"Lapvona" by Ottessa Moshfegh is a grotesque, darkly mesmerizing plunge into a medieval fable gone awry. Set in a fictional fiefdom plagued by drought, disease, and superstition, the novel follows Marek, a deformed shepherd’s son, whose twisted bond with his abusive father spirals into a broader tale of corruption and cruelty after a violent act upends their village. Moshfegh’s prose is unflinching—raw and vivid—reveling in bodily decay and moral rot, with a cast of characters both pitiful and repellent. The pacing is deliberate, almost suffocating, and the lack of redemption may alienate some, but her signature bleak humor and fearless world-building make it hypnotic. It’s a brutal, surreal descent—not for the faint-hearted, but a testament to Moshfegh’s singular voice.

I couldn't read this as an ebook for some reason so got it when it came out - enjoyed it but it was very very odd - to be expected and fans of the author will love it!

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

Alas, I don't think that Moshfegh's prose is for me. I understand the author's reasoning behind writing such grotesque works of fiction, but it has reached a point of being gratuitous with little reason other than to shock.

I love Moshfegh and although this was a bit of a departure for her, it was just as delicious to read. The characters, the story and plot are all twisted and unusual and cruel, but everything about it feels so real. Think folk horror meets cult fiction, writing that is truly unlike anyone else out there at the moment.

I adore Ottessa Moshfegh; she can pretty much do nothing wrong in my eyes. However, she is not for everyone – or for the faint of heart – and Lapvona really is an unremittingly bleak novel that probably should come with a brimful of trigger warnings. You may not love it but I did.

Lapvona is a fictional place, unspecified in time, though we seem to be in a dark quasi-Middle Ages fairy tale. The town is in the tight grip of a feudal system where the impoverished labourers of the field are ruled with impunity by both the corrupt church and its villainous landlord.

We focus on Marek, a disabled severely hunchbacked teenage boy, and his heinously abusive father. And over the course of a year, Ottessa unravels the fate and fortunes of this young boy and the inhabitants of the wider town. And what starts out bad gets a whole lot worse…

It’s hard to convey to anyone that a novel filled with violence, rape, abuse, corruption, exploitation, pestilence, cannibalism, drought, death, suffering, gouging, and murder might actually be good but this s where Ottessa’s craft come in.

Perhaps Lapvona lacks the light and shade and sardonic humour that peppered My Year of Rest and Relaxation and the iconic Eileen, but I flew through this book. Nothing feels gratuitous and the suffering seems part of Ottessa’s ambition to consider what the human spirit can take.

It comes as little surprise that this book was written during the pandemic – the corruption of authority, the consideration of the benefits of a mass death to start the population over again all seems a little familiar – yet this is a work that is more than just the product of its time. Ottessa is determined not to give us hope or redemption. There is no salvation coming from either God or our overlords. Lapvona seems very much a work that asks, what are we like with the brakes off? Who are we when civility leave us? What is the true essence of humanity?

And the answer may not be pretty but it’s a phenomenal piece of writing that gets us there.

Great thought provoking read but ultimately super weird for my liking. It definitely had the macabre bleakness that has arguably become her trademark. I so badly wanted to love this novel but unfortunately it was too grossly descriptive at points.

I love Ottessa Moshfegh novels for their dark and twisty themes and Lapnova was no exception. A weird, dark but gripping tale.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

A medieval village houses witchcraft, hypocrisy and the depraved excesses of its lord and master in this dazzling dissection of illusion and reality from the bestselling author of My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
Wild and disturbing, what a horror show!

A one note schlock-fest of degradation, on and on and on.

I should have let the fact that this was apparently ‘a Tik-Tok sensation’ tell me everything I needed to know, and not requested this as an ARC on the basis of that ‘recommendation’

Set in some strange fiefdom, all that is remarkable or memorable about this is that it reads as if the writer had cynically realised that all she had to do was imagine the irredeemable most awful degrading behaviour human beings might be capable of, lace everything with a torrent of excrement, vomit, snot, pus and the like, and the kind of audience that thinks this passes for edginess might siphon it up whooping.

This reads like an early teenage piece of writing designed purely to shock. I imagine that fans of reality TV who like to watch celebrities eat maggots might be its audience.

If ever a book which has garnered praise seems like the living example of that fairy story ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’……………

If this had been written by a man I wonder whether it would even have been published.

Although this wasn't quite the five-star read, I was expecting I still enjoyed it immensely. I wouldn't know how to describe this book to anyone. The premise is bizarre to say the least, with shady characters and vile behaviours. Some truly gross things happen in this story which build specific picture of a time and place and I can't get enough of Moshfegh's writing style, it's completely different to anything else I've read in a while, however, the last 60 pages or so tailed off and didn't; live up to the beginning, but the end did have me screaming "Nooooooo!"

'Lapvona' is a gritty, surreal story, with the defiance and religious grief found in the Bible. It's odd, to put it simply. An odd book that burrows a hole inside, even making it difficult to carry on reading, but where else are you going to find comically weird fiction, disguised behind a sweet little lamb? It's bleak, really. A story that features all of mankind's horrors. From women who cannot speak -- literally -- to the dead imitating the living. I'm not sure if I got 'It', though to be honest, I'm not sure if there was an 'It' to get. The prose is descriptive and gorgeously written, though my stomach was far too weak for it at times.

My first soiree into Moshfegh, and I think I should have settled for something a little less provocative.

DNF at 35% - I think more on me than the book! I'll go back to it with better timing, as I've enjoyed other books of Moshfegh's and don't want to give up so easily!

Great read! This author is a gem.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this title in exchange for my feedback.

Set in a medieval village - filled with witchcraft, natural disasters and lies - Lapnova follows the life of Marek. Born to the sheep farmer Marek lives a very simple life, however it's also a life filled with abuse. When a bad decision alters Mareks life forever he is removed from the life he has always known. Marek moves into the lord's house and assumes the position of the Lord's Son. Whilst in the manor the people of Lapnova, including his true father, are hit by a horrendous drought. The villages faith in the lord and the church are tested, little did they know that the manor in which the lord lives is thriving whilst the villagers perish.

I absolutely adored this book, I don't think I've read a book set in medieval times before but I really want to read more after this book. I loved the examination of the villagers reliance on the church, and the blind faith they have to accept everything the church and the lord of the village say. Despite being quite a simple premise, the book had lots of twists and turns that kept you guessing.

Parts of the book were a bit disturbing. The start with Marek and Ina was very weird and also the section when Ina and Mareks father become desperate to eat was also not very pleasant.

Definitely one to pick up, whether you like historical fiction of not.

This is the third book by Ottessa Moshfegh that I have read, and I have come to the conclusion that her books just aren't for me. I really didn't like this book, although I will say that Moshfegh has a real talent for creating truly horrible characters. Everyone on the page in this one was utterly detestable, which made it difficult to care about their plight. The book follows a year in the village of Lapvona and there isn't a plot really - just a slice of life. The writing was good and had some powerful imagery, but overall I just didn't connect with the story at all, unfortunately.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Moshfegh's latest novel has a nightmarish quality to it, and finishing this novel certainly felt like waking up from a bad dream. Thoroughly engrossing and utterly depraved, but another amazing hit for Moshfegh.

It was hard to rate Lapvona but I think 3.5 stars does it justice. It’s my first Moshfegh book and I didn’t know what to expect except depravity, and you certainly get that here. It’s brutal but also thoughtful as it explores a lot of themes like religion, and the two elements combined makes for a fantastic book, although I was bored at some points as there isn’t really a strong narrative until the end which lowered my rating.

This is the first novel I have read by Otessa Moshfegh.
The story centres around a medieval village called Lapvona and is full of the atypical darkness and disease associated with medieval times. A little to dark and violent perhaps, though a good novel by an acclaimed writer.

This book will divide readers, it is a dark, disturbing and strange read but at the same time it compels you to keep on reading. Very well written, but I am really not sure what it was about and I don't think it would be for everyone.

For curiousity sake I would recommend reading Lapvona.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read Lapvona.