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A review by strgzng
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

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

4.0

Extremely grating characters that make you wonder if anyone like this truly exists in real life. That did not take away from the book for me as I can appreciate shitty people as main characters. Transactional relationships galore. Yes the main character is entitled, whiny and out-of-touch, but it's funny. I did not appreciate the mild antisemitism and fatphobia toward the main character's 'best friend'. The characters' actions and mannerisms were expressively written and fun to imagine playing out, though. I quite liked the therapist scenes and found her quirks hilarious. I was disappointed in the ending and character 'arcs', no semblance of any real character growth. But perhaps that is a better perspective on addiction and apathetic narcissistic depression anyway, especially with this being a dark comedy.
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