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maisonmarsiela's review against another edition
5.0
i have a lot of thoughts about this book and no idea how to actually word any of them.
it wasn’t perfect - the middle dragged, the characters were largely unlikeable, and the ending felt rushed.
however. i adored the writing, and there were times when i related to the narrator (which is not something i’m particularly proud of but alas). i also appreciated the exploration of the Uglier Side of mental illness and grief - as well as the extreme, sometimes ridiculous, lengths some of us go to in an attempt to feel like ourselves again.
i liked that there were times when i wanted to yell at the narrator, and times when i felt like i was right there with her - hurting with her, struggling with her, getting lost with her.
this is probably closer to a 4.5 stars for me - there were moments that frustrated me, and parts that were a challenge to get through. but overall, it really resonated with me and i’m looking forward to reading ottessa moshfegh’s other works
it wasn’t perfect - the middle dragged, the characters were largely unlikeable, and the ending felt rushed.
however. i adored the writing, and there were times when i related to the narrator (which is not something i’m particularly proud of but alas). i also appreciated the exploration of the Uglier Side of mental illness and grief - as well as the extreme, sometimes ridiculous, lengths some of us go to in an attempt to feel like ourselves again.
i liked that there were times when i wanted to yell at the narrator, and times when i felt like i was right there with her - hurting with her, struggling with her, getting lost with her.
this is probably closer to a 4.5 stars for me - there were moments that frustrated me, and parts that were a challenge to get through. but overall, it really resonated with me and i’m looking forward to reading ottessa moshfegh’s other works
venusinlove's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
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
4.0
not that much of a plot, really, mainly depressed pms kinda vibes but you know what? that's also valid!
i, too, want to spend a whole year hibernating in my depression. i should have done that back in 2016. maybe life would have gotten better after that.
the book itself was not bad. i honestly enjoyed it a lot, it was fun. i am hoping that i won't forget it in a few weeks.
p.s. to when i am bored: read other people's reviews on this book because they are freaking hilarious, lol.
i, too, want to spend a whole year hibernating in my depression. i should have done that back in 2016. maybe life would have gotten better after that.
the book itself was not bad. i honestly enjoyed it a lot, it was fun. i am hoping that i won't forget it in a few weeks.
p.s. to when i am bored: read other people's reviews on this book because they are freaking hilarious, lol.
evaschwarz96's review against another edition
dark
reflective
relaxing
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
3.75
emmapaigereads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
leahbren2201's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
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
3.5
shannon_marie's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
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
5.0
shanhautman's review against another edition
4.0
At times, I found the narrator incredibly irritating and vapid and would tell myself that I'm moving on to another book. (Especially when I encountered lines like "they all hated me because I was so beautiful.") Then, I'd become captivated by the stories of her childhood and keep turning the pages. As my understanding of her human complexity grew, I liked the character more, but it was a bit of a love-hate relationship througout. An unlikeable narrator, most definitely. This was an exercise in understanding that, like it or not, realize it or not, we are conditioned to align ourselves with and want stories with comfortable and relatable protagonists. We want protagonists that give us just enough to think about, but not so much that we become uncomfortable or feel disenfranchized from the story. We want to see ourselves in the main character, and when that character is so unlike us, it grates on our sensibilites.
This book leads me to so many questions= how does what we want from a story influence our reaction to it? Should we deem a character unlikeable because she doesn't meet our needs as readers? Do we need to always have our semi-objective lenses nearby in order to evaluate how we are judging characters and story arcs and then analyze what it says about us and our "traning" as readers / story consumers? Do we need to keep our internalized socio-cultural mores in mind when we evaluate characters?
This book leads me to so many questions= how does what we want from a story influence our reaction to it? Should we deem a character unlikeable because she doesn't meet our needs as readers? Do we need to always have our semi-objective lenses nearby in order to evaluate how we are judging characters and story arcs and then analyze what it says about us and our "traning" as readers / story consumers? Do we need to keep our internalized socio-cultural mores in mind when we evaluate characters?
rionstorm's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
This book sucks so bad... she was clearly trying to be ironic and failed... literally everything about it is irritating... the casual racism, the repetitiveness, her constantly talking about how pretty she is, how every character is cartoonish and one dimensional, the incredibly silly (and distasteful) ending... awful
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Confinement, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Alcoholism, Vomit, and Terminal illness
Minor: Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Pregnancy
tania_a's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0