Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

168 reviews

lucajgrainger's review

Go to review page

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

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

maddievoll's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad slow-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

3.5

I have such mixed feelings. I love the message of this novel and what it stands for but it was hard to read. At times it was boring or repetitive. I enjoyed the ending of this novel and love this author. Worth reading.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

theraindiary's review against another edition

Go to review page

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


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

amyy_'s review

Go to review page

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

3.0

I really don’t know what to think of this. 
There isn’t really a plot at all just lists of disturbing events that happened over a year. Don’t really know why someone would want to write about them either. It’s like she just added all the most horrible things together and put them in a story

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

racbuckallew's review

Go to review page

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

3.75

Not sure what in the literal hell I just read but it was extremely well written for what it was!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

hedsek's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.0

A train wreck I couldn't look away from but in the end I wonder if there's any point to this book. Idk it just feels over the top ironic with how meaningless all the violence and gore is when all it seems to say is religion bad and humans bad.

Maybe it's because I'm used to fucked up stuff from reading Dutch literature but it's not as shocking as some reviews make it out. Still, unpleasant stuff. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

baileyherman's review

Go to review page

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

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

zombiepond's review

Go to review page

dark reflective 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

Frankly I don’t quite know what I’ve just read. Lots of weird people doing gross things and being pretty terrible. It’s written very straightforwardly, which wasn’t a bad thing, it was just very sequential if that makes sense. Like I said, some of the things these people do are very gross and occasionally hard to get through and I often wondered if I even wanted to finish it and I think the only reason I did was because I had no clue where the plot was going and I was curious how it would play out and how many more weird and terrible things these people could do. Interesting read I guess? The plot kept me reading but I don’t honestly know how I feel about this book. I guess read it if you want to read about some sick people doing some genuinely sick things. I know I’m probably missing out on something here that I maybe just didn’t pick up but i thought it was pretty disgusting.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

zlizzyv's review against another edition

Go to review page

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. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mahhias's review

Go to review page

slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? No

3.0

What a book! Such a new perspective and storytelling. This is my first Ottessa book and  I loved Moshfegh’s techniques in story telling!  

 I will say however that I felt the book lacked some good-quality writing, there was stilted, almost blunt dialogue, and it made the experience a bit frail. The plot was a bit more mediocre than I expected and there was nothing remotely off-putting or grotesque as people were suggesting. Had my hopes very HIGH: so I was utterly disappointed by this. I think a lot of people say this since it’s probably their first book with this sort of sensitive topics and odd, wicked elements. 
So, people, don’t be so sensitive. You guys have not read books that are GROTESQUE and truly DISGUSTING yet. Do not be that dramatic. There is so many books out there that would perfectly fit the description that Lapvona is depicted as way better. 

I am fond of Lapvona in a way: but it’s not enough for me to really, really like it: there is gross imagery, most of it relating to bodily fluids and excrement, which I found super: disgusting (and this is the only disgusting thing I found in this book even though I was promised more)  and it’s darkly comedic prose, which I did liked this, sometimes, but it was done so many times that I found it super banal.

I feel this book could’ve been a bit better: but overall, this book was enjoyable and it had me very motivated to keep reading. Had me disappointed: of course, but It’s so bleak and satisfying at times. Good book! 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings