought of her upon meeting her. Not sure. I didn’t find the relationships between the characters believable, and the plot left me somewhat indifferent. That being said, if there is something that surprised me about this book is the voice. How well constructed it is, how well it carries the readers through the life of this frankly unlikeable person. It felt like a personification of intrusive thoughts. Now that I think about it I couldn't name the main character if I wanted. Might have been a bit of a Rebecca moment. Anyway, read it if you would like to explore what it would be like to give in to your intrusive thoughts. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Suicide, Drug abuse, Addiction, Abortion, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Death of parent, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Alcohol