Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

72 reviews

toujours753's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

approx37bugz's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

kind of disgusting in a "car crash you can't look away from" kind of way 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Incest, Rape, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

theraindiary's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

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

isabelamaro's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-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

3.0

I found the book to be very dark and quite upsetting personally. There are numerous scenes depicting abuse, neglect, and even rape. While I acknowledge that it is well-written and an overall commendable work of dark fiction, one must appreciate the style to truly enjoy it. Unfortunately, it does not align with my personal taste, and it's not a book I would choose to read again. It doesn't evoke a positive feeling upon completion. On the flip side, there is intriguing character development for the main character, Marek.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

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

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

mediocrity_is_expected's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal death

eemily's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Infertility, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

cwiita's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

Well, after marking My Year Of Rest and Relaxation as my only DNF ever, I managed to make it through this one. I purchased this book before I started MYORAR, before I had any idea how much I would struggle with Otessa Moshfegh. I find her to be a difficult read, not for lack of skill or quality, but for the simple fact that she seems to have an ongoing problem with fatphobia and ableism, among other things.  I discussed my initial problems with MYORAR with a friend who has read most of Moshfegh's work, and the consensus was that her stories relay very similar views each time and that her characters tend to be the same type of people across the board. I am a big fan of unreliable narrators and I appreciate the challenge of crafting a story around difficult characters, but to do it unrelentingly in every book while consistently implying hateful messages is tough for me to get behind.
With that being said, I blew through Lapvona. This book is absolutely vile, but incredibly readable when it comes to pacing and language. It was also much easier to tolerate the actions and views of the characters knowing that the events were taking place under a feudal system in medieval times. Moshfegh did a wonderful job of characterization, for better or for worse. The plot is somehow both ceaseless and unrecognizable. It's an infinite circle of pointless suffering, but maybe that's the point.  In an uncanny way, there was something enjoyable about this read. Since I already own MYORAR, this piece almost convinced me to give it another try. Almost.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

historybabe's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

3.0

Where do I even begin..... Honestly, I have never had to put down a book so many times in my life. I was shocked by the sheer depravity within its pages. If you can imagine a sin, it is in this novel. If you want to be sick to your stomach by all means, read it. I'm going to go take a hot bath in bleach and read my Bible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail