Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Mijn jaar van rust en kalmte by Ottessa Moshfegh

198 reviews

skylerclaudia's review against another edition

slow-paced

1.0

I just didn’t like this. 

To me, the most interesting part was right before Reva’s mother passes away and after she passed away. I’m not sure at all what I’m supposed to have taken away from this book but I’m glad I’m finished. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Addiction, Grief, Vomit, and Toxic relationship

anh_read's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-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

4.0

The main character is unhinged and at times very problematic and insufferable. But as a reader, one could sympathize with her. Some characters were, in my opinion, a bit too exaggerated and too stereotypical, that they lacked any depth or to be even believable. I am aware that Ottessa Moshfegh intended them to be that way since they are merely described form the POV of the protagonist.

The novel gives great insight into the mind of a troubled and depressed person. It also alluded to the overreliance on prescipted drugs and its abuse. One thing I need point out though is that this novel tends to glamorize mental illnesses (as if being depressed was considered to be edgy). Although depression is a very serious topic, the author portrayed a glamorized lifestyle through the protagonist - instead of pointing out the danger of it. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book. I recommend it to everyone who likes unhinged characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Body shaming

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Abortion, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Cancer

houseofjules's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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

3.25

Had high hopes for this one, but it extremely average and not a lot happened. Hoping to have a better experience with her other books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Cancer, Sexual content, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Abortion, Death, Confinement, and Alcohol

cosmicjuli's review against another edition

dark tense 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Suicide

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Death, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, and Body shaming

kcg_mx's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Vomit, Drug use, Addiction, Cancer, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

amelianotthepilot's review against another edition

1.5

I dont understand the hype for this book. I feel like I remember people raving about this a few years ago but I truly found this whole book horribly depressing and meaningless. It gave Holden Caulfield vibes in the worst way. 

I guess you could say its a feminist book representing women in the worst way, women can be horrible too, women contain multitudes. I'm also pretty positive it doesn't pass the reverse Bechdel test (men are rarely mentioned and only in reference to sex). Which I guess is interesting... idk overall I thought it was terribly boring and depressing.

The main character is in her 20s, both her parents have passed away which she says she has come to terms with but clearly still deeply affects her. She has decided she wants to sleep her life away. She goes to a bad therapist complaining of sleep problems so she can get prescribed increasingly wild drugs. She then takes a cocktail of drugs in efforts to fully sleep through the rest of life to varying success. Her therapist is an extremely hippie unhinged bad therapist, her best friend is extremely vain and fake, her deceased mother was an alcoholic and uncaring. Overall every single character was unbearable and annoying and I don't feel like I particularly learned or gained anything from reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Confinement, Eating disorder, Abortion, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Vomit, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, Dysphoria, Grief, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

virgomoon9'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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Abortion, Addiction, Mental illness, and Terminal illness

thaliaw's review against another edition

challenging 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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Drug use, Terminal illness, Abortion, Suicide, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Grief, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Death of parent, Confinement, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death

ercole's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-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

Libro dall’atmosfera magnetica e accattivante, trasporta il lettore in una New York anni duemila in pieno stile Sex and the City e Gossip Girl, tra Cosmopolitan e i migliori film e serie tv di quegli anni, rigorosamente in cassette. La protagonista è una giovane donna che decide di intraprendere un anno di riposo per rinascere e rinfrescarsi la mente, così da superare i suoi traumi passati. Con l’aiuto di una psichiatra estremamente inaffidabile, raggiungerà il suo scopo di scomparire nel sonno per un anno intero. 
I personaggi sono caratterizzati da una mancanza di empatia quasi assurda, e le relazioni non sono molto naturali. L’amicizia tra la protagonista e Reva è estremamente tossica, e nonostante ciò le due saranno amiche fino alla morte di quest’ultima che, conoscendo il periodo e il luogo in cui è ambientato il romanzo, diventa estremamente prevedibile quando Reva annuncia di essere stata trasferita a lavorare alle Torri Gemelle. 
Il libro scorre bene. Lo stile è semplice e piacevole da leggere, e i riferimenti pop rendono il tutto ancora più interessante. 
Tre stelle perché, per certi versi, i personaggi sono poco realistici per quanto sono assurdi.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Addiction, Abortion, Cancer, Eating disorder, and Medical content

sorcha's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Terminal illness, Abortion, Cancer, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Infidelity, Grief, Excrement, and Suicide