'Homesick for Another World' by Ottessa Moshfegh is a collection of dark and edgy short stories that delve into the lives of misfits and outcasts. The stories feature homely, unfortunate characters longing for better lives but never achieving them, often with no real resolution. Moshfegh's writing style is described as savage, raw, and disconcerting, with a focus on off-putting details that create a tawdry and depressing atmosphere, yet the stories are well-written and effective in conveying meaningful themes.
The book presents a range of odd, revolting, and flawed characters, each story offering a unique and perceptive look into the underbelly of humanity. Moshfegh's storytelling is darkly humorous, with elements of surrealism and grounded in everyday life, making the collection a compelling exploration of human nature through unconventional and twisted perspectives.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Triggers and content warnings include themes of addiction, self-harm, mental illness, domestic issues, and explicit language.
From The Publisher:
A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of 2017
An electrifying first collection from one of the most exciting short story writers of our time
"I can't recall the last time I laughed this hard at a book. Simultaneously, I'm shocked and scandalized. She's brilliant, this young woman."-David Sedaris
Ottessa Moshfegh's debut novel Eileen was one of the literary events of 2015. Garlanded with critical acclaim, it was named a book of the year by The Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle, nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award, short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, and won the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction. But as many critics noted, Moshfegh is particularly held in awe for her short stories. Homesick for Another World is the rare case where an author's short story collection is if anything more anticipated than her novel.
And for good reason. There's something eerily unsettling about Ottessa Moshfegh's stories, something almost dangerous, while also being delightful, and even laugh-out-loud funny. Her characters are all unsteady on their feet in one way or another; they all yearn for connection and betterment, though each in very different ways, but they are often tripped up by their own baser impulses and existential insecurities. Homesick for Another World is a master class in the varieties of self-deception across the gamut of individuals representing the human condition. But part of the unique quality of her voice, the echt Moshfeghian experience, is the way the grotesque and the outrageous are infused with tenderness and compassion. Moshfegh is our Flannery O'Connor, and Homesick for Another World is her Everything That Rises Must Converge or A Good Man is Hard to Find. The flesh is weak; the timber is crooked; people are cruel to each other, and stupid, and hurtful. But beauty comes from strange sources. And the dark energy surging through these stories is powerfully invigorating. We're in the hands of an author with a big mind, a big heart, blazing chops, and a political acuity that is needle-sharp. The needle hits the vein before we even feel the prick.
Ratings (12)
Loved It (3) | |
Liked It (6) | |
It Was OK (1) | |
Did Not Like (2) |
Reader Stats (42):
Read It (11) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (27) | |
Not Interested (3) |
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About the Author:
Ottessa Moshfegh is a fiction writer from New England. Eileen, her first novel, was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Man Booker Prize, and won the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction. My Year of Rest and…
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