My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
| My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh | |
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| Category: Literary Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Heather Magee
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| Summary: A modern classic exploring a veritable stew of themes such as female friendship, existential ennui and mental illness; best consumed with a pinch of salt. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 304 | Date: May 2019 |
| Publisher: Vintage | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1784707422 | |
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At best, this novel is a scathing critique of modern society and reveals the fragility of human relationships; at worst, it is the cynical, predictable and slightly trite tale of an unlikeable protagonist. This unlikely heroine, a slim, attractive and newly orphaned girl in her twenties is disillusioned with the world, but resolves not to lose sleep over it: in fact, her solution lies in her hibernation.
When she isn't in a deep, self-medicated slumber, our unnamed protagonist spends her time wishing she were asleep, visiting her comedically incompetent psychiatrist and cursing her closest and only friend, Reva, for her frequent and unwanted visits to her increasingly disorderly New York apartment. Largely set in the year 2000, Moshfegh effectively captures the zeitgeist of this time, with many references to the protagonist's beloved VCR from which she absorbs films from the 90s and the familiar sounding news headlines peppered throughout the narrative which have been anonymised by Moshfegh. These tricks, however, do little to mask the final 'twist' of the story, so that, unfortunately, the ending is actually quite predictable.
The story is told in the first person, letting the reader in on the narrator's innermost thoughts and musings. The effect is that she becomes quite unlikeable, especially in the way she squanders both her inherited wealth and Reva's faithful friendship in the selfish pursuit of a total desensitisation to life's cruelties and contradictions. It is clear that this year off is supposed to culminate in self-betterment, and her unlikeability is sort of softened by our reluctant and confused sympathy, as it is always painfully unclear why she has put herself in this situation. The only clues are her repressed grief for the death of her parents and her apathy towards the modern world. Beyond this, there is always the suggestion that something else is deeply wrong with the world- and she wants out. There is a lot of repetition in this book, to the effect that it may put a strain on the narrative, making it lull and drop in several stages. The premise of a hibernating narrator isn't the recipe for an adventure-filled plot, but Moshfegh could've introduced a few new characters in order to maintain the reader's interest throughout.
In conclusion, while My Year of Rest and Relaxation offers a sharp critique of modern society's alienation and emotional numbness, it is also a novel that risks alienating its own readers. The protagonist's apathy and selfishness, though intentionally crafted, can make her difficult to root for, and the repetitive nature of the narrative sometimes dulls its impact. Nevertheless, Moshfegh's dark humour and astute portrayal of a world on the brink of the new millennium resonate throughout the book, leaving readers with a lingering sense of unease. Though the plot may falter, the novel ultimately succeeds in provoking thought about the ways we cope—or fail to cope—with the world around us. Readers might also enjoy Acting Up by Melissa Nathan, chick-lit which has a similarly acerbic and judgemental tone from its narrator.
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