Maybe I'm a bit late, but I've just read the book and I wanted to share some of my thoughts. I think I could say that I identify with the main character in some way. I used to think that sleep and time would cure my depression. That I would just go to sleep and wake up feeling happy and just not being sick of everything. I was stuck in a loop, not wanting to do anything for myself and thinking that it would just go away by itself, which was and is wrong. Now I understand that and because of all of this I think that Reva is the best and most interesting character in the book, but please take everything I wrote here with a grain of salt. She has her own problems and, despite that, she keeps going. She reminds our "sleeping beauty" that she is passive and nothing will change without her doing something. I also think that the main character understands this, when she says that she would like to open her door to a completely new apartment and a completely new life. While reading, I often found myself worrying more about Reva and I was really sad when I got to the end of the book. In my eyes, she was the only strong and relatable character in the book. For me, Reva was the light at the end of the tunnel. In the end, I just wanted to say that the way the main character chose to cope with her sickness was not good with all the medications and pretty much being high on drugs 24/7, but that's just my opinion :) Anyways, thanks for reading my scribbles lol
Haha sorry for the distraction. It's tea, and as an Englishwoman you learn how to gesticulate with a cup of tea in hand from an early age. Never spilled a drop.
I just finished this book and I wasn't really satisfied with it. I did get that the desire of the main character to not exist and I felt that way many times in my life but I've always had something that pulled me back into the daily life, because I'm a med student with strict parents. And so at times reading this book i felt a kind of jelousy for the main character, of her carelessness for the outer world. But because there's really no story to the book and no character developement really, I don't see myself reading it ever again. The only part of the book that left an impression on me was the ending.
Same .....this book was recommended to me by so many people.By the end of the book i was hoping Better character development but i feel the MC was awful .
I just finished this book and I thought it was amazing. It's been a very, very long time since I enjoyed a book this much. I wish there were more books like this. If anyone has any recommendations for similar books, please let me know!
I just finished this book today, and I am in love with it. one of my favorites of all time. everything you said was so accurate and I loved your review too.
I did not watch this video when it came out as I already knew I wanted to read MYORAR soon and I finally did. And loved it! Watching your review afterwards was lovely as well. I found the narrator unlikeable but not necessarily unrelatable as this whole ordeal of blocking out the real world and escape into something (be it a book, a youtube video or a whole year of sleep) does sound really intriguing. I wonder how many people would do this, if money (and maybe society's judgement) wasn't an issue. As you, I am really fascinated with depressed, flawed characters and their point of views. I am however unsure about our narrator actually being depressed though... while she has suffered from a traumatic childhood and her lack of interest in what would conventionally be considered 'living your life' is alarmingly low, she is so determined and motivated in her quest of resting. She also is very consitent with going to the bodega, taking care of her personal hygiene etc., so I don't really see her as someone who is too depressed to get out of bed or take care of themselves. Of course, there are different kinds / levels of depression, but for me the whole part of self erasure and identity crisis was more prominent than these elements of depression. I hope I'm making sense here. Anyway, I'm glad I read this book and glad that you enjoyed it this much as well! :)
Super interesting take she kind of does less and less as time goes by but also keeps her focus on her year of sleep, almost not missing any appointments. And more than anything she actually stops after one year wich doesn't match dépression. It's like a "fantasy" (like the genre) version of dépression.
@@KeiraAndGeo and i really loved it this way. Idk in english countries but in France the, let say "school/academic" definition of the fantasy genre is about a slight difference with the norm wich puts the doubt into you while reading like this is slightly weird but also ressambles reality (like stories hapening in a relatable context but with statues being alive at night but you're not sure f.a.). I felt that too about this story in a way, regardent depression. There's also the dragons etc definition of fantasy novel wich is the "bookstore"/ pop culture one and that equals the english version but i really like the other one too, the slightly weird, slightly creepy etc story, a bit like the movie get out also f.a.
@@capucnechaussonpassion14 ah, super interesting to know! did not know about that specific genre, but can imagine the creepy / slightly off vibes you're talking about :)
I saw Nancy Tucker speak at literary festival recently and was impressed with her insights and also, her new book. So, based on the good impression she made on me and other comments made by other readers, I have decided to buy this book by Ottessa Moshfegh. Thank you.
I’m so very pleased to hear your thoughts on MYORAR. It was the first book I read this year & it’s sensational! I absolutely adored it. Such an intriguing premise, character, character dynamics & that last page, WOW! The imagery still sticks in my brain almost twelve months later. And, I have my very own Riva situation as well. Very happy to hear you loved the book. Thanks for the review, I always enjoy watching your videos & best wishes from Sydney. Glen
Genuine question!! Looking for answers here… on page 234 of this book, Dr Tuttle asks her how her mother passed away and she says “I killed her” she supposedly “crushed oxycodone in her vodka” … did the narrator in my year of rest and relaxation kill her mom? I was so confused by this part because I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t
No she did not she said that to be almost fear mongering all of her interactions with doctor Tuttle were really just her trying to trying to get a more intense prescription out of her.
It’s soo sad. At the end of the book she was completely alone in the world. Plus i don’t think she processed what happened in 9/11 in a healthy way. In a few years I think she’ll have to face it again.
I finished the book and it feel like some type of sadness but also like hope(?) it was a funny feeling, but it did make me sad how things went down. I justa want to keep talking about this book haha
Wait so is the book like promoting this sense of depression and procrastination of living or discouraging this type of drug abuse, self-destructive nature. I feel like I can relate to this character from how you described her so I'd be interested in reading it to feel seen and maybe get some new insight but not if it's going to be telling me that my thoughts on this are validated and good. Basically I'm asking if the messaging is uplifting and hopeful but also real or more on the just bleak side?
It's hard to say... I think the character and her motivations are so complex that is both glorifies the self abuse as well as disparages it. I think you'll get a lot from it.
(I know your comment is old but I just finished reading it today) Right? Like the only reason I kept reading was because I figured a big climax was about to happen and she was about to turn into a new person… nope. The “hibernation” literally didn’t even change her. I just.. ugh. Disappointed.
i think you can only talk about this book in this way and read it without getting angry/upset if you dont know depression as the main character and i know it. but there is nothing to love. its a very good book, but seeing you getting excited and hear you say your not a very depressive prone person makes me feel the same bitter anger as the book did. not fair, and if my point is stupid and vague sorry im on seroquel and a bottle of cold gluhwein from last year
"let's glorify substance abuse and self-destruction for it is the path that leads to spiritual awakening! oh, and also, psychiatrists don't give a damn about their patients and only care to fill them up with drugs!" nah, I am into darkness and weirdness, but the way that the narrator SUDDENLY "awakens" from her depressive mindset by taking meds and sleeping for a year was way too shallow in my opinion, and also potentially dangerous for troubled people who might wanna try out this method and end up not having a spiritual awakening but rather a funeral. I don't mind general "nastiness", "unlikeliness" or bitchiness of the narrator at all, but her metamorphosis into the opposite simply seemed too cheap and artificial. I don't dig the point that one should almost OD and wake up completely renewed. not cool and not funny.
this book was unsettling af. i felt unhinged every time I put it down. pretty amazing
YES. I loved it and also spiraled for a bit right after reading it.
Just finished it, read it during this weird quarantine time which seemed fitting. Absolutely loved it!
Maybe I'm a bit late, but I've just read the book and I wanted to share some of my thoughts. I think I could say that I identify with the main character in some way. I used to think that sleep and time would cure my depression. That I would just go to sleep and wake up feeling happy and just not being sick of everything. I was stuck in a loop, not wanting to do anything for myself and thinking that it would just go away by itself, which was and is wrong. Now I understand that and because of all of this I think that Reva is the best and most interesting character in the book, but please take everything I wrote here with a grain of salt. She has her own problems and, despite that, she keeps going. She reminds our "sleeping beauty" that she is passive and nothing will change without her doing something. I also think that the main character understands this, when she says that she would like to open her door to a completely new apartment and a completely new life. While reading, I often found myself worrying more about Reva and I was really sad when I got to the end of the book. In my eyes, she was the only strong and relatable character in the book. For me, Reva was the light at the end of the tunnel. In the end, I just wanted to say that the way the main character chose to cope with her sickness was not good with all the medications and pretty much being high on drugs 24/7, but that's just my opinion :) Anyways, thanks for reading my scribbles lol
I CAN'T STOP FOCUSING ON THE COFFEE MOVING😩😩😩😩
Haha sorry for the distraction. It's tea, and as an Englishwoman you learn how to gesticulate with a cup of tea in hand from an early age. Never spilled a drop.
I just finished this book and I wasn't really satisfied with it. I did get that the desire of the main character to not exist and I felt that way many times in my life but I've always had something that pulled me back into the daily life, because I'm a med student with strict parents. And so at times reading this book i felt a kind of jelousy for the main character, of her carelessness for the outer world. But because there's really no story to the book and no character developement really, I don't see myself reading it ever again. The only part of the book that left an impression on me was the ending.
Same .....this book was recommended to me by so many people.By the end of the book i was hoping Better character development but i feel the MC was awful .
Loved this breakdown! Just finished the book and want to read everything else Ottessa Moshfegh has written
u should read death in her hands it’s from her too!!
Just read it! Loved it so much. Really depicts mentally illness very well. The warped sense of logic is spot on
I just finished this book and I thought it was amazing. It's been a very, very long time since I enjoyed a book this much. I wish there were more books like this. If anyone has any recommendations for similar books, please let me know!
eileen by the same author is sort of similar and amazing!
try invisible monsters by chuck palahniuk- some similar themes and events, one of my faves!
Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth.
right! i really loved the writing story
Maybe not mainstream but try No longer human by Osamu Dazai
am so happy your channel exists, what pleasure it is to find people on the same wavelength. Thank you!
This is my favourite book probably of all time. It’s so weird and wonderful.
i finished this book in like less than a week i could not put it down; easily one of the best books ive read
just started (and finished) this one today. i don't know what to do with myself now.
Haha you are my hero! If you'd like some more reality-shattering existential dread may I recommend A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
@@Chareads thank you for the recommendation! I'll start right away. The void left by this book is enormous lol
@@Chareadshey, almost 3 years later. You got something else you would recommend thinking back of MYORAR and books you consumed till then :) ?
@@Sycksyde666 sure! Check out these books chareads.com/books/?sub=ennui
Just finished it, it was like a mix of Valley of the Dolls and Leaving Las Vegas (two books I really like). Really enjoyed it
I just finished this book today, and I am in love with it. one of my favorites of all time. everything you said was so accurate and I loved your review too.
I did not watch this video when it came out as I already knew I wanted to read MYORAR soon and I finally did. And loved it! Watching your review afterwards was lovely as well. I found the narrator unlikeable but not necessarily unrelatable as this whole ordeal of blocking out the real world and escape into something (be it a book, a youtube video or a whole year of sleep) does sound really intriguing. I wonder how many people would do this, if money (and maybe society's judgement) wasn't an issue. As you, I am really fascinated with depressed, flawed characters and their point of views. I am however unsure about our narrator actually being depressed though... while she has suffered from a traumatic childhood and her lack of interest in what would conventionally be considered 'living your life' is alarmingly low, she is so determined and motivated in her quest of resting. She also is very consitent with going to the bodega, taking care of her personal hygiene etc., so I don't really see her as someone who is too depressed to get out of bed or take care of themselves. Of course, there are different kinds / levels of depression, but for me the whole part of self erasure and identity crisis was more prominent than these elements of depression. I hope I'm making sense here. Anyway, I'm glad I read this book and glad that you enjoyed it this much as well! :)
Super interesting take she kind of does less and less as time goes by but also keeps her focus on her year of sleep, almost not missing any appointments. And more than anything she actually stops after one year wich doesn't match dépression. It's like a "fantasy" (like the genre) version of dépression.
@@capucnechaussonpassion14 "It's like a "fantasy" (like the genre) version of dépression." YES I AGREE 100%. well put! :)
@@KeiraAndGeo and i really loved it this way. Idk in english countries but in France the, let say "school/academic" definition of the fantasy genre is about a slight difference with the norm wich puts the doubt into you while reading like this is slightly weird but also ressambles reality (like stories hapening in a relatable context but with statues being alive at night but you're not sure f.a.). I felt that too about this story in a way, regardent depression.
There's also the dragons etc definition of fantasy novel wich is the "bookstore"/ pop culture one and that equals the english version but i really like the other one too, the slightly weird, slightly creepy etc story, a bit like the movie get out also f.a.
@@capucnechaussonpassion14 ah, super interesting to know! did not know about that specific genre, but can imagine the creepy / slightly off vibes you're talking about :)
Just finished it!! I felt on edge quite often about if she would even wake up, but also found a lot of comfort in the characters.
I saw Nancy Tucker speak at literary festival recently and was impressed with her insights and also, her new book. So, based on the good impression she made on me and other comments made by other readers, I have decided to buy this book by Ottessa Moshfegh. Thank you.
I’m so very pleased to hear your thoughts on MYORAR. It was the first book I read this year & it’s sensational! I absolutely adored it. Such an intriguing premise, character, character dynamics & that last page, WOW! The imagery still sticks in my brain almost twelve months later. And, I have my very own Riva situation as well. Very happy to hear you loved the book. Thanks for the review, I always enjoy watching your videos & best wishes from Sydney. Glen
Genuine question!! Looking for answers here… on page 234 of this book, Dr Tuttle asks her how her mother passed away and she says “I killed her” she supposedly “crushed oxycodone in her vodka” … did the narrator in my year of rest and relaxation kill her mom? I was so confused by this part because I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t
she didn't i think that's just her sense of humour
She’s just fucking with the doctor because Dr. Tuttle kept asking but seemed to forgot every answer
No she did not she said that to be almost fear mongering all of her interactions with doctor Tuttle were really just her trying to trying to get a more intense prescription out of her.
i have never loved and hated a book so much
Nice review, so glad you enjoyed this book. I didn't enjoy it, but it's good to hear why one might. You seem to have good reasons.
It’s soo sad. At the end of the book she was completely alone in the world.
Plus i don’t think she processed what happened in 9/11 in a healthy way. In a few years I think she’ll have to face it again.
I finished the book and it feel like some type of sadness but also like hope(?) it was a funny feeling, but it did make me sad how things went down.
I justa want to keep talking about this book haha
i love this book too !!! thanks for sharing~!
Really liked the way you reviewed the book!! Iam excited to get to know your channel 🥰
Good book review. Thank you.
I need to read this. I’ve pretty much lived this. 😮💨 only I broke my back for the money I had stockpiled.
And all I did was weed*
curious what's its age rating?
I liked McGlue a lot.
Wait so is the book like promoting this sense of depression and procrastination of living or discouraging this type of drug abuse, self-destructive nature. I feel like I can relate to this character from how you described her so I'd be interested in reading it to feel seen and maybe get some new insight but not if it's going to be telling me that my thoughts on this are validated and good. Basically I'm asking if the messaging is uplifting and hopeful but also real or more on the just bleak side?
It's hard to say... I think the character and her motivations are so complex that is both glorifies the self abuse as well as disparages it. I think you'll get a lot from it.
@@Chareads Okay sounds good. Thanks for replying to my message. I'll probably buy it.
i hated the ending 😭
right… justice for reva
right
Hmmm I didn’t care for this book. It felt like there wasn’t much climax.
(I know your comment is old but I just finished reading it today) Right? Like the only reason I kept reading was because I figured a big climax was about to happen and she was about to turn into a new person… nope. The “hibernation” literally didn’t even change her. I just.. ugh. Disappointed.
Yes, I just finished it but it was incredibly meh.
@@kirafaith8581 literally fucking same bro, i do not want to offend anybody but um...nothing ever happened
The cup of coffee shaking is incredibly distressing.
my years of heroin were much more exciting do. i didn't like this
i hated the ending
all you're doing is summarizing the book, this isnt even a review
i think you can only talk about this book in this way and read it without getting angry/upset if you dont know depression as the main character and i know it. but there is nothing to love. its a very good book, but seeing you getting excited and hear you say your not a very depressive prone person makes me feel the same bitter anger as the book did. not fair, and if my point is stupid and vague sorry im on seroquel and a bottle of cold gluhwein from last year
"let's glorify substance abuse and self-destruction for it is the path that leads to spiritual awakening! oh, and also, psychiatrists don't give a damn about their patients and only care to fill them up with drugs!" nah, I am into darkness and weirdness, but the way that the narrator SUDDENLY "awakens" from her depressive mindset by taking meds and sleeping for a year was way too shallow in my opinion, and also potentially dangerous for troubled people who might wanna try out this method and end up not having a spiritual awakening but rather a funeral.
I don't mind general "nastiness", "unlikeliness" or bitchiness of the narrator at all, but her metamorphosis into the opposite simply seemed too cheap and artificial. I don't dig the point that one should almost OD and wake up completely renewed. not cool and not funny.
It’s fiction about one specific character and not an instruction manual for how people should live their lives.
THIS!!!