Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

99 reviews

snowiceblackfruit77's review

funny tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, and Emotional abuse

mcrespo's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

4.25

eileen is like the quintessential girl loser. she sucks, and because of that, she can be so relatable, but she’s also deeply flawed. as a girl, i can empathize with her self loathing, insecurity, and rage. she kinda gives off the vibes of A24’s pearl meets brand new city by mitski. however,  the ending of this books feels very rushed and underdeveloped. the climax doesn’t occur until the 85% mark, and things move very quickly afterwards. i just yearned for more answers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Rape, Incest, and Pedophilia

ankiaisreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Medical content, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Grief, Confinement, Drug use, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Stalking, Torture, Incest, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, and Vomit

iamawesome2's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Incest, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Body shaming

2hermione4's review against another edition

dark 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

2.75

It got me into a readind slump, I thought "My year of rest and relaxation" was captivating and interesting but I can't say the same for Eileen.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Addiction

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Incest, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Fatphobia

jnestwd's review

dark mysterious 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

5.0

Well, Ottessa, you are "quite a gal!"

No one manages to simultaneously repulse and intrigue me quite like Ottessa Moshfegh. When I read her work, I know I'm about to be thoroughly disturbed and I am here. for. IT.

Eileen did not disappoint. The story of Eileen Dunlop's miserable life spent living with her emotional (and at times, physically) abusive, alcoholic father and working at the local Boys Prison was exactly as uncomfortable as I've come to expect from Moshfegh's work.

Moshfegh somehow manages to get right under your skin and touch nerves you never thought existed. Reading Eileen move through life selfishly and disgustingly (intentionally ripping clothes in a store, wiping her dirty mouth on scarves for sale, touching herself and then shaking hands with someone before washing them... that sort of thing) somehow had me absolutely hooked and I could not put the book down before finding out whether or not Eileen managed to find happiness or not.

Ottessa's work is not for the faint of heart.

Often the reviews are scathing of the body horror and grotesque descriptions.

But that is part of the magic in my opinion.

I read Ottessa Moshfegh when I want to be disturbed. And she never ever fails to disappoint!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Rape, and Sexual assault

um_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

This is me expanding my reading horizons! 🤩
Diving into Ottessa Moshfegh's 'Eileen' was a journey unlike any other, not my preferred genre but was not disappointed. 

At first glance, the narrative seemed deceptively mundane – everyday routines, mundane interactions, nothing out of the ordinary. The juxtaposition of the mundane and the disturbing was jarring, yet strangely mesmerizing, like watching a trainwreck unfold in slow motion.

‘Eileen' left me feeling deeply disturbed yet utterly captivated. It's a testament to Moshfegh's talent that she could take something as mundane as daily life and turn it into something so profoundly unsettling. Eileen is definitely worth a read.

Check your trigger warnings for this book ! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Animal death, Chronic illness, Grief, Mental illness, Confinement, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Murder, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Body shaming, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Excrement, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Death

darkivist's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, and Addiction

Moderate: Rape and Death of parent

coverslutmarie's review

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Eating disorder, Death, Alcohol, Vomit, Rape, Murder, Violence, Excrement, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, and Gun violence

marietimus's review

dark 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

3.5

Very weird main character. Slow paced the first half and fast paced in the second half.

Had me guessing many endings but the actual ending was so simple it brought the rating down for me.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Alcohol, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Alcoholism, Torture, Addiction, Death, Rape, Stalking, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, and Mental illness