Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Il mio anno di riposo e oblio

“I wanted to hold on to the house the way you'd hold on to a love letter. It was proof that I had not always been completely alone in this world. But I think I was also holding on to the loss, to the emptiness of the house itself, as though to affirm that it was better to be alone than to he stuck with people who were supposed to love you, yet couldn't.”

Content Warnings

samarakroeger's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad 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

1.5

let the record show that I HATED this book. And I generally like plotless books about sad, somewhat unlikeable women in their 20s...

This book was such a slog to get through, especially the middle. It truly put me to sleep better than any of the myriad of sleeping pills featured in (and weirdly endorsed by) this book and put me in a reading slump.

I got the sense that Ottessa Moshfegh was trying to make this book as provocative as possible (which it definitely was, I just don't really vibe with that approach). The casual racism, ableism, sexism, and homophobia served no purpose except to solidify my intense dislike for both Moshfegh and our vile, unfeeling narrator. I've never read a book before where I hated every single character with every fiber of my being. Reva did deserve a better friend despite her personal flaws.

The reason I gave this 1.5 stars instead of 1 is because Dr. Tuttle is so ridiculous and unhinged she became funny to me - i.e. "I've heard from several esteemed colleagues in Brazil that regular Infermiterol use can activate a profound tectonic displacement. Followed up with some filigree work using low doses of aspirin and astral projecting, it's proven to be quite effective in curing solipsistic terror...". After slogging through the 70 page middle chapter (ugh), the last two real chapters (can't count that cheap last paragraph) were alright (in comparison).

This was so incredibly privileged and pretentious and filled with so many triggers for mental illness I have no idea why people liked this book. I was even more disappointed in this book due to all the positive hype I'd seen about it, so I'd definitely recommend reading the trigger warnings and thinking about why you want to read this absurd, pointless book before you pick it up.

Content Warnings

marinarc's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

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

3.0

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nightfell's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

I'm numb.

I love how real and multifaceted the characters and relationships were, and the blunt rudeness and unfeeling nature of the protagonist.

There isn't a lot of plot in this book, it is essentially a character study. The protagonist was so removed from reality, so messy in her relationships with others, so unlike someone I could imagine meeting and yet I saw so much of herself in me that this book was oddly comforting. I like the softness of the ending, and Ottessa Moshfegh's writing.

The ending left a buzzing sound in the back of my head. It shocked me, yet it was oddly hopeful.

This book is either the best thing or the worst thing to read during a depressive episode. I know it comforted me, and I am grateful for it.

one of my favourite parts was when she shat in the art gallery. That scene now lives as a screenshot in my phone AMEN.

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