Homesick for Another World

After almost four decades of being an avid reader, I have to admit I am really, really hard to shock or impress. This is the second time Moshfegh has made me feel.....well, voyeuristic and disturbed and surprised and in awe. It's unsettling! It's upsetting! We need more of this in this world, now.

I feel like Moshfegh shook me awake. Her message is “We are NOT special snowflakes, in fact, we are quite gross and barely deserve to exist”. How refreshing.

Don't misunderstand, Moshfegh is not gross for the sake of shock. I would never compare her to Katherine Dunn (who just makes me feel dirty inside and like I want to vomit). She is telling stories of people who could actually (probably) exist. People you would sneer at on the street and think (Ew, how does she live with herself? All while simultaneously praying that you yourself had nothing in common with them).

There was only one story that pushed me to put the collection down and go take a breath, because it is something that hit me so hard morally.

While the collection is a solid 5 stars, here are the stories I know I will be talking to people about for years to come. So, for my own reference:
Bettering Myself
A Dark and Winding Road
Slumming (OMG)
Nothing Ever Happens Here
A Better Place