This was one of the more insightful *negative* review. For the first half (or more) I wouldn’t even have guessed you didn’t enjoy it. In a good way. You focused on the themes and the content and less on your own personal reaction, which is the exact right way to do it (in my opinion). This isn’t a book I’m likely to pick up, but I loved the video, Alex. Fantastic 😊
aw shucks, Rick! Thanks for the kudos, I always find books I didn't like harder to describe. But yes stay away from this book!! Haha, I'd say read Elieen instead, though!
I just read this book in 2 days because I couldn't put it down; first Moshfegh book I've ever read and I'm happy to say, I suppose, that I absolutely and overwhelmingly loved it. I definitely appreciate your thoughts though, but kind of feel sad to see you advising people to stay away from it! However, as I noted, I haven't read any of her others. If she's capable of this than I guess it would be safe to assume she's capable of even better.
I agree with you. I literally also read it in two days. It''s like this part of me that I've ignored for so long was just out in the open. That frailty and oversightedness is so stark in the human experience, most people will read this book and not even understand how much of their "ambiguous" experiences are just the same as this novel.
Interesting review, like how you approached it. Some of the perceived inconsistency may be because it was written five years ago as therapy for the depression she fell into after publishing her short story collection. Then shoved it in a drawer. Having read everything she's published, believing her to be one of the few great writers of our time, I too found this disappointing & not the step forward I expected. Good video!
Really! I had no idea, that's very interesting context. I'll still read whatever Moshfegh puts out since I find her writing so hypnotizing. And thank you!
This is a really good review. I received this book for free from my favorite bookstore and started reading. After 30 pages I stopped to see if I’m the only one having problems with getting into the plot, but thankfully it’s not just me. Thank you for making this video, it saved me some time I would have lost if I chose to continue to struggle with it.
Great review! I agree with you 100%. I just finished it after about 9 months! Like you, a friend and I both started it at the same time and it quickly fell off both of our plates. I am a big fan of Ottessa and this book was a bit of a disappointment as nothing ever happens! The ending left me unsatisfied. Thank you for sharing your thoughts~!
i didnt care for this story either but the cover is GORGEOUS and fits everything that i wish this book had. the image of a womans face looks much clearer and full of substance when youre further away. but the closer you get the less clear it is. and the person in the water, watching and trying to figure out who magda is, but their every movement causes the image to be distorted. it's good. plus the colors are so strong. the realistic green of the background and world, contrasting with the very digital feeling blue. gives a great sense of unreality and how the image probably isnt even real to begin with.
Very interesting to hear your thoughts! I've mainly seen negative reviews of it so far, I've only read Rest & Relaxation so far so I'll probably hold out to read this one after getting to Eileen.
Thanks Natalie! Eileen is the clear champion of the two I'd say, yet I've heard some say that Death In Her Hands is more akin to My Year of Rest and Relaxation than Eileen, so it may be a wild card depending what you thought of MYoR&R!
I haven't read anything by Moshfegh yet but I keep hearing mixed to positive opinions on her books. More often than not, I'm disappointed by contemporary American fiction, but I might give her writing a chance at some point. Thanks for your review, Alex!
Such a shame you didn't love it, this is probably the only new release I'm really looking forward to. I'm first line to get it from my library so I will be reading it asap when it arrives!
Luckily the book still has that Moshfegh flair of being a consciously breezy read with attention to narrative, but just unfortunately didn't capture me. Hopefully it's the opposite for you!
I've read all of Moshfegh's other books and I'm really excited to read this one. Personally I think either 'McGlue' or some of her short stories from 'Homesick for another world' are her best works so far. Do you have a Goodreads page that we can follow you on, Alex?
As Miranda noted I do have Goodreads! Just my name. I actually have Homesick but haven't cracked it open yet, so hopefully I'll open myself up more to the collection!
I really liked My Year of Rest and McGlue but I’m a bit hesitant about reading Eileen, there’s something about the character that intensely repulses me, it might be silly of me not to read it... I’m going to add this new one to my tbr!
oh no you're absolutely right, she is quite repulsive haha. Somehow Moshfegh managed to turn my repulsion into intrigue throughout Eileen, hopefully whenever you get to it the same is said for you!
I haven't gotten to this one yet, even though I've had the ARC since January. I was putting it off to savor as a treat, but I've heard only middling to negative things about it, so now I'm putting it off to suspend my potential disappointment. I still think I need to read Eileen first anyway, and I have both of them here, so I might as well! I enjoyed hearing your thoughts, even though this book doesn't actually sound all that great.
Eileen is definitely the way to go I'd say, she's a really interesting character that has more distinct motivations in comparison to Vesta I'd say. I hope you like it!
I'm thinking about reading one of her previous novels, the My Year of Rest and Relaxation. They have a nice edition in Brazil. I'm wondering why there's no review of Patti Smith books in your channel. You seem like someone who would like her prose. Have you ever read anything by her? Loving the channel.
This felt like dark, cynical version of Miranda July's The First Bad Man. I loved that book a lot and was pretty lukewarm on this one. This one felt like a really immersive character piece in search of a plot. I just kept waiting for something real to happen?
I wasn't the biggest fan of my year of rest and relaxation. I still found myself excited for this new release, because I find her to be consistently interesting when seeing the general conceits of her novels. I'm almost done with Death in Her Hands, and it is a significant downgrade. The circular conjectures we are put through never feel like they break out of that loop. So many pages are dedicated to so little in a manner fairly removed of insight. It also is coincidentally so similar in many ways to Drive Your Plow Over the Bone of the Dead, and Tovarczuk does so much more when playing with standard crime narratives. Moshfegh's novel feels more aimless, feels more undone by its lack of consistent quality prose and, at least for me, a sense of tension that ebs and flows without deliberation. Sad.
yes exactly about the comparison to Drive Your Plow Over the Bones! I thought the exact same thing as I was reading. The aimlessness is certainly present in Moshfegh's prose, especially with the sense of tension you mention. I'll be curious how Moshfegh can pull herself out of this one with her next release
This was one of the more insightful *negative* review. For the first half (or more) I wouldn’t even have guessed you didn’t enjoy it. In a good way. You focused on the themes and the content and less on your own personal reaction, which is the exact right way to do it (in my opinion). This isn’t a book I’m likely to pick up, but I loved the video, Alex. Fantastic 😊
aw shucks, Rick! Thanks for the kudos, I always find books I didn't like harder to describe. But yes stay away from this book!! Haha, I'd say read Elieen instead, though!
I just read this book in 2 days because I couldn't put it down; first Moshfegh book I've ever read and I'm happy to say, I suppose, that I absolutely and overwhelmingly loved it. I definitely appreciate your thoughts though, but kind of feel sad to see you advising people to stay away from it! However, as I noted, I haven't read any of her others. If she's capable of this than I guess it would be safe to assume she's capable of even better.
I agree with you. I literally also read it in two days. It''s like this part of me that I've ignored for so long was just out in the open. That frailty and oversightedness is so stark in the human experience, most people will read this book and not even understand how much of their "ambiguous" experiences are just the same as this novel.
Interesting review, like how you approached it. Some of the perceived inconsistency may be because it was written five years ago as therapy for the depression she fell into after publishing her short story collection. Then shoved it in a drawer. Having read everything she's published, believing her to be one of the few great writers of our time, I too found this disappointing & not the step forward I expected. Good video!
Really! I had no idea, that's very interesting context. I'll still read whatever Moshfegh puts out since I find her writing so hypnotizing. And thank you!
Isn't it inconsistent on purpose? Because Magda is not well...
This is a really good review. I received this book for free from my favorite bookstore and started reading. After 30 pages I stopped to see if I’m the only one having problems with getting into the plot, but thankfully it’s not just me. Thank you for making this video, it saved me some time I would have lost if I chose to continue to struggle with it.
This short book kept my full interest. Totally related with retiring in a remote area. Dark, but some parts I found really funny (the onesie).
Great review! I agree with you 100%. I just finished it after about 9 months! Like you, a friend and I both started it at the same time and it quickly fell off both of our plates.
I am a big fan of Ottessa and this book was a bit of a disappointment as nothing ever happens! The ending left me unsatisfied.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts~!
Thank you! Have you heard about her new cultish/witchy book coming out? I'm a little skeptical but nonetheless curious what she'll do with it!
i didnt care for this story either but the cover is GORGEOUS and fits everything that i wish this book had. the image of a womans face looks much clearer and full of substance when youre further away. but the closer you get the less clear it is. and the person in the water, watching and trying to figure out who magda is, but their every movement causes the image to be distorted. it's good. plus the colors are so strong. the realistic green of the background and world, contrasting with the very digital feeling blue. gives a great sense of unreality and how the image probably isnt even real to begin with.
Very interesting to hear your thoughts! I've mainly seen negative reviews of it so far, I've only read Rest & Relaxation so far so I'll probably hold out to read this one after getting to Eileen.
Thanks Natalie! Eileen is the clear champion of the two I'd say, yet I've heard some say that Death In Her Hands is more akin to My Year of Rest and Relaxation than Eileen, so it may be a wild card depending what you thought of MYoR&R!
I haven't read anything by Moshfegh yet but I keep hearing mixed to positive opinions on her books. More often than not, I'm disappointed by contemporary American fiction, but I might give her writing a chance at some point. Thanks for your review, Alex!
hmmm normally I'd say start with Eileen but I'd be curious on your thoughts on My Year of Rest and Relaxation! Thanks Juan : )
Such a shame you didn't love it, this is probably the only new release I'm really looking forward to. I'm first line to get it from my library so I will be reading it asap when it arrives!
Luckily the book still has that Moshfegh flair of being a consciously breezy read with attention to narrative, but just unfortunately didn't capture me. Hopefully it's the opposite for you!
Great review, as always!! Haven’t read this author yet, but she always sounds interesting.
Oh phew you'd have a field day with both Eileen and/or My Year of Rest and Relaxation I'd say, Juan!
I've read all of Moshfegh's other books and I'm really excited to read this one. Personally I think either 'McGlue' or some of her short stories from 'Homesick for another world' are her best works so far.
Do you have a Goodreads page that we can follow you on, Alex?
It’s Alex Simms
As Miranda noted I do have Goodreads! Just my name. I actually have Homesick but haven't cracked it open yet, so hopefully I'll open myself up more to the collection!
I really liked My Year of Rest and McGlue but I’m a bit hesitant about reading Eileen, there’s something about the character that intensely repulses me, it might be silly of me not to read it... I’m going to add this new one to my tbr!
oh no you're absolutely right, she is quite repulsive haha. Somehow Moshfegh managed to turn my repulsion into intrigue throughout Eileen, hopefully whenever you get to it the same is said for you!
I haven't gotten to this one yet, even though I've had the ARC since January. I was putting it off to savor as a treat, but I've heard only middling to negative things about it, so now I'm putting it off to suspend my potential disappointment. I still think I need to read Eileen first anyway, and I have both of them here, so I might as well! I enjoyed hearing your thoughts, even though this book doesn't actually sound all that great.
Eileen is definitely the way to go I'd say, she's a really interesting character that has more distinct motivations in comparison to Vesta I'd say. I hope you like it!
I didn't love this book, but I do plan on reading more Moshfegh. Great review!
Thank you! I consider this one at the bottom of the totem pole so hopefully you'll like her other works!
I'm thinking about reading one of her previous novels, the My Year of Rest and Relaxation. They have a nice edition in Brazil. I'm wondering why there's no review of Patti Smith books in your channel. You seem like someone who would like her prose. Have you ever read anything by her? Loving the channel.
I've read Just Kids! One of my first books that got me into reading more in my early twenties. Thanks for the kind words about my channel! : )
This felt like dark, cynical version of Miranda July's The First Bad Man. I loved that book a lot and was pretty lukewarm on this one. This one felt like a really immersive character piece in search of a plot. I just kept waiting for something real to happen?
This one was certainly my least favorite Moshfegh book, I've yet to read McGlue, but I did enjoy it.
I wasn't the biggest fan of my year of rest and relaxation. I still found myself excited for this new release, because I find her to be consistently interesting when seeing the general conceits of her novels. I'm almost done with Death in Her Hands, and it is a significant downgrade. The circular conjectures we are put through never feel like they break out of that loop. So many pages are dedicated to so little in a manner fairly removed of insight. It also is coincidentally so similar in many ways to Drive Your Plow Over the Bone of the Dead, and Tovarczuk does so much more when playing with standard crime narratives. Moshfegh's novel feels more aimless, feels more undone by its lack of consistent quality prose and, at least for me, a sense of tension that ebs and flows without deliberation. Sad.
yes exactly about the comparison to Drive Your Plow Over the Bones! I thought the exact same thing as I was reading. The aimlessness is certainly present in Moshfegh's prose, especially with the sense of tension you mention. I'll be curious how Moshfegh can pull herself out of this one with her next release
Read this one today. Didn’t like it at all. I like some of her other work though.
I was also disappointed with this one.