Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh / Review 

This was my first Moshfegh book and I loved it. Maybe I’m creepy but it was a nice change to read something dark, away from typical fairytales. She’s gained a new reader and I’m here for her twisted writing 👏🏻😀

How sweet that you made the connection between Moshfegh and John Waters, there was a live conversation between the two here in NY at the launch of Lapvona. They talked at length about how they like to highlight the ugly parts of human nature.

Grimm for Grownups? Dark ages, indeed. Gruesomely fascinating and truly compelling. What inner strength it must take to write this! I'm glad that she wrote it and I got to read it (a worthwhile investment requiring far less time and immersion on my part). Her books wake me up (sometimes as if mid-nightmare). I am grateful that she has shared her vivid imagination in her work. I understand why some say 'Ew, gross' but I'm more inclined toward 'brava' for encouraging people to feel and thus to re-think.

I read My Year of Rest and Relaxation and enjoyed it which almost felt like a dirty secret based on the reviews. I'm going to pick this one up per your recommendation! Thanks so much for your videos! Love listening to your opinions and enjoy your recs.

I just bought this book yesterday and I am soooo excited to read it. I always respect your opinions and I figured I would stop by your channel and see what you had to say about it. I loved the review and I am even more excited to dive into it. Right now I am reading Shuggie Bain and it's one of my all time favorites. I saw that book on your channel too! You have impeccable taste, sir.

Really great review, Eric! I struggled with this one, but likewise found a lot of humor in the absurdity of the grotesque. I really liked your thoughts on the philosophical morals of the books. If nothing else, she's definitely written a book that has started many many conversations.

How interesting! Your intro cracked me up! Our tendencies to act out of self-interest is such a fascinating topic that goes back to our very biology and survival instincts...I think about this all the time; so while the beginning of your review had me thinking I don't need to read this novel...by the end I'm wondering if I should pick it up after all! for things like climate change it is a matter of convincing people to step back from their day-to-day self-interest and think about self-interest in a more long-term way, which seems impossible. Anyway, great review, thank you!

Eric, the parallels you draw between LAPVONA and DESPERATE LIVING may be worth digging into. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Moshfegh watched the movie, was even inspired by it. She’s pulled in pop culture strands before, as in EILEEN. Very creative insight on your part. I’m enjoying your video posts. Wonderful work.

You do a superb job of talking about the book without spoiling anything but still analyzing and critiquing the book with enough details! I will definitely be reading this book.

I read my year of rest and relaxation in one day and it’s terribly incredible but since then I didn’t pick anything else from the author. Idk why people get offended by her writing I think it’s brilliant

I’ve almost finished Lapvona. To say I’m enjoying it might be a little bit of a stretch, but it’s overt bizarreness is strangely mesmeric. It almost reads like a parable, or perhaps a fairy tale. I found it impossible not to draw parallels between the story, and the current state of the world. I’m reading Lapvona alongside Anna Karenina, and the bleak sparseness of it is an interesting contrast to the lush opulence (both in prose and in subject matter) of AK.

Eric, I appreciate that you are always willing to give a book the benefit of the doubt. Moshfegh’s strong writing carried me through Lapvona but I was ultimately disappointed by its general misanthropy. I will be discussing it with a group next week and look forward to more thoughts about it.

After I finished it I was so confused and grossed out… but I loved it 🤷🏻‍♂️

I loved it. Entirely depraved but the humor!!! Kept picturing the king as Mel Brooks in one of his long lost movies ❤️

I was unaware of this author but have now ordered Eileen. Sounds intriguing.

thank you! your review and insights helped me in exploring its themes and plot!

The video popped up as I hit twenty pages until the end of the book, so I quickly finished so I could get a real time reaction from you! I haven’t read anything from her before, but I just came from reading Chouette, so they seem very much of the same milieu in their weirdness. All in all, it’s was intriguing and I see it as somewhat an adult Disney animated cartoon. From the first I saw Villiam as the squat king from Shrek, and Marek as a Quasimodo like character and the faux Middle Ages of both of those works as our setting. I was entertained, but far from grossed out, I’m a bit surprised by the squeamishness of reviewers. I guess I’m reading much darker and disturbing things elsewhere, so none of that fazed me and I found it more humorous, in a cartoony way again, than anything. I think it was kind of a palette cleanser from much of the other stuff I’ve been consuming and a much needed literary break. Basically a relief and memorable in its difference, neither a great work, nor exactly worthy of the dragging or outrage the reviewers have presented it as such.

NOW I want to read it. Thanks, Eric.

I’ve just finished it and it was one of the best books I’ve ever read! Also, how did you manage to read this in 3 HOURS?! I loved your video tho!

I just finished this before I watched your video. I know people love her and I've never really tried her. I enjoy really dark, depraved books (not always of course) but I think because people and love her AND because they were saying it was so dark I had high expectations. Ultimately I didn't like it. I don't know if this makes sense but while I felt there were dark elements, the book wasn't dark. The tone didn't feel particularly awful, and so the moments of depravity felt isolated and like you mentioned deeply absurd. I think part of my reasoning for this was because even though many of the villagers approached religion in such a self involved dark way it was something for them to live with. It gave them something.

I bought the book a couple weeks ago but Otessa's story did not work for me. It is probably because it is the middle of the summer and I like something lighter. My reading choices really go with the season. However, I have not completely given up on Otessa's work. I simply put it back on my TBR and plan to read it sometime in the Fall. She is is an incredible writer and really enjoyed My Year of Rest and Relaxation.

I loved it. My first Moshfegh book. I happened to sit down to a bowl of pho when I got to the grape scene. I had to read fast to get over it because I didn’t want to waste my noodles. 😂😂😂

I read Eileen and her book of short stories. Maybe one day we’ll look back and understand what she is trying to do but I always find her to be as extreme as possible. It’s too much and pretty tedious after a while.

I don't really feel like reading this one, even though I loved 'my year of rest and relaxation' and 'death in her hands' (I think that's what it was called). 'Eileen' I wasn't overly impressed with, but I was most disappointed with her collection of short stories, 'homesick for another world', which seemed to me to be mainly about the shock value. I fear this one would make the same impression on me.

Well…. I had decided not to read it based on several reviews I’d read. But yours actually makes me feel challenged to try it. It seems to have a bit of a car wreck/can’t look away quality that could be interesting to experience. Or not. I will have to think it over. Great review though. Thank you!

My second DNF from Moshfegh in a row. I can’t imagine ever picking up anything from her again. Just not my thing

I always love your reviews! I gave this a try and found her writing compelling... but I really didn't get on with the story and ended up setting it aside. I don't mind complicated characters and disturbing, gritty scenes - but this felt gratuitous and self-indulgently grim without enough balancing context for me. Perhaps if I had finished it I would have recognized a brilliant point, but life right now is grim and disturbing enough - I don't need to wallow in those feelings while reading.

I've noticed that image of the Lamb of God the lamb awaiting slaughter being used a lot lately on social media, especially in death metal music and videos about murder and mayhem and of course Satanism and general chaos, with which RU-vid and Instagram are rife. But I've never heard of this book already you have my attention and of only seen your thumbnail! That being said I know your voice and it always warrants attention

Thought it was great, the whole summer section with the drought was so well done it was almost apocalyptic

I couldn’t help but be entertained by this book. I think the style and comedy parallels Hulus’s comedy series “The Great”.

Will definitely read it .... thanks to you!

I’ve had such mixed reactions to all of her work, and I have to say that everything I have read and heard about Lapnova has not made me want to read it. I’ve changed my mind about whether to give it a go several times!

Still not sure if I want to read it but I am intrigued and disturbed already

Sounds good! Thanks! Sounds like the reaction Houellebecq gets-also “shocking”, pessimistic, and contrary to received ideas. New points of view are good-that’s what poets used to do!

I just bought this book because the cover looked cool. I had no idea what I was in for 😂.

Eric I really need a palate cleanser after this book and would be ever so grateful if you’d make a “beach reads that aren’t terrible” video.

Just finished it. I was very intrigued in the beginning, it was like watching a Yorgos Lanthimos film, but more gruesome. But the horror factor quickly became numbing, by the end I was quite disappointed.

Real life in 2022 sounds like this book - horror, depravity, cruelty, blood and guts, liver and onions and that sausage thing.

One of those writers I expected to like but so far haven't managed to finish one of her books that I attempted.

I really laughed out loud with this book. Great review. I much prefer this than MYORAR...

I found that this gripped me and I kept trying to compare it to modern life but not sure if I have managed to sort it all out yet. If of course, she is trying to make some sort of comment. I might just have it all totally wrong.

She published a short novel called Mcglue before anything else. Its about as macabre as her other books. I liked them all.

I like ottessa moshfegh-she has a unique writing style and interesting characters-but I find that I never really get anything of substance out of her stories. Dope review though 💯

I enjoy her work! I have this on hold at the library. She’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but really, who is?

Ok I have to read this book

I've been on the fence whether I want to read this book or not. After watching your video, I'm still on the fence! 🙃

It sounds more depraved than Earthlings. I only read My Year of Rest and Relaxation and it was 200 pages of take drugs, pass out, do strange things and then wake up. It didn't interest me so I'm reluctant to pick up Lapvona.

Had to DNF .. my sensitive tummy could not handle it. First book ever that made me literally gag .. I do understand the merit of it and not disputing that.. my constitution said No, Thank You.

I've read two Moshfegh books (My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Death in Her Hands) and really had to force myself to read all the way through each of them. I feel like that gives me a free pass to skip all the rest of her books, as they are just not for me.

I think i might have to give this one a go and see what i think of it please stay safe and enjoy your reading 📖 love your family friend John xxxx

I recently read Eileen and unless it is longlisted for the Booker have no plans to read Lapvona. I do think that Moshfegh is a skilful writer however but the subject matter is not for me.

Maybe she had patrick suskind‘s perfume novel in her head

I’ve never read Moshfegh and have absolutely no desire to do so.

I don't get on with this author's writing. Thanks for your honest review.

I'm constantly amazed by all sorts of individuals and the books they choose to read. The subject material of books like Lapvona seems bleak and horrible. To some, reading about subjects like this is somehow cathartic. It satisfies some part of themselves. Not everyone has a happy childhood or life experiences as we have had. What is an author's purpose in writing such sensational controversial themes and stories? Is it to gain notoriety? Is it pretention to get noticed and gain literary awards or gain buzz? Is an author's style of writing reaching through despite the subject matter? What is it they are trying to get through to the reader? Is it a deeper truth? I do not read books like this. My purpose in reading at this time in my life is to be entertained with happy stories. My bent goes to female authors like Jane Austen and her contempories. Authors like Henry James and Edith Wharton are about as psychological as I like to get. Books like Lapvona and A Little Life are not for me. I thank you for your wonderful review of Lapvona. I enjoy hearing your thoughts.

Like many readers, I like to go outside my "comfort zone" occasionally and read a book that I wouldn't normally be interested in on hearing about it. I got just half way through this book and was bored to tears. No doubt the scatological and cannibal references etc. were meant to shock. Who in this day and age is even surprised considering the years of violence we have been subjected to in movies and TV? Are we supposed to get excited, shocked, whatever, at a medieval version of Jeffrey Dahmer? If you have even a mild interest in BDSM, prurient or otherwise, this is not the book to read. Maybe some of us have been tempted to have our mother-in-law take "one more step back" when taking a selfie at the Grand Canyon. Poor storyline told in not particularly interesting English with forgettable characters. Sorry Eric, to even suggest this book is mesmerising is really a stretch. Please, don't waste your time or money reading this.

Thanks for the warning. Pass.

I read Eileen and My Year of Rest and Relaxation and disliked both. I find her writing to be snarky.

Think I will pass

This author seems like she’s disgusted by humanity.

No, thank you.

Sounds gross. Did you read Cows!? Ugh grossest thing ever.