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A review by ka4t
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
challenging
dark
reflective
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
This was a tough read. The main character has no empathy and she doesn’t develop any by the end of the book. It was fun to pick through the glimpses she gives of her past. It helped me to understand why she is the was she is. I honestly thinks if she were less passive and self-interested she could be a serial killer (the fake confession about her mom was oddly believable).
Sleeping for a year is not a realistic option for most people, and this book shows it doesn’t work for those who can do it. To me, the “clarity” she gained by the end felt temporary. Nothing about her really changed. Yes, she’s more positive and sober, but she’s still manipulative, close-minded, and narcissistic. Plus, she’s more alone than ever. I finished the book with the feeling that she’d wind up doing the whole thing again in a few years. Hopefully this time she’ll actually get a cut from the art she inspires. I know she doesn’t need it, but she should have at least gotten credit. She said she wanted to be an artist. Maybe next time she can call it performance art, sleep in an exhibit, and charge for admission.
Also Reva is lowkey my hero. Obviously, she’s not the best person, but you have to admire how she made a rich friend, got all her clothes for free, and then dipped. RIP to a legend.
Sleeping for a year is not a realistic option for most people, and this book shows it doesn’t work for those who can do it. To me, the “clarity” she gained by the end felt temporary. Nothing about her really changed. Yes, she’s more positive and sober, but she’s still manipulative, close-minded, and narcissistic. Plus, she’s more alone than ever. I finished the book with the feeling that she’d wind up doing the whole thing again in a few years. Hopefully this time she’ll actually get a cut from the art she inspires. I know she doesn’t need it, but she should have at least gotten credit. She said she wanted to be an artist. Maybe next time she can call it performance art, sleep in an exhibit, and charge for admission.
Also Reva is lowkey my hero. Obviously, she’s not the best person, but you have to admire how she made a rich friend, got all her clothes for free, and then dipped. RIP to a legend.