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A review by ada_elisabeth
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
*PSA-- this is not a healthy way to live. You WILL die if you take that many medications at once.*
Hmm...
This book was really gosh darn good. It was such an interesting examination of love, friendship, and femininity with great commentary on mental health, art, and privilege. There were a lot of hot takes in this book, and I was here for all of them.
It felt like a mashup between The Catcher in the Rye and The Bell Jar, which might make it one of the best pieces of fiction ever written. It follows a wealthy and privileged but depressed young woman as she attempts to sleep for a year. It was brilliant, witty, and incredibly funny at times. Anyone looking for well-written, engaging prose would find this book satisfactory.
That being said, it was veering on annoying. If I didn't like it, I would've hated it. It's like that one friend everyone has who is effortlessly pretty, kind, and good at everything, but doesn't seem to recognize how lucky they are. The main character is bratty and self-centered, which was a very purposeful decision, but it can become exhausting nonetheless.
I found a few things to be particularly interesting:
- The narrator's name is never revealed. I found this to be similar to books that don't mention a specific time period or location-- it makes the book more readable and it allows readers to connect more. I don't think anything would have been taken away from the story had the main character had a name, but I do think the lack of a moniker really added something to it.
- Interesting how her [narrator's] mother died from combining alcohol and sleep medications and all she wants is more sedatives.
- I wasn't expecting this book to be so sad-- girlie is seriously traumatized and needs a better therapist to help her process her very tragic life.
- Books always have such extreme takes on mental health. This book is interesting compared to others I've read recently: it is undeniably focused on mental health, but it doesn't have a direct approach to it, like Girl in Pieces does and it while it's the central part of the story, it's not explored in great depth. The narrator's reaction to her past experiences is almost the opposite of that in A Little Life. This book was especially interesting to read in the context of A Little Life.
- I could see that ending coming from a mile away. That was my only complaint with the book and the reason why it's getting 4.5/5 stars. The ending felt rushed and unnecessary. And it was so predictable.
All I can say is that I will definitely be reading more of Moshfegh's writing in the future.
Hmm...
This book was really gosh darn good. It was such an interesting examination of love, friendship, and femininity with great commentary on mental health, art, and privilege. There were a lot of hot takes in this book, and I was here for all of them.
It felt like a mashup between The Catcher in the Rye and The Bell Jar, which might make it one of the best pieces of fiction ever written. It follows a wealthy and privileged but depressed young woman as she attempts to sleep for a year. It was brilliant, witty, and incredibly funny at times. Anyone looking for well-written, engaging prose would find this book satisfactory.
That being said, it was veering on annoying. If I didn't like it, I would've hated it. It's like that one friend everyone has who is effortlessly pretty, kind, and good at everything, but doesn't seem to recognize how lucky they are. The main character is bratty and self-centered, which was a very purposeful decision, but it can become exhausting nonetheless.
I found a few things to be particularly interesting:
- The narrator's name is never revealed. I found this to be similar to books that don't mention a specific time period or location-- it makes the book more readable and it allows readers to connect more. I don't think anything would have been taken away from the story had the main character had a name, but I do think the lack of a moniker really added something to it.
- Interesting how her [narrator's] mother died from combining alcohol and sleep medications and all she wants is more sedatives.
- I wasn't expecting this book to be so sad-- girlie is seriously traumatized and needs a better therapist to help her process her very tragic life.
- Books always have such extreme takes on mental health. This book is interesting compared to others I've read recently: it is undeniably focused on mental health, but it doesn't have a direct approach to it, like Girl in Pieces does and it while it's the central part of the story, it's not explored in great depth. The narrator's reaction to her past experiences is almost the opposite of that in A Little Life. This book was especially interesting to read in the context of A Little Life.
- I could see that ending coming from a mile away. That was my only complaint with the book and the reason why it's getting 4.5/5 stars. The ending felt rushed and unnecessary. And it was so predictable.
All I can say is that I will definitely be reading more of Moshfegh's writing in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Animal death