Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

162 reviews

whitelotusreads's review

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

The depravity never stops. Still a decent read, but I reckon I wouldn’t read this ever again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Vomit, Excrement, Body horror, Bullying, Ableism, Blood, Gore, Cannibalism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Incest, and Rape

Moderate: Abortion and Pedophilia

Minor: Child death

radiant_radish's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Cannibalism, Sexual assault, Child death, Classism, Death, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Torture, Rape, and Pedophilia

vvabecca's review against another edition

dark sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Grief, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

archer3's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Vile, disgusting, perverse, and extremely grotesque. Certain passages made me physically recoil. Yet, somehow, I loved the story. It was very well-written and I couldn't stop reading. I loved the third person narration that gave insight into the intricacies of so many different characters. I absolutely hated the main characters, and didn't care about the other ones in the slightest, but that was definitely the point. Going back and forth between so many characters and reading their views and personal opinions on each other didn't leave enough time to start liking any of them anyway, and it was genuinely great and so cool to read. Seeing their varying beliefs and conflicting viewpoints was fascinating and gave the story so much more depth and complexity. The subtle message about how differing perspectives alter perceptions, beliefs, and circumstances was striking. 
Some plot points were really not wrapped up well, though.

What on earth was up with Ina taking the horse's eyes?? That felt like very sloppy writing, it just didn't make sense. It seemed it only happened for the shock value. I would've liked there to be a passage about what happened to Dibra. I also didn't enjoy how Jude faded out of the story and then was randomly brought back to replace Luka. I wish that whole situation could've been explained better (like how they even found his cave, for example).

But on the other hand, there were some plot points that I actually really loved and thought were developed perfectly (

such as Marek's biological father being the bandit he kissed at the beginning

). 
I did not find this book predictable at all, and I loved it. Definitely not for everyone, though. (Don't read it if you have a weak stomach...)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Gore, Murder, Abortion, Cannibalism, Child death, Pedophilia, Death, Incest, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, and Miscarriage

gloebugg's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I throughly enjoyed this book, although it is dark and twisted and all of the characters are really awful people. The story is engaging and I couldn't put it down!
I felt like it was Game of Thrones in setting and topics, with the mysticism of Pans Labyrinth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Child abuse, Gore, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Rape, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Animal death, Grief, Incest, Infidelity, and Vomit

gabburrit0's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

2.5

this book (like the other books I've read by Moshfegh) leave me with the same feelings of confusion and uncomfortability.

why was there so much child abuse mentioned throughout the story? on multiple, absolutely awful levels? was this book a criticism of the human condition at it's very worst? was Villiam a satirical presentation of those in power? what was Ina's whole deal? and why was Marek the central character that we kept going back to?

also what the hell even was Marek's purpose throughout the whole book besides being beaten and made fun of and then eventually a murderer?

not really my cup of tea but I can say that I gave Moshfegh another shot

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Murder, Child abuse, Self harm, Rape, Physical abuse, Death, Child death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

haunted_klaus's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Incest, Child abuse, Suicide, Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Child death, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Cannibalism, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Excrement, and Blood

venusinlove's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.25

that sure was a wild reading experience. i don't think i liked the story all that much hence I'm not really a medieval kind of girlie but the writing itself was immaculate! her way with words is so fascinating and it very much reminded me of Madeline Miller's writing style.

in Lapvona there were so many elements of horror and disgust, so i would advise people not to start this book before checking out the trigger warnings because it is a lot to get through. i don't think i was that shocked to read the more gore-y parts of the story rather than the behavior of the many different characters. there was not a single one that stood out with any positive characteristic to me. however, that didn't make the book bad? usually it would throw me off since i very much so rely on the characters because they are usually the builders of the story, but in this one, i liked it a lot as it was. no complaints there.

i loved how the story was a mix of body horror but also delusion between its characters. it gave off a sense of dark comedy in a way. i'll also say that regarding the story i am willing to excuse (view spoiler) but only in this one instance.

all in all this book was a maze in which every corner made you feel either disturbed, shocked or a bit frightened. it was great!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Cannibalism, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Animal death, Incest, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Abortion, Rape, Child abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Death, Physical abuse, Gore, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Self harm, and Torture

ameya's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Murder, Cannibalism, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Body horror, Rape, Religious bigotry, Blood, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Abortion and Pregnancy

Minor: Incest

ramreadsagain's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

I really enjoyed this but also struggling to put into words why.

It definitely feels like a pandemic novel, as we see the undeserving rich living in largely oblivious luxury while the poor starve, die, and are driven to insanity by the drought. Though the setting is medieval, a lot of modern human behaviour is laid out here: the rich playing with people's lives for amusement, resource shortage artificially created in order to ensure obedience, religion and faith used as tools to impose suffering on the masses, by people who do not even believe in a God, and how these come together to prop up the capitalist system. 

The book is incredibly atmospheric and I read it in three sittings, the writing style pulled me in and the characters are so awful you can't look away. 

There is a lot that goes without explanation particularly revolving around the village "witch" Ina. I enjoyed parts of this mystery, with some other aspects frustrating me with their vagueness. I also felt like the ending fizzled out a bit, whereas I was expecting a big crescendo. 

This has been my first Moshfegh read and I'm really excited to delve into her other novels. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Animal death, Death, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Vomit, and Rape

Moderate: Abortion, Blood, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, and Body horror