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

dark emotional funny reflective tense 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

4.5

“Sodium”: salt, white, clouds, gauze, silt, sand, sky, lark, string, kitten, claws, wound, iron, omega.
“Lauryl”: Shakespeare, Ophelia, Millais, pain, stained glass, rectory, butt plug, feelings, pigpen, snake eyes, hot poker.
“Sulfate”: Satan, acid, Lyme, dunes, dwellings, hunchbacks, hybrids, samurais, suffragettes, mazes.
quite possibly one of the literally coolest books available on planet earth. who doesn't just want to take a year off? and not die, necessarily, but sleep? ottessa nails this. really fascinating take on the hero's journey, where really all the protagonist does is pop pills and pass out, effectively falling deeper down the rabbit hole of drug abuse. a thoughtful perspective of grief and trauma - and my favourite, an unlikable, relatable bitch of a narrator.

the memories of her parents were so spectacularly done. the passage in particular about the week leading up to the day of her father passing made me a bit queasy, because that was nearly exactly the experience i had with my own. prose was poetic and tactile. also love-hated the doctor.

some questionable moments, but nothing i think too shocking for anyone who's familiar with this author. so glad this is what i've kicked off 2024 with.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings