Razor-sharp short stories. * Zadie Smith *
Moshfegh is consistently as sparky and gripping as she is inventive... She could become one of the most outstanding US writers of her generation. -- Peter Carty * i *
The characters in this collection are an unlovely bunch but make for an irresistible read... She writes terrific, attention-grabbing openings, and impactful last lines that don't strain for a lapidary effect. Her damaged-girl deadpan snark is second to none, but she inhabits other character types with ease. -- Christopher Taylor * Financial Times *
She can really write and has a pitch-black sense of humour. -- Phil Baker * Sunday Times *
Moshfegh's writing is cinematic - vivid, immediate. -- Gwendoline Riley * Times Literary Supplement *
Moshfegh's powerful, pristine prose shines a light on the dark side of these characters [...] Her endings are never happy, but they often contain hope - which can be more convincing. -- Christena Appleyard * Daily Mail *
Moshfegh delights in exploring the seamy underside of life... Once encountered these characters are not easily forgotten. * Bookseller *
An impressive study of human vulnerability and self-deception, through which the reader is guided by a cynical and darkly funny literary voice. -- Nathan Smith * 1843 Magazine *
Homesick for Another World showcases her mastery. * Time Magazine (Europe) *
A perfect showcase to Moshfegh's brilliant and sui generis mind... brilliant as was Eileen, Moshfegh is near virtuosic in short story form, and newcomers to her work would do well to begin with this collection. -- Michael Barron * Culture Trip *
Dark, confident, prickling stories... [Moshfegh] has a wicked sort of command. Sampling her sentences is like touching a mildly electrified fence... Moshfegh is a penetrating observer of class and social mores... Do not come to these stories if your own guts are easily stirred. -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *
In her excellent first collection, Homesick for Another World, Ottessa Moshfegh... homes in on characters in states of weirdly dynamic paralysis, trapped between the pains of the past - bad childhoods, bad relationships, bad marriages - and dreams of the future... The stories... give us a sense of watching a fluent, deeply talented artist extend herself and take risks in her quest to master the form... Magnificent examples of how a short story can become expansive beyond expectation. -- David Means * Gulf News *
Provocative... Moshfegh presents characters who evince a flinching disgust for bodily functions and human intimacy. There's no shortage of colourful sociopaths here... The stories draw a picture of an America that has lost its way, a bigoted, insular nation in the grip of an obesity epidemic... It's a bracing, brilliant collection. -- Jude Cook * Literary Review *
Moshfegh's style is a blend of nihilism and drollery that feels hyper-contemporary in its relentless sassiness, moving in the same breath from biting human observation to casual one liners about anal sex. -- Tom Fleming * The Spectator *
Efforts to contrive a sensationalist buzz around the author are not surprising. But Moshfegh needs no extra edge. Her works make enough of an impression, and they are exceptional: dark, violent and grotesquely intelligent. This new story collection, Homesick for Another World, is probably her most accomplished work to date, and it does not scrimp on obscenity, on esoteric rituals, or on harsh, uncomfortable realities... These stories paint a stunningly unique picture of contemporary disenchantment that goes beyond glassy-eyed millennial ennui. -- Gill Moore * Totally Dublin *
