Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

108 reviews

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

gaeliloveweiss's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad 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

4.75

Don’t read this unless you love an awful person character study.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Alcohol, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Torture, Incest, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Sexual assault, Murder, Gun violence, Body shaming, Vomit, Pedophilia, Grief, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, and Kidnapping

ruthallison2000's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.5

Loved the concept- the beginning hooked me in, but I wish we got the end after! With this being said, I think it would make an interesting re-read; I definitely skimmed over a lot of foreshadowing because the middle was so washed-out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Stalking

leelu55's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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

3.25

The writing starts off impressively, with skillful narration that penetrates deeply, making the reader vividly feel and smell the humiliating and devastating aspects of Eileen's life. Decay, rot, dirt, and deep unhappiness seep from the pages into the reader's mind. The future Eileen's tone, oscillating between indulgence, self-loathing, and dry humor, combined with short, precise sentences, makes the story an easy read, hurtling towards its inevitably dark and disastrous conclusion.

However, the ending disappoints, presenting a tragic and hopeless fate, and the most horrible crimes imaginable are exploited for Eileen's personal development in an unbearably nonchalant and casual manner. I found the conclusion truly annoying, with the profane way the events were wrapped up, the plot falling apart, and all the characters being cast aside after their stories were used to create the necessary effects.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Vomit, Torture, Self harm, Body shaming, Child abuse, Police brutality, Car accident, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts

kmcgraw's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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 felt at times it was slow and repetitive but I was truly enthralled from the beginning. I read this in two days and couldn’t put it down. Deals with very dark/heavy themes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Incest, Murder, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Excrement, Suicide, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Fatphobia, and Eating disorder

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Abortion, and Police brutality

libellumartinae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

2.5

My main problem with this book is the pace. Nothing - LITERALLY NOTHING - happens through the first page and in the last two chapters everything goes down, which might have been interesting as the previous chapters depict Eileen's life but ugh, was it just plain boring. and the plot-twist? not that impressive. Certainly doesn't make up for the whole waiting.

Still, I love the way that Moshfeg just write something like so unhinged and yet so close to the truth. She hangs onto the line of 'what if we just listened and did what that dark part in us tell us so?'. And it's strangely cathartic. STILL, it was plain boring and badly paced.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Drug abuse, and Vomit

kaylanoellesims'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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Stalking, Incest, Sexism, Homophobia, Eating disorder, Terminal illness, Rape, Toxic friendship, and Fatphobia

Minor: Miscarriage and Lesbophobia

emilyrosebooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.0

I am giving this 3 stars because the writing is really wonderful, it is creepy and bold. However it is very very slow. I enjoyed the perspective of the narrator as the main character in her now 70s looking back and telling the story of herself at age 24. The main character, Eileen, is NOT lovable, especially not in her youth, but she is the sort of disaster you can't look away from. I do wish the book started with the sentence, "This is the story of how I disappeared" or something along those lines because it felt directionless for a while. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Murder, Incest, and Emotional abuse

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

amarige's review against another edition

dark sad tense 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

3.0

A profoundly disturbed and lonely young woman is obsessively seeking some sort of validation - her motives are perplexing at best. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Self harm, Death, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Child abuse, Rape, Incest, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Body horror, Stalking, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Confinement