Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

24 reviews

roseknows124's review

dark mysterious 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Alcoholism, Excrement, Murder, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexism, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Torture, Death of parent, Vomit, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, and Violence

brinnavirginia's review

tense slow-paced

• 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

1.0

I'm apt to love a book in which nothing much happens and of course welcome a book rich in plot. This book is at least 50% exposition and then attempts to squeeze the rest of a plot into the final third or so--one that's just-ok and simply not worth trudging through what comes first to get there.
I'm down with an unlikable protagonist, but Eileen was not interesting enough to warrant her detestable character (and intense, over-the-top, makes-me-think-it-might-be-the-author fatphobia). I enjoyed the womanly yuckiness at first until it was just soooo much puke.
This book could have been, like, a hundred fewer pages. I had to read the Wikipedia plot summary to convince myself to just finish reading it (pulled through for book club <3). In the end, it wasn't worth the effort.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Misogyny, Incest, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Torture, Death of parent, Child abuse, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, and Alcohol

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Excrement, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Classism, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Police brutality, Blood, and Chronic illness

amsswim's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.25

I'm not sure really what to say about this. I enjoyed it. This is the second book by the author Ottessa Moshfegh I have read, the other being 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation', and just as that one this book is just unhinged. I think this one may be more based in reality but still gave me the feeling of unsettlement. If you like weird things this may be for you. 

I am now very interested in watching the movie they made recently based on this starring Anne Hathaway.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Excrement, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Violence, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Rape, Addiction, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Incest, Dementia, Vomit, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Cursing, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Animal death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, and Homophobia

Minor: Child abuse, Miscarriage, and Car accident

em_gauts's review against another edition

dark 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body horror, Murder, Child abuse, Gun violence, Eating disorder, Sexism, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Vomit

olive_lol's review

dark 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

2.5

This novel's setting over the Christmas season creates a uniquely lonely atmosphere. Each scene is packed with description of often mundane things, which, for me, at least, got old after about a hundred pages. Some topics, like alcoholism and child abuse, are explored deeply through multiple characters who experience them.

This novel obviously makes you uncomfortable and grossed out on purpose, but I honestly don't think the story benefits much from that. Most of the sensetive or gross topics feel like they were only included for shock and contributed little to any wider commentary. However, some topics are very well-explored, just not most of those included. That said, make sure you check the content warnings for this book.

Nothing much in the plot happens until about the last third; most of the book leading up to that point is a mix of anecdotes, atmosphere, and gross-out description. For most of the first third, I was really considering picking up another book instead because so little was happening or felt significant. It did create a nice payoff when, in the last third, things started happening, but that didn't outweigh the slowness of the beginning and middle for me.

This book really wasn't for me. It had some merits, like strong descriptions and atmosphere. However, I couldn't look past the overly slow pacing and the overuse of some sensetive topics seemingly for shock.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Murder, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Incest, Gun violence, Pedophilia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Stalking, Vomit, Body shaming, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Racial slurs, Classism, Cursing, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Homophobia, and Animal death

augusta_'s review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• 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

3.25

Hm. I don’t think Ottessa Moshfegh’s books are for me, and this will probably be the last that I’ll read. Personally, her writing comes off to me like it’s trying to be shocking/edgy/grimy without actually having any further effect or commentary. 

I liked it better than My Year of Rest and Relaxation—one of her other books I read previously, which, the more I think about the less I like. 

The thing is, Eileen still has some of the same problems that disenchanted me with that book. I really don’t love the reused themes of eating disorders, the fantasies of sexual assault, the ultra descriptive paragraphs about laxatives and shitting, with seemingly nothing insightful or redeeming attached to them. Maybe it’s going over my head, maybe i’m not reading deep enough, maybe i’m being too demure. But I don’t think i am. It feels like Ottessa uses these themes for shock and and unconventionality—especially in the form of her narrators—rather than having perceivable psychological significance. 

There are a couple moments in the book that escape this and do have a commentary that is more significant, but most of the time that doesn’t feel like the case. 

I will say that the pace of this was a lot faster than R&R, and I very much appreciated that. But by the same token I also feel like nothing really happened? It’s fast paced and feels like it’s leading up to this huge thing…but once we get there it feels like about 3 pages of action. Given all the prior building up and alluding to of this “life changing event”, things really fell a little flat once you arrive there. I feel like I was much more intrigued by the lead up, than the actual “climactic” event. 

The end falls into the same problem I had with My Year of Rest & Relaxation. We have a character who’s suddenly turned around their once cynical view on life, and yet it doesn’t seem earned—or even really plausible, to me. It feels rushed and neatly tied off, in a way that doesn’t align with the rest of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Gore, Rape, and Incest

Moderate: Eating disorder, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Police brutality, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Excrement, and Death

Minor: Gun violence, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Stalking

hlb2023's review

dark mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Dysphoria, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Self harm, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, Fatphobia, Grief, Incest, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Misogyny, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Mental illness, Child abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Gun violence, and Homophobia

hick's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Incest, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Confinement, Mental illness, Cursing, Dysphoria, Stalking, Body shaming, Excrement, Misogyny, and Vomit

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Grief, Classism, Animal death, Abandonment, Police brutality, and Blood

alaynafaith's review

dark mysterious 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

2.0

idk I just didn’t really like it 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Vomit, Addiction, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Body shaming, Gun violence, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Fatphobia, Violence, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Pedophilia

illgiveyouahint's review against another edition

challenging 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

2.0

There was one too many talks of bowel movements.
I'm sorry, but I just didn't vibe with the book. I see so many people praising it but to me it was a book where it took forever for something to start happening. The first half of the book was just so boring to me with burst of disgust whenever bowel movements were mentioned. Seriously I started to really detest the word bowels.
 I recognise that this book is just not for me and if I was not given it by my friend I would never have read it. But hey maybe a film adaptation with foxy Anne Hathaway will change my mind, who knows.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Murder, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

Moderate: Fatphobia, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Death, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Terminal illness, Violence, Body shaming, Death of parent, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Rape

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Torture