Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

3 reviews

tytrack99's review

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

Otessa scores again in the insane, gross girl category. Sometimes I just be wondering why she says things 😂 also, I know this is set in the 60s but like girl… you didnt have to say most of the prejudice things you said. like you didnt HAVE to include that just cause it was the 60s 🫣 listened on audiobook so I think the story was good, but dont know how it would have translated over to reading.. overall, at no point of this book did I know what was going to happen next 😂

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, and Child abuse

Moderate: Homophobia, Xenophobia, and Vomit

ardour's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

5.0

i legit felt reborn as the novel ended

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Addiction, Eating disorder, Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Rape, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Incest, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Self harm

Moderate: Body horror, Grief, Confinement, Gore, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal death and Blood

Extra content warning for the existential dread that’s portrayed for the most part of the novel (I’m thinking of others with existential OCD like me)—HOWEVER important to note that everything changes for Eileen at a certain point in the book and she undergoes a paradigm shift where one (seemingly insignificant thing) makes her realise that her life can have meaning. I found it SUPER cathartic in this way so I’m glad I kept going even though up until then her existential angst was hard to read. ~~~ Why there’s so many TWs - read to get a more accurate perspective on whether it’s the kind of book for you (spoiler free): This book is written from the perspective of Eileen writing about her young adulthood—as an elderly person. A lot of her dark thoughts & xenophobia come from the time when she grew up and the lack of love/care she received as a child. In this way I found it somewhat easier to suspend my reaction to some of the awful things she said. Additionally, Eileen, at the age she is writing the story, wants to portray what kind of person she was back then—warts and all—without trying to distract from what she feels are negative & toxic traits by inspiring sympathy. In this way it’s aggressively honest and Eileen doesn’t want to shield her past self from the judgement she feels she deserves.

nialiversuch's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Vomit, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Rape, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, and Xenophobia