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mediocrity_is_expected's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Religious bigotry, Rape, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Child death, Classism, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Confinement, Sexual violence, Murder, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Blood, Bullying, Incest, Suicide, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexism
Moderate: Animal death
namirasrot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Misogyny, Body horror, Cannibalism, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Murder, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Physical abuse
eemily's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Incest, Animal death, Child death, Self harm, Gore, Emotional abuse, Rape, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Miscarriage, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcoholism, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Body shaming, and Blood
karmkeigh's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Vomit, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Murder, Animal death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Abortion
Minor: Suicide, Excrement, Grief, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Death, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia
sherenreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
If you however are a masochist, do go ahead and read the grossest 300 pages you’ll ever have read.
I wanted to quit at least twice. I’m sure you know the disturbing movies iceberg meme. This book belongs there somewhere in the middle. When I was done, I wanted to shower and scrub my eyes and brain in hopes that I can forget what I just read. I’m 99% sure my brain will push the memory of this book far away and if I’m lucky I’ll just forget most of it.
It was so gross, and for what? I barely found meaning in it all. A little bit, yes, but the rest? It felt like a book that’s gross for the sake of being gross.
I read in another review that someone said maybe this was Moshfegh’s answer to critics who’ve criticized her because apparently everything she writes is meaningless and weird and gross and maybe this one was supposed to be a f*ck you to those critics. If that was her point, she did an amazing job.
I wish I could talk to Moshfegh and ask her why, just why. I’d also love to look into her brain and find out what goes on in there and if she’s mentally alright.
This was also the first book by Moshfegh I’ve ever read, because they didn’t have my year of rest and relaxation available. I’m sure that’s on me.
I also wanted something spooky and weird for Halloween. This was so much worse. I wish I’d watched the exorcism or something instead. Funnily enough it reminded me of movies by people like von Trier and Vinterberg. Maybe I just didn’t understand it, I don’t know
Graphic: Murder, Animal cruelty, Death, Cannibalism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Rape, and Excrement
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Vomit, Slavery, and Religious bigotry
cwiita's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
With that being said, I blew through Lapvona. This book is absolutely vile, but incredibly readable when it comes to pacing and language. It was also much easier to tolerate the actions and views of the characters knowing that the events were taking place under a feudal system in medieval times. Moshfegh did a wonderful job of characterization, for better or for worse. The plot is somehow both ceaseless and unrecognizable. It's an infinite circle of pointless suffering, but maybe that's the point. In an uncanny way, there was something enjoyable about this read. Since I already own MYORAR, this piece almost convinced me to give it another try. Almost.
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Classism, Grief, Abandonment, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Body shaming, Child abuse, Abortion, Sexual assault, Drug use, Excrement, Ableism, Blood, Death, Cannibalism, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy
2ofhearts's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Sexual violence, Rape, Vomit, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Violence
cmorelli's review
- 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
First off, it feels like this book tries to hit any and all triggers possible, so be warned in advance.
Marek, a crippled, abused, motherless shepherd’s son, constantly lives under the fear of his unworthiness in God’s eye. With jealousy and anger, he commits a crime that puts him as a ward to the Lord of the fiefdom - Villiam, who is childish as the very least, abusive, controlling, and wildly incapable of his position as a lord at the very most.
This book, written in a medieval setting, gives you a sense of discomfort every page of the way.
While written to pull you in to the horror show of Lapvona you can’t possibly look away from out of morbid curiosity, Lapvona’s story falls flat without meaning. It’s a press just to see how uncomfortable you can be made.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Gore, Vomit, Bullying, Classism, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Incest, Mental illness, Excrement, Murder, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, and Pregnancy
evantmellon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cannibalism, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Misogyny, Classism, Death, Child abuse, Child death, Animal death, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Self harm, Sexism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Abortion, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
jessica_luvs's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Abortion, Animal death, and Body horror