Lapvona

Moshfegh is an immensely talented author, as shocking as she is compelling. She seems to revel in depravity, does not shy away from crude animalistic bodily needs, and hence succeeds in creating worlds you definitely don't want to live in, but nonetheless you can't look away from. Lapvona is, however, a departure for Moshfegh in two respects: first, it is set in a fictitious, presumably medieval era, as opposed to the contemporary US of her prior works; next, it is narrated in the third person, allowing for a much greater range of perspectives (previously, the first person was deployed). Life in Lapvona is Hobbesian. Whether it's an allegory for the modern world is open to debate. There's rape, incest, dismemberment, theft, and corruption. It is hard to feel love for any of the characters, and nor do they seem to love each other. The role or purpose of both religion and superstition are left open to debate by Moshfegh. Even if there is a slight tendency to cliché in Lapvona (the feudal lord, the village witch, etc.), Moshfegh succeeds in creating an immersive world. However grotesque, the reader feels compelled to continue to its shocking conclusion.

By Ottessa Moshfegh