By Ottessa Moshfegh
This book is about an older widow, alones in the woods around her house, who finds a note claiming to mark and name a dead body. The catch is that there is no body to be found. Where is she? What happened to her? Why? By whom? And so begins the spiral into madness of Vesta Gul trying to figure these things out.
I was not a fan of this one. It is a very rambling narrative exclusively from Vesta’s less than sane point of view. I believe part of the point of the piece is to see how her mind works, but I don’t appreciate seeing the cogs fit into place. I begin by thinking she is a lonely, older woman, struggling to find her place without her dominant husband. Then I think she needs to seek a professional for help with her mental faculties. Ultimately, I think she needs to be in a facility that aids in her physical circumstances in addition to her mental state. I may have missed the mark, or I may just not be the audience for this book, but either way – not my cup of tea.
I did appreciate how Vesta is able to give clear pictures of the few other characters in the book just by her impressions. I liked her interactions with technology and how her insecurity there also forms more of the story. I was puzzled by her relationship with her dog, Charlie, and angry with her how that ended. I was frustrated with the progress of the investigation into Magda. Overall, not one I will be recommending.
Pros & Cons & Potential Spoilers
Pros
- Charlie the Dog
- The location, a former Girl Scout Camp, lends itself to spooky intrigue and dead bodies to me
- The premise – what would you do if you found a note claiming someone was dead?
Cons
- No resolution to Madga (or any real progress at all)
- Lack of resolution to Walter (her dead husband), Charlie, the neighbors…do you see where I am going here?
- What actually happens to Vesta at the end?