Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

66 reviews

daydreamsofareader's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, and Abortion

margozaldivar's review against another edition

dark funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Ottessa Moshfegh continuously surprises her readers with the way she can be subversive, writing about the most unorthodox themes– whether it be about the self-destructive ways a woman practices to get through life in the early 2000s, or the intricacies of human behavior explored through a medieval fiefdom. In many ways, she constantly challenges literary norms with “novels that live in an amoral universe, past the political agenda described on social media” (Bookforum, June 2021).

Grotesque and raw, with an accurate portrayal of religious hypocrisy, Lapvona is a musing on the human condition. There is no plot. The novel is character-driven, which— at this point— is what is so special about Moshfegh’s books. You get to delve into the mind of the persona without a harness. As for the setting, the imagery of what happens in the fiefdom stays with the reader. There is no middle ground. Some scenes are funny, demoralizing, and unsettling all at once. In spite of the age-old themes, the novel is a new take on bigotry and how it brings out the ugliest parts in humans, especially when they are starved of love. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Incest, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

Moderate: Body shaming

kirareads02's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

4.25

This book was so weird and disgusting but I couldn't stop listening to it. There wad no real sense of plot or movement really it was basically a year in lapvona. 

I don't know what I expected from the ending but it was very fitting. 

Just a weird story and I loved it 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

this__nerd'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

3.0

I’ll admit that part of my rating is that I don’t think I “got” the book. This book is just a series of bad things happening to bad people and everyone blaming it on each other and/or god. It did manage to be an effective critique of toxic religious culture and exploitive wealth while also being extremely uncomfortable to read. Major trigger warnings on this one

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

nixieba25f's review against another edition

dark 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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

porporina's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective sad fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

racl's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

2.0

It meanders and feels less a story with a plot than an examination of the community it focuses on for a year. There are moments of death and horror but they don't have a purpose in the larger picture that I found. There's no growth, just repetition, and while that itself can be an interesting story, it's too scattered to leave an impact in this case.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Abortion, and Death of parent

Minor: Incest and Miscarriage

quiltsandtealibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Loved this book. Fucking wild as hell, but good. Not for everyone & not an easy read (emotionally) but it’s so well written it is an easy read? If that makes sense? 

Longer review:
Lapvona is nothing like anything I have ever read before. The book is disturbing, distorted, unsettling, & most of all very distressing for the most part. There is no chapters, just Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, & Spring again as we follow the story of the people of Lapvona through multiple POVs. Lapvona is a self aware story of the evilness of humans, how it’s shaped & how it’s created, greed & society. The book explores religious beliefs & traumas, daring to ask “if the creator is so great, then why has this happened?” 

I couldn’t put Lapvona down & read it in one sitting. There’s so much, yet so little to understand. It is a well written book that is hard to read at times. I do not recommend going into Lapvona blind & to maybe even spoil yourself for certain scenes to prepare yourself.

There is a way motherhood, childhood, coming of age/self discovery, & parental care that is explored in this book & shown in this book that will haunt me for the rest of my life. 

I don’t know if there will ever be another book like Lapvona, but I am eager to read more from Ottessa Moshfegh

5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Abortion, and Alcohol

Minor: Incest and Pregnancy

This book is,,,,,something. Please maybe read some spoilers or just be prepared with the warnings i provided. This book just explores like everything grim & awful of the nature of humans. It frames all these ugly, evil things as bad so it gave me some peace of mind while reading it. But it’s??? Something

erenreads's review

dark emotional reflective 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

3.75

this definitely was one of the books i’ve read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Excrement, and Classism

Minor: Miscarriage

soswiin's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.75

i wanted a medieval version of my year of rest and relaxation and i got the most disgusting book i’ve ever read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Death, Gore, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, and Pedophilia