My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Ratings440
Average rating3.7
Given the hype, I was expecting to dislike this.
I didn't.
The protagonist is privileged, inhuman, simultaneously vapid and profound, fake and the realest. A complete basket case.
The writer is incredibly skilled in controlling her naked prose and cut it as close to where it would bleed as possible.
(At one point, she describes the movements of a character's hands as they mimic the box in which their mother's ashes are sitting, unironically, as “voguing”).
The book doesn't really want to teach you anything. And that's okay.
That's honest.
5 out 5 stars. As unethical and slightly painful as it feels to describe this book as “good”, it's impossible not to.
[4.5/5]
A contemporary classic that lives up to all the positive word of mouth. It's not often that I add a book to my all-time faves, but I knew this one was going to fit right in about halfway through reading. The unique and very memorable eye-catching title is not a witty inside joke you learn along the pages within, but more so quite the literal phrasing of what our very psychologically relatable narrator desires. I strongly recommend this to my fellow depressed readers and comrades in “I wish I could just disappear for a while to reset” arms. This is ripe to be adapted into an A24 film—for people to adopt new fictional personas—ideally by either the Safdie Brothers or Sofia Coppola. My Year of... also brought to mind the German book and film adaptation, Wetlands by Charlotte Roche, but more subdued and not quite as raunchy “gross-out” attempts inclined.
FANCAST:
- Narrator: Sydney Sweeney/Maika Monroe
- Reva: Rachel Sennott/Zoey Deutch
- Dr. Tuttle: Kathryn Hahn/Gwendoline Christie
- Trevor: Dacre Montgomery/Timmy C
- Natasha: Simone Kessell/Gemma Chan
- Narrator's mother: Cate Blanchett/Kristen Dunst
- Narrator's father: Shea Whigham/Jesse Plemons
- Ping Xi: Bowen Yang
original rating: 4.25 ⭐
Recently I was craving Moshfegh's writing, especially after I read Eileen a few months ago, and absolutely devoured it. So I decided to reread My Year of Rest and Relaxation!
I loved it even more than the first time. This novel is about a pretty young woman who wants to take a year of rest. And she will sleep for that year by taking heavy sleeping drugs. Ottessa's masterpiece is a slice of life, low plot story of a girl on her journey to “self-care”. Moshfegh's writing is hypnotic and beautiful. She makes me cackle reading this unnamed character's expedition. Another 5 Star read from this author!
new rating: 5 ⭐
5/5
This felt like Catcher in the Rye mixed with The Bell Jar plus a sprinkle of Lady Bird. In so many instances I felt like I could connect with the main character (especially with where I am currently in life) and I think that's why I liked it so much. I can understand why people might not like it considering there's not much action or real plot going on but since I felt personally connected to it, I enjoyed it a lot.
Started out really good and horrifyingly relatable, but then lost me completely.
It captures the feeling of depression well but never goes anywhere with it and leaves you with a rushed and flat ending. Really fun and satirical though, I didn't regret reading it!
I loved the way it was written though, I will definitely read more Otessa Moshfegh.
It was a fine read, though it was something new to me. The end is still making me think a lot.
Praying that Yorgos Lanthimos is still slated to direct the film adaptation of this
''But coming out of that sleep was excruciating. My entire life flashed before my eyes in the worst way possible, my mind refilling itself with all my lame memories, every little thing that had brought me to where I was. I'd try to remember something else- a better version, a happy story, maybe, or just an equally lame but different life that would at least be refreshing in its digressions - but it never worked. I was always still me.'‘
The amount of stupidity aimed towards this novel by some members (who are unable to spot the difference between Dickens and the latest ‘‘o-so-cool - and superb- and whatnot YA writer) is unimaginable. What does the fact that the main character is ‘‘tall, blonde, thin and rich'' have to do with anything? Are there any new criteria regarding a character's external appearance on which we should determine their literary value? Is there a special measuring tape for problems and their importance and their use as a plot device? So the character is self-absorbed, isn't she?
Well, news flash. We all ARE! Every single creature on this idiotic planet is self-absorbed to various degrees. We are no Jesus Christ or Virgin Mary. We are not pure and innocent. So, I suggest some of us step down from our righteous pink bubble and face reality.
This is a marvellous book with an excellent heroine by an exceptional writer. End of story!
I'm so conflicted... I don't know how to rate this. I really wanted to like this, I found the concept so interesting. However this book was hard to get through because the narrator is so insufferable. I understand that's the point. Everyone says you're not supposed to “enjoy” this book and it's supposed to satirize rich hot privileged white women, but is it even satire? Because Ottessa Moshfegh herself seemed hesitant to accept that label in her Waterstones interview.
I wouldn't call it satire, because satire is supposed to criticize its subject matter. Instead I see a shallow story told simply for shock value. The ending reaffirms this theory. I actually think Ottessa Moshfegh might've written this book to prove the narrator's idea in the last few pages. That “things were just things.” That art has no meaning. Which is a notion I fundamentally disagree with.
Or I could be wildly misinterpreting this whole book. Maybe I misconstrued the ending. Maybe the narrator is still the same vapid woman as she was before, and she wasn't actually healed. At least that would make some sense and provide some commentary. Either way, it put me in a bad mental state for a few days, and I can't give it a high rating because of this.
out of all the moshfegh's i've read, I enjoyed (?) this one the most but it's still just, meh. did it help to pull me out of my reading slump? yes, but at what cost?
also, anyone claiming this as a “that girl” book has completely lost their mind. it's literally like saying “omg I aspire to have such horrible anxiety and depression because my parent's neglected me as a child and as a result I have no self confidence, can't form healthy relationships, can't feel an emblem of empathy for others and literally do not want to exist in reality because I have nothing to look forward to in life so what's the purpose of living?”...but go off ig
Okay this book is MASSIVELY and INSANELY weird. Especially the beginning seems to be very chaotic and weird and the main character does the weirdest stuff like quitting her job at the art atelier and when she leaves she takes a crap on the floor next to the art?
She also seems like the most annoying person on the freaking planet and I really could not stand her as an individual but at the same time she is relatable on some levels? She is the worst friend to Reva that can't be hard to figure out in this book.
Easy to read, quite funny at some points and the ending (like the last three chapters) is key. It really causes everything to fall into place. Please don't let the first 1/3rd part of the book throw you off. ITS WORTH IT!!
Taking the chance to live even when it's the
hardest thing to do, you may find something good in life.
out of all eight chapters, only the last one made me convinced that she's really unhinged.
Just wow....wow. This book is a very bold and blunt read. It's not a conservative book but a chaotic one. If I consider the book Bunny as Chaotic neutral, this book would be Chaotic Evil. It was a roller coaster of emotions from many “WTF” moments to “side eye *blinks” moments. The author did not hold back and really wrote this book as realistic and has HBO vibes.
This book is not for the faint-hearted or innocent readers.
Trigger warnings: Drugs, psychotic, mental health, depression, Mental Health drugs 3-day blackouts, addiction, severe insomnia, parents dying, death, mention of 9/11, and eating disorder.
Reva has such a Cancer Zodiac energy. She was caring and loved the narrator. Also, the narrator does not have a name. At the same time, Reva had issues with body image and death in the family. Trevor sucks by the way.
This was a quick and easy read. Took me about 3 hours to finish it since it was a page-turner. If you want/need a book to feel something, this book is for you.
3/5 at a stretch, was kinda underwhelmed by this one (although I did enjoy the last 100 pages)
2,5*
I don't really know what to make of this book. It was kind of shallow and repetitive. The reviews say it's funny - I have no idea where.
The only interesting part was when the protagonist started doing things during her blackout, I thought that would also lead somewhere but nope. And the backstory into her miserable childhood and parents was also intriguing.
Didn't really get the ending either. Dunno, maybe just not a book for me. So far I've read 2 contemporary super popular books and I didn't like either
blech
in all seriousness, an interesting concept but such poor execution. maybe because i wanted to be able to relate some of my own experiences, but reading pages upon pages of pill cocktails held no water for me; neither heartfelt nor convincing for a topic that deserves to be written with more attention.
Took me a while to read because it was a little slow/repetitive in the middle. But, I still really liked it!! I've never hated a main character more.
I have a soft spot for abrasive unsympathetic women protagonists, so I should have loved this. But I also have boundless disdain for ennui-filled literary fiction, so I did not.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation has a gorgeous cover and great title. Julia Whelan did an excellent job with the audiobook. The writing is descriptive. The characters feel human and real and flawed. Dr. Tuttle was my favorite. So irresponsible, so scatterbrained, so disinterested. I like that the narrator is so determined and decisive in doing nothing. She knows exactly what she wants and how to go about it.
Yes, the writing is descriptive, but the descriptions are gross. This book is gross. Yes, the characters are flawed, but ultimately, not in a compelling way. I don't need or want a redemption arc. I don't mind a slow build. But I want...something to happen. I want the listlessness to build to something, or at least to have some impact. When I read a book, I want something to be going on.
The protagonist sucks. She's awful to herself. She's awful to Reva, the only person in the world who cares about her. Trevor sucks. I hate him. The narrator's hibernation venture is couched in privilege available to very few. All of the above is intended and obvious. 9/11 looms over the book like a dark heavy shadow as soon as the setting is established. It's finally addressed at the very end, in a tragic but offhand way. You don't really get any closure, any indication of what the motivation was behind any of this, whether it was worth it, what's next.
This book kind of put me in a funk while I was reading it, but I haven't thought about it much since wrapping it up. Reading is a very subjective experience, and I know this struck a chord with many. Maybe there's something there that I'm not sophisticated enough to appreciate. But in the end, I found this annoying more than anything.