Reviews tagging 'Grief'

McGlue by Ottessa Moshfegh

5 reviews

kutreen's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I picked this up because I have been hearing a lot about this author but thought that reading My Year of Rest and Relaxation would sink me deeper into depression. 

Damn! I'm really impressed by Moshfegh. She reeled me into the drunken stupor/brain damaged/denial-stage-of-grief cloudiness of McGlue's mind without getting too abstract or confusing. McGlue is in and out of consciousness as memories from his time spent with the man he allegedly killed (but had a quite vulnerable brother-like bond--which you can guess what that means when it's between two sailors in the 1850s) intermix with memories from his poor and emotionally neglected childhood, intermix with him currently trying to process his situation as he awaits trial while withdrawing from alcoholism and having a huge untreated gash in his head. We can empathize with McGlue's pain much more than he could allow himself to at that time. 

The most unpalatable parts for me were the ways McGlue referred to gay men, women, and black people, but I suppose it's true to how a man like that at that time would have referred to them.

Looking back not sure I could get through this if I was more emotionally vulnerable right now, but luckily it was a quick read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Vomit, Grief, Homophobia, Biphobia, Confinement, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racial slurs, Sexual content, Murder, Child death, and Sexual harassment

espears's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

I keep seeing stuff about McGlue being a pirate story?? It is not. McGlue is an alcoholic sailor, struggling to deal with himself and the reality of what happened between him and his best friend. TW: There are a lot of homophobic/racist slurs being flung around here. The prose is beautiful. The journey of self-loathing and reflection that McGlue experiences over the course of these pages felt visceral. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Homophobia, Blood, Alcoholism, Cursing, Racial slurs, and Racism

nialiversuch's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Addiction, Fatphobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Blood, Child death, Classism, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia

gracetrimper's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Excrement, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Alcohol, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Violence, Body horror, Sexual content, Murder, Gore, Child death, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Confinement, and Addiction

littleboatadrift's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Confinement

Moderate: Death, Grief, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Violence