Ottessa Moshfegh
Ottessa Charlotte Moshfegh (; born May 20, 1981) is an American author and novelist. Her debut novel, ''Eileen'' (2015), won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and was a fiction finalist for the National Boo ...
, published by
Penguin Press
Penguin Group is a British trade book publisher and part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. The new company was created by a merger that was finalised on 1 July 2013, with Bertelsmann initial ...
. It is Moshfegh's first novel. It won the
Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award The PEN/Hemingway Award is awarded annually to a full-length novel or book of short stories by an American author who has not previously published a full-length book of fiction. The award is named after Ernest Hemingway and funded by the Hemingway ...
for debut fiction and was shortlisted for the 2016
Man Booker Prize
The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...
and the 2015
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English". The novel was adapted into a 2023 film of the same name.
Plot
Eileen narrates the events of her last week in her home town, a small
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
town she calls X-ville, 50 years previously.
In 1964, 24-year-old Eileen is a
secretary
A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...
at a private
juvenile correctional facility
In criminal justice systems, a youth detention center, known as a juvenile detention center (JDC),Stahl, Dean, Karen Kerchelich, and Ralph De Sola. ''Abbreviations Dictionary''. CRC Press, 20011202. Retrieved 23 August 2010. , . juvenile det ...
for teenage boys, which she calls Moorehead. She lives with her father, a former
police officer
A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...
who is an
alcoholic
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...
and suffers from
paranoia
Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...
where he believes he is being watched. Her mother died several years prior, and her sister Joanie lives a town over and visits sporadically. Eileen is deeply unhappy with her life and her self. She fantasizes about leaving and moving to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
On Friday, Eileen spends her time counting down the clock at her job; fantasizing about Randy, a
prison guard
A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...
she has a crush on; and being annoyed with her fellow secretaries, Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Stephens. The prison
psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...
, Dr. Frye, retires. That evening, Joanie visits briefly.
Eileen spends her last weekend in X-ville similar to most others, buying alcohol for her father, visiting the library, shoplifting from stores, and sitting outside Randy's apartment hoping to see him.
On Monday, the
warden
A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint.
''Warden'' is etymologically identic ...
introduces the new psychiatrist, Dr. Morris, and director of education, Rebecca Saint John. Eileen finds Rebecca beautiful, stylish, and glamorous. She shows Rebecca her locker in the staff room and they briefly banter. Eileen is thrilled to have finally found a friend.
That afternoon, the boys put on the annual Christmas pagent. Rebecca leaves early, and later so does Eileen. Eileen wanders past "the cave" where boys are kept in
solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a form of imprisonment in which the inmate lives in a single cell with little or no meaningful contact with other people. A prison may enforce stricter measures to control contraband on a solitary prisoner and use additi ...
due to bad behavior. Currently in the cave is Lee Polk, a boy who has been silent and withdrawn ever since arriving a few weeks previously. Lee begins to touch himself, and Eileen watches, transfixed, before a sound startles her and she goes back to the office. She asks Mrs. Stephens why Lee is in solitary and is told he is a troublemaker. After the other secretaries leave, she looks at Lee's file and discovers he is in prison for killing his father. Rebecca comes in to say goodnight and upon seeing the file, asks to borrow it.
On Tuesday, Eileen oversees visiting hours. Mrs. Polk, Lee's mother, visits for the first time. As the visit is beginning, Rebecca arrives to observe and take notes. Mrs. Polk tries engaging with Lee, but he says nothing. She finally leaves after saying "I blame myself". Rebecca leans into Lee and begins to talk to him so quietly Eileen cannot hear. Eileen is unsettled by how intimate the interaction is. She tells Rebecca they need the room for other visits, so Rebecca takes Lee to her office. Later, Eileen returns the notebook Rebecca left and finds Lee is still in Rebecca's office. Rebecca asks Eileen to meet her for a drink later.
Eileen and Rebecca meet that evening at O'Hara's, a local
dive bar
A dive bar is typically a small, unglamorous, eclectic, old-style drinking establishment with inexpensive drinks; it may feature dim lighting, shabby or dated decor, neon beer signs, packaged beer sales, cash-only service, and a local clientele. ...
. Eileen is flattered by Rebecca's attention. Several men try to flirt with them, but Rebecca redirects them. She asks Eileen to dance and they do. After Rebecca leaves, Eileen is drunk and happy and decides to stay. She wakes up the next morning with her car stuck in a snow bank outside her house and a pool of
vomit
Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose.
Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteriti ...
next to her.
On Wednesday morning, Eileen has to get into the house through a window because her keys are missing. Her father is angry and subjects her to verbal abuse and will not let her go to work before getting him more gin. After doing so, Eileen is about to leave when a police officer approaches her. The officer tells her that her father was pointing his gun at school children. The police and her father agree to allow Eileen to take the gun for safe keeping. She puts it in her purse and goes to work. At the prison, Rebecca invites her over to celebrate the next day,
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
. The rest of the day passes in a blur because Eileen is delighted.
On Christmas Eve morning, Eileen takes her father to the liquor store. That afternoon, she goes to Rebecca's. She is surprised to find Rebecca lives in the poorer side of town and that her home is dirty and disorganized. Rebecca is dressed in a dirty robe rather than her usual stylish clothing and seems distracted. After a couple glasses of wine, Eileen decides to go home due to the awkwardness. Rebecca insists she stay and starts talking about how Moorehead is not helping the boys. She shows Eileen a crime scene photo of Lee Polk's father, which causes Eileen to vomit. Rebecca tells Eileen that Lee confessed to her – he killed his father because his father was
raping
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or a ...
him. They discuss the crime, and Rebecca expresses shock that Mrs. Polk did not do anything. She reveals that they are in the Polk house and that Mrs. Polk is tied up downstairs.
Eileen is shocked and tries to leave, but Rebecca convinces her to stay. They argue about what to do, and decide to get Mrs. Polk to confess so they can give her over to the police. Eileen has the idea of using her father's gun to scare Mrs. Polk. They go into the basement and threaten Mrs. Polk, who initially resists but finally says she will confess. Rebecca goes upstairs to get something to write on while Mrs. Polk confesses to Eileen. At first she did not know what was going on, but once she did, even though she knew it was wrong she thought she had to stand by her husband. Additionally, he had become cold and distant, but after he began raping Lee he became her affectionate husband again. Rebecca comes back down and insists Mrs. Polk write everything down. When Mrs. Polk is hesitant, Rebecca asks Eileen for the gun, but fumbles it and accidentally shoots Mrs. Polk in the arm. All three women are shocked, and Mrs. Polk is hysterical. Eileen pulls out
tranquilizers
A tranquilizer is a drug that is designed for the treatment of anxiety, fear, tension, agitation, and disturbances of the mind, specifically to reduce states of anxiety and tension.
Etymology
Tranquilizer, as a term, was first used by F.F. Yonkm ...
from her purse, which were left over from her mother's treatment, and she occasionally takes to sleep. Rebecca force feeds them to Mrs. Polk. They try to develop a plan, and Eileen suggests they take Mrs. Polk to her house, shoot Mrs. Polk again, and then make it look like Eileen's father did it. She thinks it might get her father the help he needs and that death will be a relief for Mrs. Polk. She suggests she and Rebecca run away to New York together.
Rebecca and Eileen carry the unconscious Mrs. Polk to Eileen's car. Rebecca tells Eileen she will meet them there, but Eileen realizes that she will not. Eileen goes home briefly and helps her father get into bed. She drives out beyond X-ville and leaves Mrs. Polk in the car on the side of the road by the forest. She walks up the highway and hitchhikes.
Eileen makes it to New York City, where she tells people to call her Lena. She changes her last name after getting married a few months later. The older Eileen alludes to multiple marriages and love affairs and lives a much happier and more confident life than her younger self.
Characters
*Eileen Dunlop
*Eileen's father
*Rebecca Saint John, a co-worker of Eileen's
*Joanie, Eileen's sister
*Lee Polk, a boy incarcerated in the prison where Eileen works
*Rita Polk, Lee's mother
*Randy, a guard in the prison
*Mrs. Stephens, a secretary in the prison
*Mrs. Murray, a secretary in the prison
Development
Moshfegh has stated she set out to write "a mainstream book a normal person could read" saying in an interview with '' Harper's Bazar'', "I wanted to attract the reader who might reach for something commercial to read on an airplane. Something that looked like it would transport the reader to another place, but maybe not teach them anything or challenge them...I thought, if I could get the reader to come with me to this place, and then startle them with some frank realities, then maybe consciousness could shift a little bit".
The character Rebecca is named for the title character in the
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
film ''
Rebecca
Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...
''. In an interview, Moshfegh said the film is one her favorites and that " en I was writing ''Eileen'' I was thinking of her, of Rebecca, and the power that she has as this untouchable beautiful woman who seemed to be ''this'' way and then turned out to be ''that'' way".
Reviews, criticism, and discussion of ''Eileen'' often focused on the "disgustingness" of the character. Moshfegh's characters frequently focus on their bodies, with Moshfegh saying "I find it to be a crucial element of character, how someone is embodied in their physical self". However, "Moshfegh intended readers to experience her protagonist as more self-loathing than repellent". She was surprised by the focus on the body elements, telling ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' " ey wanted me to somehow explain to them how I had the audacity to write a disgusting female character...It shocked me how much people wanted to talk about that".
Reception
Overall, the novel received mostly positive reviews. ''
Kirkus Reviews
''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...
'' named it one of their best books of 2015, calling it " shadowy and superbly told story of how inner turmoil morphs into outer chaos". Writing for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', Lily King notes how, "Moshfegh writes beautiful sentences. One after the other they unwind — playful, shocking, wise, morbid, witty, searingly sharp. The beginning of this novel is so impressive, so controlled yet whimsical, fresh and thrilling, you feel she can do anything." Similarly, Jean Zimmerman of ''
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
'' praised the author, writing, " armingly disturbing. Delightfully dour. Pleasingly perverse. These are some of the oxymorons that ran through my mind as I read ''Eileen'', Ottessa Moshfegh's intense, flavorful, remarkable new novel." For ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', Lydia Kiesling was more mixed, writing "like Eileen the woman, there are things to admire and disturb in Moshfegh’s book – the perversity, the pervading sense of doom. But there is something about this novel that, like its heroine, is not quite right. The prose clunks; Eileen is a little too in love with her own awfulness".
Moshfegh won the 2016
Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award The PEN/Hemingway Award is awarded annually to a full-length novel or book of short stories by an American author who has not previously published a full-length book of fiction. The award is named after Ernest Hemingway and funded by the Hemingway ...
. ''Eileen'' was shortlisted for the 2016
Man Booker Prize
The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...
and the 2015
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".
Film adaptation
A
film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
premiered at the
2023 Sundance Film Festival
The 2023 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 to 29, 2023. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 7, 2022.
Films U.S. Dramatic Competition
* ''The Accidental Getaway Driver'', directed by Sing J. Lee
* ...
on January 21 2023, directed by William Oldroyd and starring
Thomasin McKenzie
Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie (born 26 July 2000) is a New Zealand actress. After a minor role in ''The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies'' (2014), she rose to critical prominence after playing a young girl living in isolation in Debra Granik's dra ...
and
Anne Hathaway
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Awar ...
. Filming began in New Jersey in early 2022. It is scheduled to be released by
Neon
Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is a noble gas. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with about two-thirds the density of air. It was discovered (along with krypton ...
in US theaters December 2023.
Awards
*2015
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".
*2016
Man Booker Prize
The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...
, shortlistee
* 2016
Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award The PEN/Hemingway Award is awarded annually to a full-length novel or book of short stories by an American author who has not previously published a full-length book of fiction. The award is named after Ernest Hemingway and funded by the Hemingway ...