Name: My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Rating: 3.614852528089887 (1424 reviews)
ISBN: 9780525522133

Ottessa Moshfegh

"Our narrator should be happy, shouldn't she? She's young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, works an easy job at a hip art gallery, lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like the rest of her needs, by her inheritance. But there is a hole in her heart, and it isn't just the loss of her parents, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her best friend, Reva. It's the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility, what could be so terribly wrong?" -- from publisher's description.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

𝑂𝑑𝑖𝑙𝑒

kayla

Lindy

But I think I was also holding on to the loss, to the emptiness of the house itself, as though to affirm that it was better to be alone than to be stuck with people who were supposed to love you, yet couldn't.

Caitlin

Caroline 

There she is, a human being, diving into the unknown, and she is wide awake. 

Grace Bennett

avarni

Rejection, I have found, can be the only antidote to delusion.

llikaditoo 

Jas 🐸

myldaa

The art world had turned out to be like the stock market, a reflection of political trends and the persuasions of capitalism, fueled by greed and gossip and cocaine.

Life was fragile and fleeting and one had to be cautious, sure, but I would risk death if it meant I could sleep all day and become a whole new person. 

moira

 ★

“I did crave attention, but I refused to humiliate myself by asking for it. I’d be punished if I showed signs of suffering, I knew. So I was good. I did all the right things. I rebelled in silent ways, with my thoughts.”

coco

Lucia 

silke

Kate

Matthew Soeder

Steph

I, too, would like to have a year of rest and relaxation. This is my first Ottessa Moshfegh's book and if I weren't as desensitized, I'd probably be shocked at the way she writes because she does not hold back. Like Melissa Broder, she holds nothing back. Every intrusive thought she has, she pens it down. In a way, I like how liberating it is to read about women writing as freely as they can and it's nice to know that I'm not the only one with these thoughts. What makes this book difficult to digest is that our narrator is not a well-liked person. There are so many instances where I feel like I want to shake her and tell her not to be such a brat. The way she treats her best friend is problematic, definitely not someone you should be friend with. But at the same time I can empathise with her. Especially her very complicated relationship with her mom. The narrator has drawn lessons from her mother's lack of affection during childhood and struggles with drug use. Which is why she grew up to be the person she is. And that therapist of hers infuriates me. I can imagine how many people were misdiagnosed due to incompetency and perhaps the narrator can heal from her trauma if only she goes to a better therapist.

'When I'd slept enough, I'd be okay. I'd be renewed, reborn.' This is the story of a woman with no name. Young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, she lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like everything else, by her inheritance. Yet she longs to lose herself completely. It's the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong? My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a savagely funny novel of a woman looking out from the abyss.

matei

It's early 2000 on New York City's Upper East Side, and the alienation of Moshfegh's unnamed young protagonist from others is nearly complete when she initiates her yearlong siesta, during which time she experiences limited personal interactions. Her parents have died; her relationships with her bulimic best friend Reva, an ex-boyfriend, and her drug-pushing psychiatrist are unwholesome. As her pill-popping intensifies, so does her isolation and determination to leave behind the world's travails. She is also beset by dangerous blackouts induced by a powerful medication.

My year of rest and relaxation

Jennifer

This book was...interesting. I didn’t realize this wasn’t a real memoir until 20% way through. Also, Trevor is the worst. This book is about grief? Death? Friendship? Loneliness? But ends with 9/11? I have no idea what to say about this. I really wanted to find out what happened at the end but I am struggling to describe it. It’s not a bad book but I don’t know who I would recommend this to or why.

Our narrator should be happy, shouldn't she? She's young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, works an easy job at a hip art gallery, lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like the rest of her needs, by her inheritance. But there is a dark and vacuous hole in her heart, and it isn't just the loss of her parents, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her best friend, Reva. It's the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong?

My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a powerful answer to that question. Through the story of a year spent under the influence of a truly mad combination of drugs designed to heal our heroine from her alienation from this world, Moshfegh shows us how reasonable, even necessary, alienation can be. Both tender and blackly funny, merciless and compassionate, it is a showcase for the gifts of one of our major writers working at the height of her powers.

Darkly funny and so sharp it could cut glass

Tarik

Nadine MacDonald

YES ugh. this book is a new favourite. I at first wondered if I was supposed to pity the main character as the reader…. but by the end I aspired to be this woman. She did what she wanted to and did it without shame despite what’s socially acceptable. And the last line of the book? beautiful. loved it so much

FROM THE MAN BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR OF EILEEN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Savage, funny, frequently on the verge of teetering into lunacy... My Year of Rest and Relaxationis a non-negotiable in your holiday carry-on this summer' Vogue It's the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong? Our narrator has many of the advantages of life- Young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, she lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like everything else, by her inheritance. But there is a vacuum at the heart of things, and it isn't just the loss of her parents in college, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her alleged best friend. Blackly funny, both merciless and compassionate - dangling its legs over the ledge of 9/11 - My Year of Rest and Relaxationis a showcase for the gifts of one of America's major young writers.

It felt like being inside someone else’s fucked up mind instead of my own for a while. And it was beautiful. 

Brittnee Coffmen

FROM THE MAN BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR OF EILEEN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Savage, funny, frequently on the verge of teetering into lunacy... My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a non-negotiable in your holiday carry-on this summer' Vogue It’s the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong? Our narrator has many of the advantages of life: Young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, she lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like everything else, by her inheritance. But there is a vacuum at the heart of things, and it isn’t just the loss of her parents in college, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her alleged best friend. Blackly funny, both merciless and compassionate – dangling its legs over the ledge of 9/11 – My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a showcase for the gifts of one of America’s major young writers.

i really enjoyed the 2nd half of this book more than the first. i have a deep connection to the way the writer speaks about art especially. the ending was captivating and just something about this it was just what i needed to read at this time in my life.

Danielle Naurayan

Is it good ? Is it not ? I was entranced by it is how far I can go into details 

Claire Maguet

Isabella

if a dream (both the good and the bad)came to me, this is the book.

wdds.

probably read this at the wrong time bc i learned nothing

margo

ao mesmo tempo que eu admiro a habilidade da autora em me prender na  história onde nada acontece, eu também esperava mais. 

é uma leitura interessante, e tem uma infinidade de referências que eu gostaria de ter entendido mais a fundo apesar de estar longe de ser uma herdeira nova iorquina viciada em pílulas e à beira de um colapso. 

estar dentro da consciência da personagem me fez, sem querer, ter uma certa simpatia por ela. mesmo achando que a maioria dos problemas dela eram auto infligidos, obviamente, dá pra deslumbrar um pouco da mentalidade dela e sentir as feridas que ela, apesar de ter “tudo”, não conseguiu abafar. até pq nenhuma pessoa sã passa um ano se auto medicando pra dormir e se desligar da experiência humana. 

no final, ela era tanto humana quanto era fútil.  

Nicole Hart

ao mesmo tempo que eu admiro a habilidade da autora em me prender na  história onde nada acontece, eu também esperava mais. 

é uma leitura interessante, e tem uma infinidade de referências que eu gostaria de ter entendido mais a fundo apesar de estar longe de ser uma herdeira nova iorquina viciada em pílulas e à beira de um colapso. 

estar dentro da consciência da personagem me fez, sem querer, ter uma certa simpatia por ela. mesmo achando que a maioria dos problemas dela eram auto infligidos, obviamente, dá pra deslumbrar um pouco da mentalidade dela e sentir as feridas que ela, apesar de ter “tudo”, não conseguiu abafar. até pq nenhuma pessoa sã passa um ano se auto medicando pra dormir e se desligar da experiência humana. 

no final, ela era tanto humana quanto era fútil.  

Was a hit second time around, years later lol. I also wish I could sleep for a year. 

Kyra Cracchiola

i never wanted to read this. it is a “hot girl” book. i hate that term. but i loved this. however, do not associate me with the “hot” or “it” girls

nattie

A very funny, cynical character study of our unnamed narrator (who I'll call MC) as she attempts the implausible: a full year of sleeping to emerge a changed and healthier woman.

Ottessa Moshfegh is pretty hilarious, creating a non-killer that still gives me heavy Patrick Bateman vibes. MC lacks the self-doubt Patrick has, but she matches his delusions and cynicism. Her depression is shoved down your throat but you don't care to see her cured of it -- it's going to be one of those kinds of rides.

Right from the get-go, it's obvious MC won't be learning anything of substance on this journey, "successful" or not. She's vain, cruel, oblivious, and shortsighted. Emptysighted, really, she has no goal other than to sleep; and what is that, even? How can a main character have that "ambition"? Well, Moshfegh makes a fun trip out of MC's attempts to zero thanks to the colorful cast and vivid trips down memory lane.

I liked MC's dry humor, Dr. Tuttle's ADHD antics and thoughts, and Reva's horrible attempts at pity parties. Their friendship is a painful one that's seemingly necessary for both women, and I really liked their miserable banter. I also really liked the twist of what Infermiterol begins to do to MC; finally, a bit of action that isn't internalized or a conversation on the couch.

I was disappointed with where things ended. If you're American, you already know based on the timeline and locations mentioned what will end up happening to at least one character; honestly, I don't think that matters all too much, either. MC's emotional reaction to the event was bizarre (and somewhat understandable) but hardly fitting of a finishing point. Why tie the ending to it? That lost me.

I was sad to see Trevor only show up almost entirely in flashbacks, and when he does appear, it's for about 1 page. Ping Xi seems somewhat interesting and it's sad that most of his interactions happen off-page.

I see a lot of wasted potential with this book, but it's still really funny and a great display of talent worthy of the read. I think Moshfegh created a world that's slightly 

 ambitious for a character whose goal is to do nothing, which is pretty impressive considering how lean things are. Also, Infermiterol episodes could have appeared slightly sooner from a pacing perspective. It's a fast read, thankfully.

I recommend "My Year of Rest and Relaxation".

Evan

A very funny, cynical character study of our unnamed narrator (who I'll call MC) as she attempts the implausible: a full year of sleeping to emerge a changed and healthier woman.

  

Ottessa Moshfegh is pretty hilarious, creating a non-killer that still gives me heavy Patrick Bateman vibes. MC lacks the self-doubt Patrick has, but she matches his delusions and cynicism. Her depression is shoved down your throat but you don't care to see her cured of it -- it's going to be one of those kinds of rides.

Right from the get-go, it's obvious MC won't be learning anything of substance on this journey, "successful" or not. She's vain, cruel, oblivious, and shortsighted. Emptysighted, really, she has no goal other than to sleep; and what is that, even? How can a main character have that "ambition"? Well, Moshfegh makes a fun trip out of MC's attempts to zero thanks to the colorful cast and vivid trips down memory lane.

  

I liked MC's dry humor, Dr. Tuttle's ADHD antics and thoughts, and Reva's horrible attempts at pity parties. Their friendship is a painful one that's seemingly necessary for both women, and I really liked their miserable banter. I also really liked the twist of what Infermiterol begins to do to MC; finally, a bit of action that isn't internalized or a conversation on the couch.

  

I was disappointed with where things ended. If you're American, you already know based on the timeline and locations mentioned what will end up happening to at least one character; honestly, I don't think that matters all too much, either. MC's emotional reaction to the event was bizarre (and somewhat understandable) but hardly fitting of a finishing point. Why tie the ending to it? That lost me.

I was sad to see Trevor only show up almost entirely in flashbacks, and when he does appear, it's for about 1 page. Ping Xi seems somewhat interesting and it's sad that most of his interactions happen off-page.

  

I see a lot of wasted potential with this book, but it's still really funny and a great display of talent worthy of the read. I think Moshfegh created a world that's slightly too ambitious for a character whose goal is to do nothing, which is pretty impressive considering how lean things are. Also, Infermiterol episodes could have appeared slightly sooner from a pacing perspective. It's a fast read, thankfully.

  

I recommend "My Year of Rest and Relaxation".

This is my fave book ever I don't care if its all about sad privilege white girl. It oddly comforts me and I relate to it so much and makes me feel like I am not alone in this mundane boring life. 

Sheila Mae Moradas

this was a pretty interesting read for someone who also wants her life to magically become better but doesn’t know how or where to start. a main character that is hard to connect to, but still offers some relatable inner thoughts (same as reva). the ending left me a bit shook.

Danniella

I read this in one sitting, and it felt like one long fever dream. I just put it down, and I still feel like I’m in it. The whole book engages in heavy topics, so I would not recommend reading this unless you’re in a really great place. However little the setting changes, the book recounts a massive shift that you really have to read to feel in its entirety. The internal dialogue is so funny and bizarre and completely untethered from reality, constructs, and sanity. I have absolutely no idea how this author came up with any of it, but I am glad she did. 

Katie Avila

it was a really good book to start my year with

Vasilisa

A young woman becomes obsessed with sleeping away a year of her life in order to be born anew. This is my third foray into Moshfegh’s famously unreliable and unlikeable narrators, and I’m so pleased to see that I can enjoy living inside her characters thoughts after being supremely disappointed by Death in her Hands. This novel also features a somewhat stream-of-consciousness style inner world of a mostly idle character. Where Death in her Hands revealed extreme anxiety, My Year of Rest and Relaxation seems more about the unnamed main character’s narcissism and cruelty. Despite very little of the book being spent outside of her apartment, this novel kept me riveted. Funny timing for reading this book while trying to heal from burnout, so just premise of sleeping for a year (or more!) is extremely interesting. I did call the plot events at the end, but was surprised that Moshfegh went relatively easy on our protagonist. All for the best, so I can remain jealous of this method of self progression. Good thing infermiterol is made up ;)

constance

interesting character study, but that’s about it. the only thing i found worth reading was the relationship between the narrator and reva. extremely slow at the beginning, but it picks up towards the middle. it wasn’t very funny, i only laughed twice. the psychiatrist character and the whoopi goldberg tangents were especially unfunny. eye-roll worthy ending.

Emilia Noel

tall blonde pretty pretentious, 4 words to describe. the main character. i do find her an interesting exhibit to watch and channel, but i find the book helps her hide the way she acts around other people , it makes her seem more detached than she actually seems to be

Zaya Purev

This book made me deeply uncomfortable, yet I couldn't stop reading.

It was written very accurately to the emotional state of someone who was filled with dreariness and a desire to sleep away her grief.

What an interesting take on loss and sadness.

Still not my favorite, but it was interesting.

Sarah Campbell

This book made me deeply uncomfortable, yet I couldn't stop reading.
It was written very accurately to the emotional state of someone who was filled with dreariness and a desire to sleep away her grief.
What an interesting take on loss and sadness.
Still not my favorite, but it was interesting.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

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