Summer 2022 was an undeniably large year for authors and readers alike. With TikTok’s sudden “BookTok” explosion prompting thousands to splurge on titles at their local Barnes and Noble,  reading gained a sort of stylistic value, establishing several trendy authors as “aesthetic,” and “in.” Among these authors was literary fiction writer Ottessa Moshfegh, a New England native with a knack for creating excruciatingly unlikeable characters in bizarre scenarios. 

While Moshfegh has been prevalent in the literary world since around 2015, her mainstream fame is primarily a result of her 2018 novel, My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Named Best Book of The Year by Time, The Washington Post, the New York Times, NPR and several other notable publications, My Year of Rest and Relaxation is Moshfegh’s ultimate claim to fame and resurfaced in 2022 as a prime part of TikTok’s reading renaissance. 

Where My Year of Rest and Relaxation — as well as other titles from Moshfegh — separates itself from other popular BookTok titles is the ironic fact that despite its popularity, many readers absolutely hated the novel. Between its utterly intolerable protagonist, redundancy, and a plotline in which very little really happens, many readers not only DNF’d (did not finish) the novel, but also questioned Moshfegh in terms of both morality and literary talent. 

So — what is truly so special about Ottessa Moshfegh? How has a book that so many readers appeared to hate gained such prominent critical acclaim? 

The answer to this, while seemingly counterintuitive, is actually relatively simple: Moshfegh is absolutely phenomenal at capturing humans in their most stripped back, grotesque form. Her appeal, which is almost unsavory in nature, manifests itself in her unique ability to harness the most off-putting and unattractive aspects of human nature, with many of her characters feeling unpolished and generally disagreeable in their own way. 

This quality, which stands out amongst the shiny Emily Henry love stories and smut-like Colleen Hoover titles that also gained traction as a result of BookTok, is ultimately not for everyone. Moshfegh, to put it simply, does not produce easy reads. She does not create glittering, easily digestible characters that indicate clear-cut heroes and villains. She also does not formulate plots with clearly designated points and purposes. Her style, while concise and deeply thought-provoking, is almost murky and oftentimes leaves readers with absolutely no one to truly root for. 

For those who think they might find this distinctive style attractive, Moshfegh has several other novels besides My Year of Rest and Relaxation that could be of interest. Eileen, her 2016 debut novel, follows the twisted life of a juvenile correctional center secretary and her peculiar involvement in a murder cover-up. Lapvona enters the depths of human depravity, telling a dark tale of a 13- year-old boy in the Middle Ages. Other notable works of Moshfegh include Homesick for Another World, Death in Her Hands, and McGlue. 

If you’re interested in delving into a dark, twisted take on humanity’s most unpleasant form, Ottessa Moshfegh might be the author for you. Her writing is jagged and even repulsive at times, however it embodies a world so raw that you might just find yourself questioning your own humanity alongside Moshfegh’s characters.

Written by Emma Ehle, Graphic Design: Noa Shrikhande, Social Media: Camila Ponce