Contains minor spoilers, but trust me this book is still full of disgusting surprises waiting to be discovered.
What can I say? This book was truly disturbing, disgusting, nasty and vile. There’s just one problem. It is masterfully written and I couldn’t put it down. This book will repulse you, but it will also absolutely draw you in and will have you wondering what the actual f is wrong with you. Why are you still reading this?
This strange twisted story takes place in a fictional medieval fiefdom called Lapvona. Quite possibly hell on earth, Lapvona is full of human depravity and selfish disgusting people who treat each other horribly, while frequently worrying about whether they will go to heaven or not. There truly is not one likable character in this entire novel.
The story mainly follows Marek, a strange little boy with a twisted spine and other deformities, brought on by his mothers attempt to abort him. Marek lives with his abusive father Jude, and is desperate to be loved, unfortunately for Marek no-one in Lapvona is capable of this. The only possible exception is the elderly village midwife Ina, who nursed Marek and still tolerates him. Please don’t feel bad for Marek, he’s just as depraved as the rest of the Lapvonians.
I can not stress enough how disturbing this novel is. There are scenes that made me shutter and I’m no stranger to disturbing books. Honestly, I’m surprised I haven’t seen this title featured more on “Most Disturbing Book” lists and videos across Booktok and Bookstagram.
Here are some of the things I found most disturbing:
- An elderly woman nursing a village full of grown men
- Marek’s relationship with Ina
- A scene involving a grape and an anus.
- Teenage Marek trying to nurse from literally any woman he comes in contact with
- When Jude’s penis is described as “greasy”
- When Ina replaces her eyes with a horses eyes
- When Jude regurgitates a “roasted” pinky toe
Don’t worry, I haven’t given everything away. It gets much worse.
There’s just something about Ottessa Moshfegh’s writing, that allows her to present you with this horrific maggot infested corpse of a story and dare you to look away, knowing that you won’t be able to. For how grotesque this story is, it is wholly entertaining in its depiction of human debauchery and with its notes of wicked humor. Each one of Lapvona’s atrocities is laid out with such ease that it reads as nothing more than an organic piece of the story rather than an insert meant for shock value.
Throughout all the chaos of the fictional Lapvona, the novel offers a rumination on human behavior. The people of Lapvona are desperate to believe in a caring higher power, whether that be God or the Lord on the Hill. Despite their utter disregard of each other, they must believe that there is a loving god waiting for them after death, and they are willing to suffer for it. Jude and Marek are two such characters who fully embrace their suffering, even taking a perverse pleasure in it. Marek relishes his father’s beatings, as he believes it makes him more worthy of God’s love.
Meanwhile, on the hill, Villiam is a caricature-like medieval lord, who is delusional in his belief that absolutely everything (including the death of his son) is orchestrated as a means to entertain him. He uses Marek, along with his servants, in an odd and exhausting game to delight and distract him from his otherwise constant boredom. Villiam is a shell of a person, who does not exist beyond his whims. While, the towns people below suffer from drought and starvation, he swims in his moat and feasts with the town’s priest Father Barnabas.
Honestly, I think I would need to read this book several times to really understand the finer points and observations that can be made in regards to the lives of the Lapvonians. Do I have the stomach for a repeat read? Probably not.
This isn’t a book I would necessarily recommend to anyone, but if you’re anything like me, you will read this book simply because you heard that it is disturbing, disgusting, nasty and vile. Please don’t think I “liked” this book, without first knowing that I was repulsed by it and if you do choose to read it, please look up content warnings, there are many.
The ones I can think of are: Violence, child abuse, self harm, cannibalism, rape, murder and animal cruelty, but I’m sure there are some I’m missing.
On the other hand if you can get past the content warnings and want to be delightedly disturbed, then I absolutely recommend this book, I rated it 4/5 stars myself.
I’d love to hear what other readers think, did you read Lapvona? If so, would you recommend it others?