Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

35 reviews

veerau's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

How gross! (positive) 

TW for pretty much everything in existence, perhaps even more

Glad I read it, now my eyes can be glad nothing I'll ever read from this point on will be as disgusting 😃👍

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Rape, Abortion, Child death, Self harm, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Slavery, Classism, Death, Pregnancy, Animal death, Excrement, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Religious bigotry

zlizzyv's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.0

This was easily the strangest book I have ever read. Previous reviews said it felt like a fever dream. Truly it is beyond wild. I was, however, invested, so I did finish it and was surprised by the plot line/ending.

Was the point to be as repulsive and evil as possible? Is it a cruel irony to have so many trigger warnings in one book?

I do not regret finishing the book, but I cannot say I enjoyed it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Abortion, Alcohol, Confinement, Drug use, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Child death, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Animal death, Bullying, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexism, Grief, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Slavery, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

streetmuseums's review against another edition

this was just vile with no plot! i tried but it just wasn't redeeming itself, moshfegh is clearly preoccupied with shock factor. this is the 2nd and last of her books i'll ever read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, and Self harm

kcakes719's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

Opening with that Demi Lovato quote was like a punch in the gut.

I think I might be severely desensitized because this book didn’t gross me out in the way others have described. It certainly has moments where I can see why someone would be disturbed though. This is a medieval slice of life with zero likable characters and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The audiobook narration by the author was *chefs kiss*

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Rape, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Slavery, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Vomit, Incest, Alcohol, Bullying, Excrement, Mental illness, and Murder

Minor: Cursing, Classism, Grief, and Animal cruelty

alexlouise97's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Grief, Pregnancy, Self harm, Murder, Rape, Abortion, Sexual assault, Ableism, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pedophilia, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Cannibalism

allisonz6's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

1.5

what the actual f was that

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Death, Torture, Self harm, Abortion, Blood, Rape, Body horror, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Murder, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Gore, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Minor: Miscarriage

sherenreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

To cut it short, I‘m pretty sure a character in the book said “there’s no virtue in suffering” and that’s all you need to know about this book. 

If you however are a masochist, do go ahead and read the grossest 300 pages you’ll ever have read.

I wanted to quit at least twice. I’m sure you know the disturbing movies iceberg meme. This book belongs there somewhere in the middle. When I was done, I wanted to shower and scrub my eyes and brain in hopes that I can forget what I just read. I’m 99% sure my brain will push the memory of this book far away and if I’m lucky I’ll just forget most of it. 

It was so gross, and for what? I barely found meaning in it all. A little bit, yes, but the rest? It felt like a book that’s gross for the sake of being gross.

I read in another review that someone said maybe this was Moshfegh’s answer to critics who’ve criticized her because apparently everything she writes is meaningless and weird and gross and maybe this one was supposed to be a f*ck you to those critics. If that was her point, she did an amazing job. 

I wish I could talk to Moshfegh and ask her why, just why. I’d also love to look into her brain and find out what goes on in there and if she’s mentally alright.

This was also the first book by Moshfegh I’ve ever read, because they didn’t have my year of rest and relaxation available. I’m sure that’s on me.
I also wanted something spooky and weird for Halloween. This was so much worse. I wish I’d watched the exorcism or something instead. Funnily enough it reminded me of movies by people like von Trier and Vinterberg. Maybe I just didn’t understand it, I don’t know

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Animal cruelty, Death, Cannibalism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Rape, and Excrement

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Vomit, Slavery, and Religious bigotry

archivofrances's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Pregnancy, Torture, Abortion, Gore, Incest, Slavery, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death, Miscarriage, Murder, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Classism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

mnatale100's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Rape, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Abortion, Confinement, Excrement, Misogyny, and Pedophilia

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, and Incest

draculaspoolboy's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

And for what

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Ableism, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Fatphobia, Slavery, Classism, Excrement, Child death, Pedophilia, and Torture

Minor: Incest