Reviews with content warning for Death - Mijn jaar van rust en kalmte

it was, in fact, not a year of rest and relaxation, but rather a year of turmoil and taxidermy dogs. this was as apathetic and disturbing as it was tender and emotional. this novel held my attention from start to finish, and i’m so excited to explore more from moshfegh.

Content Warnings

aritacb's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

This book was a lot of things - existentialist fiction, a dark humored satire with poignant realistic moments, a commentary on mental health and grief, a commmentary on the effects of privilege and how people abuse it. This book kind of reminded me of the Stranger by Albert Camus - an existentialist novel.

The premise of the book is something that seems like it would be hard to pull off and Moshfegh did. My Year of R&R was reminiscent of novels like the Bell Jar while still being innovative. She touched on multiples topics well and nothing in the plot felt like it droned on or was rushed.

This gets four stars since I hate how girls on booktok and bookstagram glamorize the protagonist. She was privileged, vain, conceited, selfish, a bad friend, and needed legitimate help instead of her quack of a psychiatrist. I hated how she treated her best friend and criticized her for being shallow and for the affair she was having with her boss when she was ten times more spoiled and couldn’t get over the also older crappy guy she was on and off with.
I also didn’t like the vulgar parts in the book, which I know that Moshfegh added along with other things in the book for the shock factor but it was a bit much at times.

The ending didn’t sit right with me because sleep “solved everything” and she got to live a normal life - something that wouldn’t get to happen without her privilege. I also feel like what happened at the end wasn’t fair to a specific character and that they deserved better than what happened to them.

This isn’t for anyone who wants character development or is expecting a fast paced plot but if you want something simultaneously funny, aggravating, and sad that will make you think a little bit - I recommend this.

Content Warnings

pil4r's review against another edition

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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

Creo que Mi año de descanso y relajación es un buen libro tanto así como creo que no es una lectura para cualquiera.
Su sinopsis es bizarra y los lugares a los que la prosa nos va llevando se sostienen igualmente bizarros -y siempre distintos a los que yo esperaba o imaginaba-. Al mismo tiempo, Moshfegh construye personajes, en especial aquellos femeninos, tan irritables y deprimentes como complejos e interesantes. La construcción de sus voces y sus cuestionables e intrincadas acciones se consolida a lo largo de toda la novela como el fuerte de la autora, como el elemento clave que alimenta y atraca las ganas de continuar leyendo.
No puedo decir que la obra me encantó pero creo que porque, principalmente, no es mi tipo de lectura predilecta. El existencialismo y la depresión se retroalimentan, estructuran y pintan de gris toda la narrativa. Esto, por momentos, erige un tono de tristeza y vacío que me resultó un poco díficil de digerir a través de una protagonista con la que la identificación sólo se posibilita a partir de lugares oscuros y desagradables.
De todas formas, este libro despierta muchos sentimientos, genera muchas preguntas y continua resonando; y, aunque no necesariamente lo hace dentro del campo de lo agradable, el impacto lo hace una obra, al menos, atractiva.

Content Warnings

annarchy_'s review against another edition

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dark funny fast-paced

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

Content Warnings

dativa's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

3.0

hm.

it was easy to finish.

and difficult to read.

easy: i really like
the pacing, voice,
characterization.

difficult:
1. I... am studying my eye
for desire politics...

this book was useful
in this regard --

the narrator's discussion
of self, Whoopi
("magical negro trope"/fixation
with Whoopi and her body),

and/in relation with every other
person/subject in the book.

2. This person
is really hurting.

p.s.
did not realize
until now that

i wasn't forgetting
her name -- we do
not ever get it!

Content Warnings

eileencastroo's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this book is more on the darker side, as it takes a laughable deep look into depression and how the effects afterward are shown on a girl in her twenties who should virtually have no reason to be depressed - except the fact that

her parents are dead/spoiler>

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