Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

24 reviews

weepingstones's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• 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

Graphic: Body shaming, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

Moderate: Drug abuse, Animal death, Murder, and Addiction

aalayah's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Incest, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexual content, Vomit, and Addiction

Minor: Cancer and Blood

casmirdonna's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.0

First book of the year, I’m not sure it was a good idea as it’s quite a gloomy and somewhat depressive story. It was very slow paced for the first 80% of the book which was disappointing, even the end wasn’t too intense. What I really enjoyed in this book was the descriptions and writing, the plot was ordinary. I would rate it much lower if it wasn’t for the beautiful writing that captivated me despite the lack of action in the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Incest, Addiction, Rape, Vomit, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, and Eating disorder

kelleykamanda's review

dark mysterious 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

3.5

Incredibly “Moshfegh”- a unlikeable, grotesque, unhinged woman. Great writing. The story was a bit slow but nonetheless carried me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Rape, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Self harm, Fatphobia, and Physical abuse

Minor: Excrement

Rape of a minor by a parent

edamamebean's review

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Incest, Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body horror, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Rape, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Excrement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Drug use, Death of parent, Cursing, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Torture, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Stalking, and Blood

mniziolek's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Forced institutionalization

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.

yeahtotally's review

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

Read this book at the recommendations of others, who told me it was dark, disturbing, impossible to put down. They also told me the end would make it worth it. Unfortunately, I found it boring and lacking in distinguishing features! The ending was predictable and had no pay off. A thorough waste of time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Dementia, Rape, Incest, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Addiction, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Excrement, Vomit, and Dysphoria

caitlinderocker's review

dark funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, Vomit, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Racism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual violence, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Excrement, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Rape, and Sexual assault

hannahlouise_'s review

dark mysterious sad 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

3.5

not my favourite moshfegh book but a dark, intense read and i was genuinely surprised at points. definitely preferred to death in her hands but nowhere near myorar at least to me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Gun violence, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Excrement, Incest, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Violence, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abortion