It only worked once she realized that to be reborn, she needed to have a reason for it. She couldn’t handle just doing something just to do it. That’s why she needed Xing Pi’s project. She needed reasoning & someone to watch over her.
"Moshfegh is one of the great modern satirists. Her style falls somewhere between Bret Easton Ellis, with a dash of Bukowski." - Oh my god. THERE it is! You described her so PERFECTLY. I never managed to find the right way to describe her, but you did it. I am a big fan of this book as well. I found it truly impressive. It's almost like reading American Psycho, but with the violence turned inwards and feminized.
This book has become so notorious on the internet for what stereotype would always be seen reading the book that it has actually been lost in the noise in how good it is.
is the stereotype the typical internet sad girl? The type that devours books like this one, virgin suicides, the bell jar? That's the only stereotype that comes to mind. Or are you referring to something else?
@@maddssmithy jesus christ i feel old. there are internet stereotypes? what does the internet have to do with it? is there an internet sad boy? this sounds like a heap of misogyny.
I totally agree about the flow of this book. I’m a slow reader but this one flew by. And I also laughed a lot. There’s something so funny about someone who loses all their social etiquette cause they just don’t give a shit anymore. And it’s also deeply sad if you consider that she’s mostly running away from grief. In another note, I really hope you read Orlando by Virginia Woolf. It’s fantastic and really ahead of its time theme-wise. One of my favorites.
This is my first book by Moshfegh but you're completely right about how her writing flows.... I didn't find the book boring or slow at all... I actually purposefully took my time with it because I wanted to really savor it. TBH, the idea of a year of sleep sounded so appealing to me as well and anyone who has dealt with trauma, depression, over-thinking, etc will understand this book. It reminded me of a modern Bell Jar. I will be reading more of her books and this one again. Being a gen-x woman, who was in my 20's in the 90's this book just felt SO FAMILIAR. I love your review of it, and it's nice to see others who get it and appreciate it, as I've seen (surprisingly) lots of negative reviews. If anything, I think most people would have to admit that her writing itself is supurb.
As a recovering opiate addict, I fully understand the figurative (and literal) desire to sleep for a year- hell, I did it for the better part of 8 of them
After reading it, I think there was something else about her desire to sleep and do so by taking all kinds of pills. For me, it sounded like she was looking for a return to childhood, to a sort of comfort, since she mentioned that her mother didn't do the things mothers usually do for their children, like cooking, caring, etc., but she remembers that she shared sleeping with her mother as a child. Her mother later (in the narrator's life) confesses to her that she mixed crushed Valium in her milk so that she wasn't bothered by a crying and demanding child, or something along those lines. Ugh, I suppose she turned out 'okay', given the circumstances. The ending, well, it felt predictable from one point onward. It showed the author's hand, so to speak, and indeed, felt flat, provided that it was supposed to offer catharsis of some sort.
At the end when she was locked in and requesting flowers and almost doing "extreme self care" (If you can count it as that as she is drugging herself) reminded me of that.. like she was almost taking care of herself the way a friend would or your mother would. It's like a sick and twisted form of self parenting.
would've never expected you to pick this one up, but glad you did! reasons for why poop quite frequently shows up in her literature: she is concerned with the dread of the human body, this awkward meat sack that's flung through the days, and asks us to think more about it. with that, hope to see you read more of her work! attempting to be a Moshfegh completionist! ✨🙋🏻♂
I love this book, exactly my sense of humor and like you said so incredibly readable, compulsively so, with a unique frenetic energy to it. I just read a different book "Convenience Store Woman" and it really reminded me of this book in terms of quirkiness, tone and humor and its steeped in Japanese culture. Its a super short read but I think you would enjoy it based on your review and what you liked about this book. If you havent read it, I highly recommend!!
you don’t think she’s redeemed? she tells reva she loves her! i think her redemption is understated yet effective, as is the swag and style of ms moshfegh. her redemption seemed clear to me, the success of her rebirth project
You're the most reliable book recommender I know of. Even if I end up not liking a book you review, it's for reasons that are touched on in the review itself. Serotonin is a good example. I couldn't get through it because there is some extreme, ineffable depressive quality to it that you alluded to.
That was great my dude! I wanted an opinion from a man on Otessa M. And you did not disappoint, every point was articulated and thought out as well as justified from your personal taste. Not just there without a real reason because you had “felt it and you didn’t know why” I’m glad I clicked on your video this I watched all the way. A very good and engaged channel! Thank you for no spoilers you made me want to read this book! I subscribed :)
I just found you....where the hell have I been.? Thank you for being a booktuber..you are pithy and funny and insightful. I will binge watch you...I am NOT a stalker though. I could honestly listen to you for hours
Great review! I read the book after I saw you reviewed it, and I'm glad I did. Interesting that you didn't like the ending. *Spoilers(?)* I thought there was a change in the character with the ending, in that she was able to let go of her past in a way she wasn't able to before. She seemed to achieve a sort of mental freedom that she didn't have for most of the novel, and I liked how it was done.
I usually read books that have taken place in the present or at least in the past 50ish years, but her book Lapvona was great!! I loved the weirdness and how grotesque the book was and found I loved the descriptions of the setting and time period. I can see the connection between her and Houellebecq as well as Ellis. I love how her work is also tied with teenage girls. Her book cover is always shown in "girl blogger" memes and I love it haha as a teen girl. You should definitely read her other works, Homesick for Another World had a few good stories some weren't my favorite, and Death in her Hands was also an ok book, but you should read Lapvona!
the characteristisation of Dr Tuttle was so golden lmao they way she introduced one of her cats as "her eldest" bc aint no way she has real kids shes too insane is muaw
This video truly inspired me to finally pick up this book that I found for 50p at a library. funnily enough I found Endless Sleep through John Waters, albeit I believe it was on a soundtrack to one of his movies, I think Multiple Maniacs. great review as always
First timer here! You had me at “This book is -- funny.” I read this book and it is funny. Wait til you meet her shrink! Hilarious. And the end is a knock out.
That’s exactly it with the ending though, nothing happens because nothing needs to happen. It’s about her coming to terms with how ludicrous this society and how we conduct our lives is, the change is within her, the world is ticking by as usual. Even the way she writes about her friend dying in the Twin Towers is detached and coldly observant. Reva was trying, Reva was actively taking part in the rat race and it didn’t get her anywhere. I can’t get my tbh lights in good order so I’ll leave it here, the short of it is the non-eventfulness of the ending is, I think, part of the point. She gently awakens into the world to find it the same as it ever was, her reaction to it is just different.
Eerily relevant... and unfortunately, relatable. But I was content to hear someone express the somewhat rational excuse of it, given the unappealing madness that all civilization is in. Hopefully my ending won't be as flat, that an awakening will follow my sleep. Maybe I'm in a chrysalis.. one can dream
I literally just finished this up lol the whole time I was thinking her style reminded me of a blend of Ellis and Houellebecq. This is the first novel of hers I’ve read and I enjoyed it, but it felt uneven and a bit repetitive at times. I get that that’s what’s she’s going for, but there was a lot that was just taking pills, sleeping, waking up taking more pills. But Cliff is right the prose makes it quite easy to blaze through, so it doesn’t get bogged down. I dunno I was on the fence with this one. I’m not usually one to read modern authors (most are trash)-Moshfegh is not trash by any means, but there was something that left me empty handed, I dunno, maybe that’s just me.
I took 40 Benadryl once (to get high). That was a wild ride. The first (and hopefully only) time I experienced how schizophrenia might be. Would not recommend.
A great favorite of mine, great review Cliff, this novel is very very funny, as are most of her books, a black, bleak from the hip humor, much like 'Post Office' from Charles Bukowski. Her sarcastic protagonist would probably be a great deal of fun to hang with in a pretentious Manhattan bar on a Friday night.
Almost read this YEARS ago. Might now. We were stressed. Wanted EVERYTHING to STOP!! And then 2019. Covid. But still, even in/after a brief shut down/furlough off work, still, not enough SLEEP. Yeah, becareful. Your book ending with a body on the sand at the shore, water drifting in...
Reva was a loyal friend and cared deeply for protagonist, all the while protag really didn't care if she lived or died and mainly kept her around for selfish reasons
I loved this book, it was so funny and fantastic. I listen to books mostly and what swung this for me was the narration by Julia Whelan who also did The Passenger and Stella Maris, astonishing, beautiful narration. I guess some people would be all upset about mental health and grief but sod all that. Buckle up, take some pharmaceuticals and enjoy. There are much worse ways to spend a year. The doctor was absolutely nuts, I need her to be my doctor. Lapvona by the same author is not great.
After your review and the announcement that Lanthimos would adapt it I was really excited to read this book...in the end I was a little disappointed. Definitely has good passages, the writing is decent and the premise intriguing, but even though for a while I was impressed that it was all working for me despite the sparse plot and setting, in the end I found the premise was not lived up to. And not only are all characters insufferable, none of them are interesting either, even if their struggles are relatable and symptomatic of broader social problems. All in all not bad, but definitely a little overrated in my book.
I did not find it funny at all, but I was moved by it, and related to the implicit pain. I get what the author was doing with the Whoopi Goldberg inserts. Yes, the writing style has us sailing through, which keeps it above a certain threshold for me, that it otherwise would fall below regarding my approval. I would have hated this book if it were harder to get through, maybe I would have considered it not worth it. However, I do like this book a lot, because the main is not relatable, which is so important when illustrating pain that we experience as humans no matter who we are. I didn't find the psychiatrist humorist at all. I think that you have to understand that we have serious grief and substance abuse here, so there is not a true commentary on culture,, it's more like when you MUST take care of yourself, then your values conform to that. I'm a Schopenhauer girl, so I'm not saying she was not looking on the bright side of life, I'm saying this is survival mode, but to me there is more truth there than anywhere.. I have extreme trauma and amnesia, and I have been taking care of myself since 2012, no dangerous meds... and I relate to this a lot. Shutting the world out is almost impossible, and I'm lucky to have been able to do it. It's led me to the classics, I never thought I'd be able to read again. Regarding the ending, she was just explaining that she was waking up and on her next leg of recovery now. It's a PRELUDE. Not to say she needs to write anything else.
Watching your review to hopefully see this book in a new light. I've been trying to finish it since 2020 and I can't, I don't know what it is about it that doesn't work for me. The premise of the book sounds fantastic and as a psychologist I enjoy plotless books centered around a character and their development or unravelling, but this didn't do it for me. Did this happen to someone else?
I just finished the book. I'm not entirely sure what the point was, and not entirely sure why I picked up the book in the first place. Searched the book title on youtube and saw that I had previously watched half of this vid. It turns out you made me read this, you fucker! Lemme watch your vid again - maybe I missed something and I'll appreciate the book more. It was pretty fun in parts, but I needed a bigger payoff in the last quarter or so.
Watched your vid in full now. Good to see you also thought the end fell flat. The rest of your analysis upgrades my opinion of the book from a 3 star to a 3.5 star :)
Dear Clifford, Benn Brown, aspiring novelist and long-time fan. I write to you today with a love for your content and an observation - currently, my job is in user experience design and so I am essentially a professional knit picker. A while back now I was watching one of your older videos (one of my favourites in fact - 'Woman in the Dunes' which I would never have read if not for you) and I noticed that I was enjoying the experience more than what has become usual. It wasn't the content that was better, in my opinion, that has remained consistently great it was something much more practical and I just wanted to run it past you in case it made sense. I noticed that at some point there was a change in the editing of your videos, namely that in the new ones there are much more cuts. Now it may seem like a small detail but small details are my job and you learn that they can have a huge impact. It's one of those things, once you see it you can't unsee it and if I was to go all professional on you I would say that this choice may be pseudo-taking away from your most perfect assets - authenticity and honesty. Anyway, it's just a thought, if you disagree no problem, I'll still be watching, I may be shooting myself in the foot anyway because I remember a long time back you were offering reviews for new writing and always it has been my plan to finish the novel and reach out to you then but hey, I love this channel too much to say nothing, I hope you understand. Very, best Benn
“Who cares what she does with her time?” EXACTLY! Like how weird and jealous and petty do you have to be to be jealous of this fictional character? Why do you feel entitled to tell her who she “should” and “shouldn’t” be? Why does her choices offend you? What does that say about you? What does it say about the society we live in that people feel so entitled to judge what someone else does or doesn’t do with their own life?
Spoilers, obviously. Reva's boss, in an attempt to end the affair, promoted/transfered Reva to an office in the World Trade Center. She was killed on September 11. Trevor, who also worked at the WTC, was on vacation and survived. To me it was odd to set the book in 2000 just for that payoff. But I suppose over medicating was a bigger thing in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Im a not a english speaker neither a expert in USA culture and I think this is maybe the reason I dont enjoy the book. Futhermore, everything is so romaticized and superficial that it made me bored. Dont get me wrong, I get the idea of we saw through the mc point of view so his heinous acts become kinda 💞girly💞 but this just didn't worked for me. Reva is cool though, just finished because I thought she was moving the story to something, but didn't.
Coincidentally I just finished re-reading this book. IMO, I (still) don't get the hype. Maybe it's the trend of the "unhinged woman" that appeals to so many, but I don't think it was well executed. In an interview, Moshfegh said that the whole hibernation project wasn’t actually successful for the protagonist but based on the writing, that claim doesn’t really hold up. Like Cliff said, in the end we're left with the same feeling as when we started, the protagonist virtually unchanged in her way of thinking. Of course novels don’t have to always have a happy ending or have a dynamic protagonist who goes through a major transformation, but I still wanted to be left with something of value to take away from this book, and I didn’t get that at all. Maybe Moshfegh purposefully wrote a pretentious book that lacked substance to make the point that people eat up anything as long as the outward appearance (i.e. the protagonist’s superficial beauty and status) makes up for it. And while it seems Moshfegh was proven right in that aspect, when it comes to the idea that a person could have a rebirth through such extreme means, I take issue with the way it was handled. The failure itself is never mentioned fully outright, and I think that’s where the book goes wrong. Ultimately, a statement is not successful if the majority of the audience can’t figure it out. It kind of reminds me of the Seattle Zombie woman who thought she was making a radical statement but she did it in a way that was so far out there people didn't get the message and just thought she was nuts. All she did was end up freaking people out and wasting the valuable time of the poor EMTs who were just trying to do their jobs. Likewise, this book feels like the sort of abstract modern art who's meaning isn't understood until the artist explains it. While there's nothing really _wrong_ with that sort of art, I'd rather just view it than spend hours/days reading the literary equivalent. Also, kind of off topic, but I think there's a risk writing stories like this because I’ve seen so many people romanticize this book for the aesthetic of the aforementioned "Unhinged Woman" trope. As someone who lives with mental illness, I understand that it can feel comforting seeing characters experiencing similar struggles, but there’s a line between representation and glorification, and I think this book errs too far on the side of the latter. Obviously it’s up to the reader to be able to tell the difference, but this story and its writing are much too gray for the casual reader, and the way Moshfegh has gone about this tricky topic feels a bit irresponsible. I think it would help if more people brought this up, but so far I've mostly only seen two types of reviewers, those who sing praise for this book and those who absolutely despise it.
![[4K] Watch SpaceX Catch A Starship Rocket From Space!!! #IFT5](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pIKI7y3DTXk/mqdefault.jpg)
Her hibernation project actually worked in the end. She' s at peace, calm; she feels reborn.
Doesn’t that contradict the book? That in the end the drugging and sleeping worked.
It only worked once she realized that to be reborn, she needed to have a reason for it. She couldn’t handle just doing something just to do it. That’s why she needed Xing Pi’s project. She needed reasoning & someone to watch over her.
I'm not so sure. It felt more like the "I was cured alright" finale of Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange to me ...
"Moshfegh is one of the great modern satirists. Her style falls somewhere between Bret Easton Ellis, with a dash of Bukowski." - Oh my god. THERE it is! You described her so PERFECTLY. I never managed to find the right way to describe her, but you did it. I am a big fan of this book as well. I found it truly impressive. It's almost like reading American Psycho, but with the violence turned inwards and feminized.
She was inspired by American Psycho when she wrote the book!
I was reminded a lot of Chuck Palahniuk
This book has become so notorious on the internet for what stereotype would always be seen reading the book that it has actually been lost in the noise in how good it is.
What is that stereotype?
is the stereotype the typical internet sad girl? The type that devours books like this one, virgin suicides, the bell jar? That's the only stereotype that comes to mind. Or are you referring to something else?
Lacrosse bros
@@maddssmithy That is most likely what they are referring to, yep.
@@maddssmithy jesus christ i feel old. there are internet stereotypes? what does the internet have to do with it? is there an internet sad boy? this sounds like a heap of misogyny.
She is my favorite living author. Her voice is singular. Her stories always scrape their way into my soul so smoothly.
I totally agree about the flow of this book. I’m a slow reader but this one flew by. And I also laughed a lot. There’s something so funny about someone who loses all their social etiquette cause they just don’t give a shit anymore. And it’s also deeply sad if you consider that she’s mostly running away from grief.
In another note, I really hope you read Orlando by Virginia Woolf. It’s fantastic and really ahead of its time theme-wise. One of my favorites.
Agreed. Not to be dramatic but reading Orlando may have changed my life LOL
Hopefully the Yorgos Lanthimos adaptation becomes an official film. That would be a nice fit with Yorgos.
Fuck Yorgos Lanthimos is perfect for this
This is my first book by Moshfegh but you're completely right about how her writing flows.... I didn't find the book boring or slow at all... I actually purposefully took my time with it because I wanted to really savor it. TBH, the idea of a year of sleep sounded so appealing to me as well and anyone who has dealt with trauma, depression, over-thinking, etc will understand this book. It reminded me of a modern Bell Jar. I will be reading more of her books and this one again. Being a gen-x woman, who was in my 20's in the 90's this book just felt SO FAMILIAR. I love your review of it, and it's nice to see others who get it and appreciate it, as I've seen (surprisingly) lots of negative reviews. If anything, I think most people would have to admit that her writing itself is supurb.
As a recovering opiate addict, I fully understand the figurative (and literal) desire to sleep for a year- hell, I did it for the better part of 8 of them
Felt this. Hope youre well.
After reading it, I think there was something else about her desire to sleep and do so by taking all kinds of pills. For me, it sounded like she was looking for a return to childhood, to a sort of comfort, since she mentioned that her mother didn't do the things mothers usually do for their children, like cooking, caring, etc., but she remembers that she shared sleeping with her mother as a child. Her mother later (in the narrator's life) confesses to her that she mixed crushed Valium in her milk so that she wasn't bothered by a crying and demanding child, or something along those lines. Ugh, I suppose she turned out 'okay', given the circumstances. The ending, well, it felt predictable from one point onward. It showed the author's hand, so to speak, and indeed, felt flat, provided that it was supposed to offer catharsis of some sort.
At the end when she was locked in and requesting flowers and almost doing "extreme self care" (If you can count it as that as she is drugging herself) reminded me of that.. like she was almost taking care of herself the way a friend would or your mother would. It's like a sick and twisted form of self parenting.
I never expected to see this crossover
Lapvona is great. Has the same deranged energy as the later Verhoeven films (Elle, but mainly Benedetta). Thoroughly dark and thoroughly enjoyable
She is fast becoming one of my favorite authors, I really enjoy her writing style and tone.
would've never expected you to pick this one up, but glad you did! reasons for why poop quite frequently shows up in her literature: she is concerned with the dread of the human body, this awkward meat sack that's flung through the days, and asks us to think more about it.
with that, hope to see you read more of her work! attempting to be a Moshfegh completionist! ✨🙋🏻♂
It was the metaphors/similes that did it for me in this book. The descriptions are so zany yet so vivid and memorable!
I read this in a single day. Great speed and satire. Since then I’m afraid to pick another one of Otessa. That article actually kind of push me away.
I’ve read Homesick for Another World which is her short story collection and I found the stories very hit or miss but never boring
Agreed
Read this for a grad seminar on the history of melancholy back in spring 2020, was apropos and strangley comforting.
I read this in the sleepy haze when recovering from covid - the book fit the moment perfectly.
I love this book, exactly my sense of humor and like you said so incredibly readable, compulsively so, with a unique frenetic energy to it. I just read a different book "Convenience Store Woman" and it really reminded me of this book in terms of quirkiness, tone and humor and its steeped in Japanese culture. Its a super short read but I think you would enjoy it based on your review and what you liked about this book. If you havent read it, I highly recommend!!
you don’t think she’s redeemed? she tells reva she loves her! i think her redemption is understated yet effective, as is the swag and style of ms moshfegh. her redemption seemed clear to me, the success of her rebirth project
exactly
You're the most reliable book recommender I know of. Even if I end up not liking a book you review, it's for reasons that are touched on in the review itself. Serotonin is a good example. I couldn't get through it because there is some extreme, ineffable depressive quality to it that you alluded to.
Always great to see an upload from the best mustache on the internet.
Nice to see you review some Moshfegh. Really like the way you do book reviews.
"The ending fell kind of flat"
I know it wasn't intentional, but that could be a really dark pun. Great review.
hahahahahahaha
Beach ending reminds me of Infinite Jest. You've captured the state of things, Cliff.
That was great my dude! I wanted an opinion from a man on Otessa M. And you did not disappoint, every point was articulated and thought out as well as justified from your personal taste. Not just there without a real reason because you had “felt it and you didn’t know why” I’m glad I clicked on your video this I watched all the way. A very good and engaged channel! Thank you for no spoilers you made me want to read this book! I subscribed :)
At one point or another, we all need a Dr. Tuttle in our lives. Great review of a great book!
I just found you....where the hell have I been.? Thank you for being a booktuber..you are pithy and funny and insightful. I will binge watch you...I am NOT a stalker though. I could honestly listen to you for hours
Great review! I read the book after I saw you reviewed it, and I'm glad I did. Interesting that you didn't like the ending. *Spoilers(?)* I thought there was a change in the character with the ending, in that she was able to let go of her past in a way she wasn't able to before. She seemed to achieve a sort of mental freedom that she didn't have for most of the novel, and I liked how it was done.
I found it hilarious as well. And moving and beautifully written.
I usually read books that have taken place in the present or at least in the past 50ish years, but her book Lapvona was great!! I loved the weirdness and how grotesque the book was and found I loved the descriptions of the setting and time period.
I can see the connection between her and Houellebecq as well as Ellis. I love how her work is also tied with teenage girls. Her book cover is always shown in "girl blogger" memes and I love it haha as a teen girl. You should definitely read her other works, Homesick for Another World had a few good stories some weren't my favorite, and Death in her Hands was also an ok book, but you should read Lapvona!
the characteristisation of Dr Tuttle was so golden lmao
they way she introduced one of her cats as "her eldest" bc aint no way she has real kids shes too insane is muaw
Love the review! Didn’t know you were in FL, any other bookshop recommendations around West/Central Florida?
This video truly inspired me to finally pick up this book that I found for 50p at a library. funnily enough I found Endless Sleep through John Waters, albeit I believe it was on a soundtrack to one of his movies, I think Multiple Maniacs. great review as always
First timer here! You had me at “This book is -- funny.” I read this book and it is funny. Wait til you meet her shrink! Hilarious. And the end is a knock out.
I cant stress this enough ; you would love Lapvona. PLEASE!!
That’s exactly it with the ending though, nothing happens because nothing needs to happen. It’s about her coming to terms with how ludicrous this society and how we conduct our lives is, the change is within her, the world is ticking by as usual. Even the way she writes about her friend dying in the Twin Towers is detached and coldly observant. Reva was trying, Reva was actively taking part in the rat race and it didn’t get her anywhere. I can’t get my tbh lights in good order so I’ll leave it here, the short of it is the non-eventfulness of the ending is, I think, part of the point. She gently awakens into the world to find it the same as it ever was, her reaction to it is just different.
This sounds nice. Im just into that Houellebecq hole rn, so this just seems to add to it.
Eerily relevant... and unfortunately, relatable.
But I was content to hear someone express the somewhat rational excuse of it, given the unappealing madness that all civilization is in.
Hopefully my ending won't be as flat, that an awakening will follow my sleep. Maybe I'm in a chrysalis.. one can dream
Ottessa Moshfegh 🔥🔥
I am not expecting this!! But i am all for it.
What do *you* think, Cliff?
The ending was exactly what it needed to be.
This is my first time seeing you laugh in this whole channel hahahaha wooooo more mainstream books to review man!
Great review. And he looks like Arthur from Peaky Blinders 😄
true, I had Bret Easton Ellis and Charles Bukowski on my mind too!
I read this in 1 day, such a great read
I saw Trevor as bateman too !
Love the review of a recent book. Ever read any Patick deWitt?
Still love the older, foreign, and obscure.
I wondered about this one. May have to jump on board now... 📖 📕
I literally just finished this up lol the whole time I was thinking her style reminded me of a blend of Ellis and Houellebecq. This is the first novel of hers I’ve read and I enjoyed it, but it felt uneven and a bit repetitive at times. I get that that’s what’s she’s going for, but there was a lot that was just taking pills, sleeping, waking up taking more pills. But Cliff is right the prose makes it quite easy to blaze through, so it doesn’t get bogged down. I dunno I was on the fence with this one. I’m not usually one to read modern authors (most are trash)-Moshfegh is not trash by any means, but there was something that left me empty handed, I dunno, maybe that’s just me.
I took 40 Benadryl once (to get high). That was a wild ride.
The first (and hopefully only) time I experienced how schizophrenia might be.
Would not recommend.
We aren’t supposed to live in mega cities for generations. It’s a good idea taken too far.
Great reviewer. Btw, you looks great with mustache...
I'm interested to know if you've read "Self Care" by Leigh Stein. I think it has a similar vibe.
Actually great book.. Loved it!
i dont mean to be disrespectful (if my comments unrelated from ur content) but u look a lot like arthur from peaky blinders
I just finished this book 2 days ago!
A great favorite of mine, great review Cliff, this novel is very very funny, as are most of her books, a black, bleak from the hip humor, much like 'Post Office' from Charles Bukowski. Her sarcastic protagonist would probably be a great deal of fun to hang with in a pretentious Manhattan bar on a Friday night.
Almost read this YEARS ago. Might now. We were stressed. Wanted EVERYTHING to STOP!! And then 2019. Covid. But still, even in/after a brief shut down/furlough off work, still, not enough SLEEP. Yeah, becareful. Your book ending with a body on the sand at the shore, water drifting in...
Can i ask a question? Did you think about writing ownself?
I’ve heard many good things about this book. I should read it at some point.
Have you read All is Well by Awad??? I love both!
*All’s well
never disappoint
So like fight club for women?
Ha ha. Read this when it came out. Like all her stuff. Think the message was lost on me though, just kept thinking: "this chick's cool!" 😂
chick? Okay Fonzie.
is it just me or i cried for reva twice...
Why
You are not alone...
@@douloureux. because she's not dead inside and can empathise with women.
Reva was a loyal friend and cared deeply for protagonist, all the while protag really didn't care if she lived or died and mainly kept her around for selfish reasons
@@bluebellbeatnik4945 i guess people who didn’t cry for reva can’t do either of those things
Where I learned condole was a verb
Reminds me of the end of Ham on Eye
Arthur Shelby
This channel is always so delightful to watch 🤍 his dark humor makes my day 😆🤍 16:34 uffff life is weird.. deep
I loved this book, it was so funny and fantastic. I listen to books mostly and what swung this for me was the narration by Julia Whelan who also did The Passenger and Stella Maris, astonishing, beautiful narration. I guess some people would be all upset about mental health and grief but sod all that. Buckle up, take some pharmaceuticals and enjoy. There are much worse ways to spend a year. The doctor was absolutely nuts, I need her to be my doctor. Lapvona by the same author is not great.
After your review and the announcement that Lanthimos would adapt it I was really excited to read this book...in the end I was a little disappointed. Definitely has good passages, the writing is decent and the premise intriguing, but even though for a while I was impressed that it was all working for me despite the sparse plot and setting, in the end I found the premise was not lived up to. And not only are all characters insufferable, none of them are interesting either, even if their struggles are relatable and symptomatic of broader social problems. All in all not bad, but definitely a little overrated in my book.
and does any1 wanna talk about how she basically compared herself to kate moss
I did not find it funny at all, but I was moved by it, and related to the implicit pain. I get what the author was doing with the Whoopi Goldberg inserts. Yes, the writing style has us sailing through, which keeps it above a certain threshold for me, that it otherwise would fall below regarding my approval. I would have hated this book if it were harder to get through, maybe I would have considered it not worth it. However, I do like this book a lot, because the main is not relatable, which is so important when illustrating pain that we experience as humans no matter who we are.
I didn't find the psychiatrist humorist at all.
I think that you have to understand that we have serious grief and substance abuse here, so there is not a true commentary on culture,, it's more like when you MUST take care of yourself, then your values conform to that. I'm a Schopenhauer girl, so I'm not saying she was not looking on the bright side of life, I'm saying this is survival mode, but to me there is more truth there than anywhere..
I have extreme trauma and amnesia, and I have been taking care of myself since 2012, no dangerous meds... and I relate to this a lot. Shutting the world out is almost impossible, and I'm lucky to have been able to do it. It's led me to the classics, I never thought I'd be able to read again.
Regarding the ending, she was just explaining that she was waking up and on her next leg of recovery now. It's a PRELUDE. Not to say she needs to write anything else.
I spot Nostalgia by Mircea Cărtărescu 👀
I hated this book. But you made it sound really interesting hahahaha and you have some takes on the book that I didn't think of. Nice review as always
Watching your review to hopefully see this book in a new light. I've been trying to finish it since 2020 and I can't, I don't know what it is about it that doesn't work for me.
The premise of the book sounds fantastic and as a psychologist I enjoy plotless books centered around a character and their development or unravelling, but this didn't do it for me.
Did this happen to someone else?
the narrator is such a horrible person but she is so funny just like this book
I just finished the book. I'm not entirely sure what the point was, and not entirely sure why I picked up the book in the first place.
Searched the book title on youtube and saw that I had previously watched half of this vid.
It turns out you made me read this, you fucker!
Lemme watch your vid again - maybe I missed something and I'll appreciate the book more. It was pretty fun in parts, but I needed a bigger payoff in the last quarter or so.
Watched your vid in full now. Good to see you also thought the end fell flat. The rest of your analysis upgrades my opinion of the book from a 3 star to a 3.5 star :)
please review ancient evenings by N Mailer
slay !!!!
She's not seeing her boss and he was a divorced man.
this guy looks like Arthur Shelly
read "Death in her Hands"
Dear Clifford, Benn Brown, aspiring novelist and long-time fan.
I write to you today with a love for your content and an observation -
currently, my job is in user experience design and so I am essentially a professional knit picker. A while back now I was watching one of your older videos (one of my favourites in fact - 'Woman in the Dunes' which I would never have read if not for you) and I noticed that I was enjoying the experience more than what has become usual. It wasn't the content that was better, in my opinion, that has remained consistently great it was something much more practical and I just wanted to run it past you in case it made sense.
I noticed that at some point there was a change in the editing of your videos, namely that in the new ones there are much more cuts. Now it may seem like a small detail but small details are my job and you learn that they can have a huge impact. It's one of those things, once you see it you can't unsee it and if I was to go all professional on you I would say that this choice may be pseudo-taking away from your most perfect assets - authenticity and honesty.
Anyway, it's just a thought, if you disagree no problem, I'll still be watching, I may be shooting myself in the foot anyway because I remember a long time back you were offering reviews for new writing and always it has been my plan to finish the novel and reach out to you then but hey, I love this channel too much to say nothing, I hope you understand.
Very, best
Benn
13:34 - 14:00
seriously.
“Who cares what she does with her time?” EXACTLY! Like how weird and jealous and petty do you have to be to be jealous of this fictional character? Why do you feel entitled to tell her who she “should” and “shouldn’t” be? Why does her choices offend you? What does that say about you? What does it say about the society we live in that people feel so entitled to judge what someone else does or doesn’t do with their own life?
lapvona and eileen slap
I must've not understood the end coz i thought reva commited suicide??
Spoilers, obviously.
Reva's boss, in an attempt to end the affair, promoted/transfered Reva to an office in the World Trade Center. She was killed on September 11. Trevor, who also worked at the WTC, was on vacation and survived.
To me it was odd to set the book in 2000 just for that payoff. But I suppose over medicating was a bigger thing in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Finally😂❤
i just take my medications
*Lapvona
the way you had to include yourself slurping coffee- with the sounds. is just obnoxious.
Im a not a english speaker neither a expert in USA culture and I think this is maybe the reason I dont enjoy the book. Futhermore, everything is so romaticized and superficial that it made me bored.
Dont get me wrong, I get the idea of we saw through the mc point of view so his heinous acts become kinda 💞girly💞 but this just didn't worked for me.
Reva is cool though, just finished because I thought she was moving the story to something, but didn't.
I really like your review, but the book not so much. I think this book is a lot related to american culure or anti-culture.
Coincidentally I just finished re-reading this book.
IMO, I (still) don't get the hype. Maybe it's the trend of the "unhinged woman" that appeals to so many, but I don't think it was well executed.
In an interview, Moshfegh said that the whole hibernation project wasn’t actually successful for the protagonist but based on the writing, that claim doesn’t really hold up. Like Cliff said, in the end we're left with the same feeling as when we started, the protagonist virtually unchanged in her way of thinking. Of course novels don’t have to always have a happy ending or have a dynamic protagonist who goes through a major transformation, but I still wanted to be left with something of value to take away from this book, and I didn’t get that at all.
Maybe Moshfegh purposefully wrote a pretentious book that lacked substance to make the point that people eat up anything as long as the outward appearance (i.e. the protagonist’s superficial beauty and status) makes up for it. And while it seems Moshfegh was proven right in that aspect, when it comes to the idea that a person could have a rebirth through such extreme means, I take issue with the way it was handled. The failure itself is never mentioned fully outright, and I think that’s where the book goes wrong.
Ultimately, a statement is not successful if the majority of the audience can’t figure it out. It kind of reminds me of the Seattle Zombie woman who thought she was making a radical statement but she did it in a way that was so far out there people didn't get the message and just thought she was nuts. All she did was end up freaking people out and wasting the valuable time of the poor EMTs who were just trying to do their jobs. Likewise, this book feels like the sort of abstract modern art who's meaning isn't understood until the artist explains it. While there's nothing really _wrong_ with that sort of art, I'd rather just view it than spend hours/days reading the literary equivalent.
Also, kind of off topic, but I think there's a risk writing stories like this because I’ve seen so many people romanticize this book for the aesthetic of the aforementioned "Unhinged Woman" trope. As someone who lives with mental illness, I understand that it can feel comforting seeing characters experiencing similar struggles, but there’s a line between representation and glorification, and I think this book errs too far on the side of the latter. Obviously it’s up to the reader to be able to tell the difference, but this story and its writing are much too gray for the casual reader, and the way Moshfegh has gone about this tricky topic feels a bit irresponsible. I think it would help if more people brought this up, but so far I've mostly only seen two types of reviewers, those who sing praise for this book and those who absolutely despise it.
I like eileen so much better
Man, gotta love and hate this channel. I love the books, but my Amazon wish list keeps getting too damn long.
hibernation project