Eileen: A Novel

Dark and disturbing. And kind of gross at times. I was more enthralled with the writing style than I was with the story or the characters. It was interesting on some level because I knew that there was something going to happen at the end. Not for the faint of heart.

Fantastic book. I identified with the narrator a lot. The mood is fantastic, just what I look for in a book. The ending wasn't quite there in terms of what the rest of the book was. Anyways, great book, I love the author, have read all her work and it's all great.

I actually wanted to burn this book when I finished. I felt like I trudged through some dim witted morose boring emo teenager/young adult's diary. This had been on my list of books I wanted to read thanks to some article I read somewhere, and then I saw David Sedaris when he came to town and he RAVED about it, saying it was "DARK. So very dark" Welp, I cannot imagine what he would think of the books I consider dark. This is not dark it is completely boring. It's a lesson in how to put a book down when your gut tells you to do so.

Eileen gives you incite into the mind of a develpoing psychopath. From childhood you see the trauma that he child experienced almost daily, it's continuation through bullying in school to full blown psychosis.
It is a page turner, I did not put it down from start to finish. A must read.

Eileen is a depressed, lonely, abused young woman who meets one person who becomes a friend of sorts and changes her outlook. You feel you understand and know Eileen but there is a stunning surprise where you really get to know her and her strength.

Amazing book. I bought it after David Sedaris recommended it. The description of the feelings and thoughts of a barely grown woman, condemned to a menial life in a forgotten town, is accurate, poignant, endearing and in the same time, heartbreaking. An abandoned and emotionally abused odd looking girl with an inner world of her own, acting out by destroying nice things and stealing goods, who meets an improbable socialite who lands as the educator in the juvenile prison...well, that's quite a combo.

The main character, Eileen, is so odd and unexpectedly raw. We read it for our book club and all of us loved it, however, this is NOT a book club type of book. If you are sensitive to explicit language then this is not the book for you.

I liked it at first. Dark humor. Eventually repetitive tales of drunk dad, and her negative megalomania just got boring. Nothing happened for,two,thirds (or more) but whining. Then what does happen is preposterous. I don't really understand how this book received so much praise. But I'm starting to find out, that I don't like books that win prizes. Esp. Booker. They always have stilted language...too spare. Not rich....

Eileen Dunlop works in a boy’s prison outside of Boston in the early 1960s. She is socially and sexually immature. She lives with her alcoholic father in a depressingly rundown house. Her father verbally abuses her and seems to live on nothing but whiskey. At work she dreams of building a relationship with a guard at the prison but actually has never really spoken to him. She is looked down upon by her fellow workers and has covert erotic thoughts about some of the imprisoned boys. Her life is so depressing that she makes plans to move and start again in New York City. Then, into her life walks Rebecca, a beautiful and stylish new teacher in the prison. Eileen feels like she develops a bond with Rebecca and becomes infatuated with her- like a girl crush. Christmas eve Rebecca invites Eileen to her house for some drinks. Then everything changes and not necessarily for the good.
EILEEN is a brilliant debut novel. The plot very much meanders along as we learn more and more about Eileen’s depressing existence. With Eileen being our first person narrator, we wonder if she is unreliable. There is an underlying tension throughout the book giving a sense of foreboding that something terrible is going to happen. With the character rich and languid plot and the tense atmosphere, I was reminded of the suspense novels of Daphne Du Maurier. This is an utterly compelling literary crime novel and has deservedly been longlisted for the Man Booker Award, as well as, shortlisted for the Creasey Debut Dagger Award of Great Britain’s Crime Writers Association. Highly recommended.

Depressing read with the main character being completely unlikable. Kept waiting for something to develop and was only in the final chapter that the plot got interesting. Sorry, just think it was over rated.

I liked the raw feelings, described without sugar coating. However, I was left with numerous questions: yes Eileen managed to get away and have a better life. But what made it better? What happened to her father? Her sister?

Eileen Dunlop works in a boy’s prison outside of Boston in the early 1960s. She is socially and sexually immature. She lives with her alcoholic father in a depressingly rundown house. Her father verbally abuses her and seems to live on nothing but whiskey. At work she dreams of building a relationship with a guard at the prison but actually has never really spoken to him. She is looked down upon by her fellow workers and has covert erotic thoughts about some of the imprisoned boys. Her life is so depressing that she makes plans to move and start again in New York City. Then, into her life walks Rebecca, a beautiful and stylish new teacher in the prison. Eileen feels like she develops a bond with Rebecca and becomes infatuated with her- like a girl crush. Christmas eve Rebecca invites Eileen to her house for some drinks. Then everything changes and not necessarily for the good.
EILEEN is a brilliant debut novel. The plot very much meanders along as we learn more and more about Eileen’s depressing existence. With Eileen being our first person narrator, we wonder if she is unreliable. There is an underlying tension throughout the book giving a sense of foreboding that something terrible is going to happen. With the character rich and languid plot and the tense atmosphere, I was reminded of the suspense novels of Daphne Du Maurier. This is an utterly compelling literary crime novel and has deservedly been longlisted for the Man Booker Award, as well as, shortlisted for the Creasey Debut Dagger Award of Great Britain’s Crime Writers Association. Highly recommended.

Depressing read with the main character being completely unlikable. Kept waiting for something to develop and was only in the final chapter that the plot got interesting. Sorry, just think it was over rated.

I liked the raw feelings, described without sugar coating. However, I was left with numerous questions: yes Eileen managed to get away and have a better life. But what made it better? What happened to her father? Her sister?

This book is cleverly written, with the main character gently portrayed. I can understand why it was shortlisted, but I can also understand why it didn't win. The focus is on a character who at times is less believable, and some of the minor characters are sometimes opaque. I wasn't gripped, sometimes enchanted, but more often looking for plot which didn't come. Maybe I was expecting more, the book was very satisfactory but not outstanding.

Eileen Dunlap is a twenty something woman whose more like a girl without the confidence from her horrible home life. Anyone from New England will instantly recognize the small town setting in the winter. Odessa is a hell of a writer, and her first person narration is spot on, especially for the time period where the book is set (1960s). You can feel the darkness approaching, and once it arrives, it's totally plausible, no small feat for such a compact story.

What a great read. Eileen is a character that surprises you at every turn - always taking you someplace you didn't quite expect. Somewhere darker and much more complicated. Moshfegh's writing is a joy to read, but it is Eileen herself who I won't soon forget. I only wish I could spend more than 260 pages with her.

Very interesting story--Eileen is a somewhat unlikable character but her story draws you in--even though I thoroughly disliked her as a character, there was some part of me that kept hoping she could escape and find a better life

Very disturbing subject matter. Very well written with great insight and suspense. It is not an enjoyable read as the principal character is a young alcoholic. All characters are in pitiful circumstances.

Story kept me guessing, what was going to happen? The character was interesting but I never enjoyed her or any of the other characters. But I was addicted to finding out how their lives progressed.
The book is like an accident on the freeway. You can't help but turn and look, or in this case continue reading.

Otessa Moshfegh is brilliant in her detailed description of the troubled young woman Eileen and the drab environment of her house and the prison for boys where she works. I'm a slow reader but the pages of this book kept flipping by. Otessa Moshfeh drew me into the mind of Eileen as she was forced to deal with her emotionally abusive father, her self-loathing and the lingering effects of her mother's death. She plans to escape but is a victim of her own inertia. Then a new coworker joins her at the prison named Rebecca and suddenly everything seems possible.

This had a good story line. It was interesting and moved quickly. The characters were well developed. I would have preferred a more enlightening ending. It left me with wanting to know more about the main character Eileen. She was 58 years old writing her story as a young woman working in the prison.

i prefer well written literature which can make any contents of book interesting. I loved this character she created, the details of the people in the book, the artistic prose of places this book all took place in. i kept thinking I was watching a movie and had to go back to finish it. Thank you to the author for sharing such talent displayed in this book.

Boring boring boring. I should have put it down at 100 pages when I wasn't enjoying it and there were still no plot developments. I probably shouldn't trust good reviews from the AV club anymore (this is strike two after Satin Island).

Slightly disturbing book that I couldn't really put down. Ottessa built up the tension so you knew something was going to happen but you weren't sure what. You had to keep reading to find out. I was left feeling that I wanted to know more.