ren sparks
this was a little confusing to read because of so many characters, POVs, political plots, and jumps in the timeline. also the characters felt a little bland so it was hard to care about the main plot. so while it was meant to be mysterious and thrilling, I was just bored. the writing itself did kind of save it for me. there were several quotes and feelings expressed through the main character's POV that resonated with me so I appreciated that for sure. maybe this plot just wasn't for me.
I can't rate this book.
I am revolted by the subject matter. the tone was so callous and disturbing. I found it very hard to read but at the same time couldn't stop because the author did an amazing job of maintaining such a captivating narrative through the unsettling plot.
however, I can't really tell what point the author was trying to make. sure, there were some interesting theming about the judicial system and victim blaming that inevitability happens in situations like these. BUT was it enough to make me believe that was the author's true intention in writing this? not really no.
in my opinion, it gave more “shock value” than anything and I don't necessarily gain anything from that in books personally. I feel like if you are crossing the lines that this book crosses, there needs to be a point and to me there just isn't a point valid enough to justify the absurdity.
so while I think the author is talented (and bold for even writing this) I wouldn't recommend this to literally anyone.
pretty much just vile people doing vile things for the sake of being vile, but thats Ottessa Moshfegh for you.
on a real note though, the vibes in the first half CARRIED. I'm not sure why but I kinda got disinterested in the second half, so that's why I bumped it down to 3.5 stars. still love ya though Ottessa you brilliantly sick woman.
why did they insist on giving everyone a nickname in this town....???
anyways, loved demon. i just imagined him being the cutest little boy ever and i felt so connected to him from the start. i think this could've been a 5 stars if it was structured differently because it had its moments where really nothing was being added to the story and it got a little boring/repetitive. still though i did really enjoy it.
everyone seems to love this book and i just don't.... get it.
i love a good “no plot, just vibes” type of book. but not like this. you have to give SOMETHING. whether that's captivating character studies, lyrical writing, fascinating subject matter, or LITERALLY anything that this did not have.
for me, this needed more to balance out the fact that it is just people talking about nothing, and believe me they don't stop talking. back to back to back “he said”, “she said”, “they said”, “the woman said”, “the man said”, “Maria said”, “Carter said”, “Helene said”, “BZ said”, “Jeanelle said”, “Ivan Costello said”, “Freddy Chaikin said”, “Susannah Wood said”, “the boy at the gate to the bathhouse said”. like OKAY can we please switch it up maybe just once to give a little variety so I don't fall asleep for the 3rd day in a row while trying to read???????? the characters were insufferable and lacked dimension, and the writing was boring and frankly hard to follow because of the lack of nuance and the NAME DROPPING of like thousands of random people. this book is tired. idk how else to explain it.
all of that being said, I will probably read Didion's nonfiction works since I have heard great things and maybe her fiction just isn't my thing.
I've been trying to think of what to say about this book for an entire day. it's been difficult to even find the words honestly. the two words that come easy are “tragic” and “beautiful”. this story is about love and hate, family and isolation, creativity and destruction, stealing and giving, living and dying. the way it was written is unlike anything I've ever read in the best way possible. you can just feel how much care went into writing it and making it the work of art that it is. all of the characters felt so real and that made it really hard to read at some points. I think the narration device used was so powerful but also heartbreaking. I think it's best to go in as blind as possible when reading this, so all I will say is I think this has got to be one of my all-time favorite books. the story itself and all of the perspective you get from it are so, so important and I think every one should read it.
here's some of my favorite quotes;
“I've seen so many young men over the years who think they're running at other young men. They are not. They're running at me.”
“I carried them in my fingers, like suitcases. Or I'd throw them over my shoulder. It was only the children I carried in my arms...But it's hard to keep them warm when the souls still shiver.”
“I have hated the words and I have loved them, and hope I have made them right.”
“You taught me to read. No one can play like you. I'll never drink champagne. No one can play like you.”
I want to give credit to Native Lady Book Warrior on Youtube. after reading this, I felt as a white person I could definitely use some perspective on this story and all of its details rather than just reviewing it in a very surface level way. her video recap and review was great and it really gave me more appreciation for the book as a whole. her video: https://youtu.be/OR_tYYGDrKQ
“Night means darkness, darkness means introspection, introspection dredges up all kinds of monsters and my god, do those bastards keep us busy until dawn.”
“I was never ambitious, but I was practical. As a kid, I pretty much lived in the library. I read voraciously, because words on a page felt committed in a way words said out loud were not”
“I never asked for this. I have never claimed to be special; I only want my life to be normal, easy. A world I can face each day without being overwhelmed with anxiety.”
“And then I wake up and this, this is what happened.
And then I wake up.
And then.”