*minor spoilers ahead*
Our unnamed narrator has many advantages in life – she’s young, attractive, and wealthy but her life is not as perfect as it seems. She’s recently lost her parents; she’s treated poorly by her Wall Street boyfriend and has a peculiar relationship with her best friend. As the days go on, life becomes increasingly difficult, and our protagonist looks for a proper break in life.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation is essentially a year of depression and hibernation, as the narrator looks to fully escape the outside world by blocking out every thought and feeling with copious medications. Whilst the premise of the book is simple, I did love the characters’ decision to simply take a year off from life, achieving something the majority of us simply cannot do.
Moshfegh has a nice, easy-to-read style of writing despite discussing depressing topics. It can be repetitive in some parts, but it is relatable enough to keep you going. There are longer chapters in this book which did make the pacing drag, but the read was still enjoyable.
I did find it interesting we never knew the narrator’s name, it added an element of mystery and emphasised that we never really knew who she was and that her unpredictable behaviour was her only reliability. My Year of Rest and Relaxation is not particularly plot-driven but is still focused. It was also unusual for me to still enjoy a book despite not liking any of the characters. They gave me a Gossip Girl vibe, especially due to the New York setting.
There she is, a human being, diving into the unknown, and she is wide awake.
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I found the ending unexpected which was a refreshing way to end the book but, on the whole, I do wish that the character’s depression was explored deeper. Apart from excessive naps and black-out adventures (that we never really heard much about), there isn’t much else that happens in the book. It was an easy, quick read and so I am glad I picked this book up, but I wish there was a bit more depth to it.
3/5 stars
Soph's Library 