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Cover of My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa MoshfeghMy Year of Rest and Relaxation
Modern · Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

by Ottessa Moshfegh
2013 · 304 pages · Fiction
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 8 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Young, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate living on her inheritance on the Upper East Side, the narrator should be happy. But it's 2000, and there's a dark hole in her heart.

Why it's worth reading

It's a sharp portrait of privilege and emptiness in New York in 2000.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's dark.

By the numbers

52.7Must-Read Score
  • Readers4 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller35 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Reads as

Moving, Thought-provoking

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

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Quick answers

Is My Year of Rest and Relaxation worth reading?

Yes. It's a sharp portrait of privilege and emptiness in New York in 2000. It ranks #3,014 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 52.7 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is My Year of Rest and Relaxation about?

Young, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate living on her inheritance on the Upper East Side, the narrator should be happy. But it's 2000, and there's a dark hole in her heart.

How long does it take to read My Year of Rest and Relaxation?

About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after My Year of Rest and Relaxation?

If you liked it, try Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh, Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata or The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.