Ottessa Moshfegh never disappoints. A raw, fantastical and haunting tragedy that just kept hitting with increasing speed. Some surprisingly humorous moments in an overall heavy novel that feels surreal in its contemporary style.

Disgusting, vile, and disturbing. Saying I loved it feels wrong, but I was utterly fascinated.

Lapvona is very different from Moshfegh’s previous books (I love how she writes unstable women), but I do think it’s her best-written. I’m a huge fan of her prose. It doesn’t follow one character, but an ensemble cast whose lives all intertwine. She somehow constructs a world in which I hate all of the characters and yet find them all incredibly compelling. I would put the book down incredibly annoyed with a character only to come back five minutes later and keep going. The book doesn’t answer all of our questions and has a pretty open-ended conclusion, but I was generally satisfied and felt that it was fitting, especially considering that this is not a book that wants to hold your hand.

As a note, this book contains pretty much every major trigger warning plus a few weird niche ones. If you hate when gross things happen with eyes, I’d skip this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

Welcome to the tragic kingdom, indeed! I'm a huge fan of Ottessa Moshfegh and how much her characters drip with apathy, and Lapvona does not disappoint. I found this novel to be reminiscent of my favorite Edgar Allan Poe story "Hop Frog" in that we see characters that were belittled, ridiculed, and underestimated exact their revenge in various ways. No one character garnered the most sympathy, and most of them were awful and I loved every minute of it. Our main heroes, Marek and Jude were both pitiable and ugly. and you really didn't know who to feel sorry for more. I liked how the book flowed through the seasons, and it did have plot twists I couldn't predict, including one major one at the beginning. Although I'm weary of any fiction that rings Christian religion into it, I loved the satire and irony in the immaculate conception and messiah portions. The moments of comedic relief were perfect among the aura of general disdain and disgust. The ending was great, and it did feel like a certain justice was served among the characters. I would love to see A24 or a similar company turn this into a film or tv show! 5 star read, and can't wait to recommend to others!

This is one of those books that I didn’t particularly enjoy reading but am glad to have read. An exploration of how religion, wealth, and power corrupt from the top down and set against the backdrop of a medieval village, it balances relentlessly dark gruesomeness with an engaging narrative and fascinating characters as only Ottessa Moshfegh can. Gratitude to Penguin Press and NetGalley for the arc.

I’m disappointed. I’m not sure who this book is for, but it certainly isn’t for me. I’m a Moshfegh fan-girl, but Lapvona is a practice in revulsion. Surely that’s the intention, but reading it was so unpleasant that it became a chore. I had to put the book down during Jude’s rape of Agata; I’m not one to clutch pearls, but I already feel disgusted by the sexual abuses exacted upon objectified women throughout history and today, so I don’t need a graphic demonstration. It’s (in my opinion) a weak entry into Moshfegh’s repertoire.

Ottessa Mossfegh does not miss and Lapvona is absolutely no exception. This story is tough but so brilliantly told, much like Mossfegh’s other works. Loved it!

A spellbinding, absolutely brutal yet very funny book. I tore through it. Definitely Moshfegh's best one yet!

I finished this book a while ago, but it took me a bit to gather my thoughts. I wasn't sure how to review it, because the story is so grotesque, so cruel that I didn't enjoy it but couldn't look away? It was like a car wreck, but I'm guessing that is what Ottessa was going for.
The story is super violent and grotesque. If you are not into that, run far away. Living in a medieval village wasn't a picnic by any means, and I think this story does a good job at highlighting that fact. There is no romanticizing nor justice happening, that's for sure. I also liked the multi-layered view of religion in this story. Religion almost forces the villagers to act in wild and violent ways, but it also keeps them sane while the world falls apart around them.
The characters are all awful in their own ways. Just as you start connecting with one, they do something to ruin the connection. Again, I assume this is on purpose, but it is jarring for someone who likes to connect with characters.
Overall, I would only recommend this book for people who enjoy twisted stories with unlikeable characters. I know those people are out there. You'll love it, lol.

Judging from my past reviews of Moshfegh's work, it's clear I'm not the biggest fan. And yet, I keep coming back to read what she puts out next, so there must be something there.

As everyone else has already noted (and as is abundantly clear from the synopsis), this is a departure for Moshfegh and yet so very her that it didn't seem that much of a departure, for some reason. I found this was the book of hers I liked best and yet I couldn't really tell you why. No one in the story was very likeable and there wasn't much plot to speak of, and yet I kept wanting to turn the (digital) pages to see what would happen (or not happen) next.

One of the biggest things that bother me about Moshfegh is that I feel like she writes in a way that's purposely provocative. Like, "Look how graphic/gross/inappropriate I can be!" but for no real purpose. I understand that sometimes people are gross/graphic for no real purpose, but I also feel that this quirk is almost a sign of immature writing in a weird way that makes me roll my eyes pretty much every time I read something by her.

That being said, this was a pretty good read. Parts of it will likely even stick in my memory, though likely not for the reasons Moshfegh would have hoped. I expect this to show up on quite a few Best of 2022 lists later this year, particularly because of the setting, but I don't necessarily know if I think it's deserved.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I read a review of a movie once that talked about how more medieval period pieces/older period pieces should have the people acting deranged from a modern perspective, and I really felt Ottessa nailed it on that, dark dizzying and terrible while also maintaining a really humanity

Incomparably messed up, and even more grotesque. I did not know how much of a deep seated need I had to hate on a bunch of medieval villagers until I read this book, but hoo boy did I ever have one, and this book certainly scratched that unknown itch. It's like absolutely nothing I've ever read before, and though there are a few points that felt like a little much, the grotesqueness always took enough of a turn to make pressing on worthwhile. Moshfegh definitely did not disappoint me here, but other readers should be aware of their own limits before they attempt this one.

This novel is separated into seasons. You follow the town of Lapvona through Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring once more. The town is shrouded in ignorance that runs so deep that even when the villagers are faced with the truth they don't know that's what they are looking at. This is a village steeped in religion, no stranger to the darkness of the human experience, and one you will not be able to forget.

I rolled this book around in my head for the rest of my work day. I could not think of the right words to say besides, "I liked it and can't wait to buy it when it comes out." But it deserves more detail.

Ottessa has a beautiful way of writing characters. They are so vivid it feels like you could reach through the pages and touch one's arm. She creates a world so real you can almost smell it. And what a smell Lapvona would have! Ottessa is a master of tale-twisting. The way the tale of Lapvona folds in on itself is stunning. Personally, I love those small moments of realization; the tiniest bit of connection sparks so much joy within me.

I do not think this book is for everyone. Be warned that unless you like deep characterization in an otherwise mundane (yet vivid) world, you will not like this. This is not for those who enjoy a more fast paced reading experience, nor for someone who enjoys a big twist ending.

I do not want to tell you much about the plot. I think this is a world you need to discover for yourself. However, I would like to leave you with a few quotes I highlighted while reading. These are out of context but provide good insight to the overall vibe of the novel. Protentional spoilers ahead. I will be listing triggers below as well.



Quotes

Spring
"Blood was the wine of the spirit."

Summer
"It didn't bleed, but the hand seemed suddenly more particular to Klim now that it was separated from his arm, as though it had come back to life and could sense its detachment from Klim's body."

"She must have glittered under all his gold."

"Life was chaos."

Winter
"But he'd heard it in his heart, without words, a deep knowing."

"A warm wind was coming in from the south, and it carried with it the strange scent of violets."

Triggers
Cannibalism
Child Abuse
Death
Decay
Famine/Food Insecurity
Fire
Grief
Rape
Self-Harm

I LIKE parables. I LIKE heavy-handed imagery. I LIKE grotesque realism. If they serve a purpose. This book was purposeless. A shame, as I believe the intention was noble but the outcome was ultimately trite and derivative. If you are going to write your own parable out of centuries of established imagery, allusion, and commentary, you must bring something new to the genre. Or make the settings and characters so compelling that it doesn't matter that your story serves no purpose. I appreciate the author's efforts but her talents fell short in this endeavor.

Whenever possible, put the good things about a book or author up front.
Criticize the book, not the author, if you don’t like what you’ve read. Explain why.

This is quiet different for Ottessa Moshfegh, but I am beyond impressed. I can tell this is a book written during the pandemic, it feels congested and feral. The religious symbolism was heavy handed (which I loved when its blatantly obvious and Moshfegh handles it well here) on top of her unhinged characters which is probably what we know her best for. Oh the characters!!! - They were incredibly easy to upon, I felt that as the season passed (which is how the book is broken into) I was slowly building a web of how they evolved to be come the individuals we see in the beginning versus the end. Their characters ARCs were without a doubt "bonkers". It's hard to summarize what makes this book different from all her others because I feel that the list would be long but ultimately this was a historical fiction with again a lot of religious symbolism. It proved to me that Moshfegh can take her writing in any direction and readers like myself will always read it.

Lapvona is one of those books that I’m not quite sure I liked, but I didn’t dislike it. It drew me in with strange fascination. Set in a medieval-like time, Lapvona is a seat held by Villiam, a spoiled and petted lord. And in the town, Marek, a shepherd boy without a mother, becomes the focal point on which the strange happenings of a year happen. It begins with Marek accidentally killing Villiam’s heir, Jacob, and ends with the birth of a so-called Christ Child.

Lapvona plays with human behaviour, examining evil and good, religion and manipulation, and constructing meaning from the world. The characters all have different relationships and understandings of the world - they’re all quite unlikeable but fascinating. This is very messy but an interesting setting for Moshfegh to examine human behaviour.

I’m not sure fans of Moshfegh will enjoy this as much - it’s a departure from her other works, but it is certainly interesting.

This was definitely a disturbing read, and for that reason I had to DNF about 50% of the way through. Moshfegh is a stunning writer, and can conjure vivid imagery and an extremely engaging story. I was really enjoying the book, but unfortunately I just couldn't take all the disturbing imagery--this book isn't for the faint of heart! I would highly recommend this to people who can take it, but that just isn't me!

Ottessa Moshfegh is one of the most consistently interesting authors writing today. Reading her previous work didn't prepare me for this, but I was pleasantly surprised and disturbed by it. Not for the faint of heart for sure.

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh is definitely a disturbing read. It was disgusting but I loved it. I feel like this story could only have been written by Ottessa Moshfegh. If anyone else had written it, I would have probably not enjoyed it. It’s different from her other work but it worked. This is not for the faint of heart and you definitely have to be in a particular mood to enjoy this but it was fantastic.

It's gritty but the writing is thrilling and it kept pulling me into the story. I don't think everyone will love this but fans of Ottessa Moshfegh will get something new out of it and I think that's amazing. I couldn't stop thinking about it days after I finished reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Press for the ARC.

wow – this was certainly moshfegh’s most viscerally disturbing book to date (and i mean this in the best of ways)

set in the fictional and medieval village of lapvona, we see the rise and fall of characters who become corrupted by both greed and faith, while simultaneously displaying heavy bouts of cynicism.

there is a heavy critique on religion and class in this novel, specifically conveyed through the fact that the villagers of lapvona willfully suffer and deem their voluntary suffering as an eternal sacrifice to god, which will ultimately guarantee them a spot in heaven. on the other hand, however, the lord of lapvona lives in extreme wealth and prosperity, being knowingly ignorant that he is the direct cause of the sufferings of his people. to disguise his role and guilt, religion actively is used as an excuse or justification, blaming any bad thing occurring as the “work of the devil”

it was very interesting to read this novel because most typically, moshfegh’s stories are very women-centered. in 𝘓𝘢𝘱𝘷𝘰𝘯𝘢, however, the women characters appear to exist solely for their male counterparts; they act as objects of servitude, pleasure, or entertainment. quite ironically, however, the female characters in the novel are the most rational and often stand as a direct parallel or juxtaposition to the irrationality and absurdity of the male characters

all-in-all, i loved this story. it was disgustingly beautiful – moshfegh’s clear ability to write remains unparalleled, even in such a strong departure from her previous (and incredibly popular) novel 𝘔𝘺 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. i am eager to see the thoughts of moshfegh fans who loved that book, as this one is a complete 180 from it

This is definitely different from the Ottessa Moshfegh novels I've read previously. It doesn't shy away from the gross or unpleasant, and while I don't feel like I understood every element of it perfectly, I enjoyed the way we got to see characters in different roles throughout and the weird, somewhat unreality of it all. It felt almost like a dark fairy tale at times. I would recommend this to readers who liked Hamnet but want something in the same vein that's darker and weirder and those who enjoy this particular time period's themes of royalty and religion and seeing them interrogated.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.