Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

407 reviews

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

katyannreads's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Rape, and Child abuse

jnestwd's review against another edition

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

cecilialau_'s review against another edition

4.0

Hard to put my experience into words this time around. But I stand by the rating. It’s a good book. An easy read as the writing keeps you turning the pages. Eileen is a very well-formed character.
Give it a read if you’re curious from the blurb! But again, I want to avoid blurbs bc they give too much away. Myself, I just read the first and maybe second line max as to not be told too much. But hey, that’s just me

I did find it a bit too much with the name-calling as the word “fat” appeared a lot imo. I know it was the sixties and a lot of what is in this, like the prison, is “glossed over” bc - as we are told - this is Eileen’s story, and her moral compass, etc. is the way it is. And that is clear and done purposefully I’m sure. I also found the setup with Mrs. Polk. a bit strange. Although it is very plausible that Rebecca went to her house and got Eileen involved, but the sentence: “This is the Polk house, and she’s downstairs” (sth along these lines), was just a bit cartoon-ish for me to read. Idk. Maybe I’ll think differently once I’ve let the book settle a bit. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Child abuse

frankchester's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape

chelseycintronn's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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: Child abuse, Rape, Gun violence, Blood, and Sexual assault

darkivist's review against another edition

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 against another edition

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

hannaheinhorn's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense 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

2.75

i have mixed feelings about this book. i imagine i’ll like the movie more. eileen is a horrible character, and i’m not sure ottessa moshfegh wrote her in a way that was ethical. for example, eileen has tendencies that some would say are fully pedophilic. she is also fatphobic, which stood out to me a lot, as mrs. polk’s fatness seems to be used as a symbol for cowardice in eileen’s head. her own thinness is thought to redeem her. some parts of eileen are extremely relatable, but others aren’t. i don’t think all virginal 24 year olds drool over young boys. 

there is also the fact that nothing happened in the book until the last 20% of it. i could have just read THAT part and been satisfied. literally the several page fucking soliloquy after THAT part was so useless.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Vomit, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Incest, and Kidnapping

Minor: Racism, Ableism, Blood, Sexual harassment, Classism, Gun violence, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

marietimus's review against another edition

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