Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - My Year of Rest and Relaxation

Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

482 reviews

janineledet's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

A dive into the life of a troubled woman looking to hard-reset her life and outlook through medicated sleep. You watch her progress into full pill addiction and then turn herself back to her ultimate goal for self-preservation: sleep. Surprisingly hopeful ending and left me thoughtful on her journey.

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tezariah's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is a very complicated book and story. The main character who remains unnamed throughout the whole novel is extremely complicated. She is incredibly unlikeable and we are given no reason to like her as a person at all. However, from many reviews I have read and heard, there are people who want to like the main character to make up for the lack of plot. I think that’s understandable and also foolish. As readers, we aren’t supposed to love and idolize every character we read. Sometimes, we are supposed to dislike them but try and understand their story. At least, that’s my philosophy and what I presume to be true.

This novel is incredibly well written. This is my first read from Ottessa Moshfegh and I plan to read her other works.

I did love this character because of how real and relatable she was, and I’m not some white, rich, woman who lives in New York City or had some upperclass life with parents who seemed of high status or whatever. I am pretty much far below that bar and rank, but that doesn’t mean she should be erased and neglected from minds because she doesn’t have that relation, connection, or tie… she is relatable in the sense of having given up and wanting a fresh start and being so done with life. She was depressed and didn’t know how to manage and chose an option that seemed better to her and we read that play out.

I don’t think the purpose was to get us to sympathize, especially with how twisted, cruel, and menacing she was with her words and some of her actions, but we could sympathize and understand without liking her. I enjoyed that.

Considering a lot of reviews that I have read and heard, I do think this book is for a specific and small group of people, but I don’t exactly know that group.

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