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Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh

84 reviews

a11a's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-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

3.75

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fionag's review against another edition

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dark reflective 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

Absolutely not for me. This was my first Moshfegh but I wish I’d started with Rest&Relaxation instead. Vesta went beyond being an unreliable and unlikeable narrator and went into confusing and flat- I don’t think I even believed she was supposed to be an old woman. Really don’t know if this was supposed to be a meditation on grief and autonomy or what but I didn’t feel it had it’s intended impact. The writing was dark but was lost for me due to the meandering quality. Also the fatphobia had no part in the story at all and just seemed like Moshfegh was using it to vent. 
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martinacrescioli7's review against another edition

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dark 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? It's complicated

2.0

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katiemack's review against another edition

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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

2.25

This is not something I would pick to read, but I felt obligated to try it for my local library's book club---plus, I really enjoyed My Year of Rest and Relaxation. The concept also intrigued me enough to finish the book.

While this has some depth and poignancy as a reflection of loneliness and its effects on the human psyche, I had a hard time reading it. The focus is not clear--I know it's because of the protagonist's mental state, but it didn't work for me--and the narrative is brutal. There's an intentional killing of an animal that's particularly unpalatable.

If you're looking for something different, you can give this one a try; it just isn't for me. 
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_lesh_'s review against another edition

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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

2.25

aside from being meh...the main characther is very very fatphobic,,, also she makes really weird asumtions about Eastern europe and as a slavic person myself it just made me sad,, such stupid steriotypes
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stinkymilky's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious 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

4.75

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larissamusy's review against another edition

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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

1.0

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hannahreadss's review against another edition

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dark funny 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

5.0

This book follows the thinking and exploration of a 72 year old woman and her growing obsession with the subject of a note she finds when walking her dog. The main character is complicated and problematic but real and energized. I loved our main character because she was completely revealed to us. I disagreed with her personal views towards certain people or things, but I applaud Moshfegh in her ability to evoke people and realities that are honest. It is in this honesty where I found myself laughing at our characters ignorance whilst finding connections to her. For those looking for a book with a conclusive and satisfying ending, you will not get that here. I like to refer to these books more as a character study than anything else. There is a murder/mystery element (heavy on the mystery) that literally envelopes the entirety of the story. Suffice to say, I love the weirdness of Ottessa Moshfegh’s work, and I will be picking up all of her other works, and whatever else there is to come.
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emilymdxn's review against another edition

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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

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binca's review against another edition

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mysterious 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

2.5

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