Minnie's Fiction Addiction

✨ Unflinching, unsettling, and unforgettable, Ottessa Moshfegh is the queen of writing women who are gloriously weird, difficult, and disturbingly real.

⚠️ Content Note: Moshfegh’s works frequently contain depictions of depression, substance abuse, violence, disturbing imagery, and morally complex characters. Reader discretion advised.

Ottessa Moshfegh has carved out a space in contemporary literature where the grotesque and the tender sit side by side. Known for her razor-sharp prose and her unapologetically unlikable heroines, she challenges the reader to look at what is ugly, awkward, or uncomfortable, and to stay there. Her books aren’t about being likable; they’re about being honest.

Who is Ottessa Moshfegh?

Born in 1981 in Boston, Massachusetts, Moshfegh is the daughter of a Croatian mother and an Iranian father of Jewish descent, both musicians. This multicultural heritage brings a unique perspective to her work, blending different cultural sensibilities with her sharp literary voice. She studied English at Barnard College and later earned her MFA from Brown University. Her mixed cultural background, along with her training in music and literature, deeply informs the rhythm and sharpness of her writing.

Her rise in the literary world was quick: with her novella McGlue (2014) she won both the Fence Modern Prize in Prose and the Believer Book Award, and she’s since become one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary fiction.

Literary Influences & Style

Moshfegh draws inspiration from masters of psychological realism like Clarice Lispector and Jean Rhys, crafting prose that’s both brutally honest and unexpectedly lyrical. Her writing shares DNA with contemporary authors like Rachel Kushner and Hanya Yanagihara in its unflinching examination of difficult characters.

Essential Reads: Moshfegh Difficulty Scale

🌟 Best Starting Point: My Year of Rest and Relaxation (2018)

Intensity Level: 3/5 | Publication: 2018

Perhaps her most famous work, this cult classic follows an unnamed narrator who attempts to sleep away her life in the pursuit of renewal. Equal parts bleak and hilarious, it cemented Moshfegh as the voice of the millennial “weird girl.” Perfect entry point for new readers – darkly funny without being overwhelming.

🏆 Award Winner: Eileen (2015)

Intensity Level: 4/5 | Publication: 2015

Moshfegh’s debut novel won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Set in 1960s Massachusetts, it follows Eileen, a deeply disturbed young woman working in a prison, whose life takes a dark turn after meeting a magnetic stranger. More psychologically complex than My Year.

📚 For Experienced Readers: Death in Her Hands (2020)

Intensity Level: 4/5 | Publication: 2020

A surreal and haunting novel about an elderly woman who discovers a mysterious note in the woods. Part murder mystery, part meditation on loneliness, it’s as strange and slippery as its narrator. Requires patience with unreliable narration.

⚔️ Most Challenging: Lapvona (2022)

Intensity Level: 5/5 | Publication: 2022

A medieval fable drenched in grotesque imagery, Lapvona shocked readers with its brutality, but beneath the gore lies a meditation on faith, power, and human cruelty. It shows Moshfegh’s range beyond the modern weird girl narrative. Not for the squeamish.

🚢 The Foundation: McGlue (2014)

Intensity Level: 3/5 | Publication: 2014

Her first novella, the drunken and violent tale of a sailor accused of murder, showcases her early fascination with unreliable narrators and moral decay. This work established her literary reputation by winning both the Fence Modern Prize in Prose and the Believer Book Award. Short but impactful.

If You Like These Authors, Try Moshfegh

• Fans of Gillian Flynn → Start with Eileen
• Lovers of Elena Ferrante → Try My Year of Rest and Relaxation
• Readers of Sylvia Plath → Begin with Death in Her Hands
• Devotees of Angela Carter → Jump to Lapvona

Why Read Moshfegh? (My Take)

Her work isn’t for the faint of heart, it’s dark, visceral, and often deliberately off-putting. But that’s the beauty of it. She writes about people who feel left out of society’s neat categories: the ugly, the depressed, the morally compromised, the socially awkward. In a world obsessed with polish and likability, Moshfegh makes the case for the strange, the grotesque, and the painfully real.

What draws me to her writing is how she makes the uncomfortable feel universal. Her characters are deeply flawed, yet somehow relatable in their messiness and contradictions.

Controversial Take

Moshfegh’s protagonists aren’t “empowered” in any traditional sense, and that’s precisely what makes them powerful. They reject the pressure to be likable or aspirational, choosing instead to be authentically difficult.

Book Club Discussion Starters

• How do Moshfegh’s unreliable narrators affect your reading experience?
• What role does class consciousness play across her works?
• Are her protagonists victims, villains, or something more complex?
• How does Moshfegh use physical descriptions to reveal character psychology?

Reading Order Recommendations

For Dark Comedy Lovers: My Year → Eileen → McGlue → Death in Her Hands → Lapvona

For Literary Fiction Readers: Eileen → Death in Her Hands → My Year → Lapvona → McGlue

For Horror/Gothic Fans: McGlue → Lapvona → Eileen → Death in Her Hands → My Year

Have you read Ottessa Moshfegh? Which book was your entry point? Share your thoughts in the comments below!