Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh (2015)

The adjectives which first come to mind to describe Eileen would be "unsettling," "disturbing," and "creepy." Surprisingly enough, additional adjectives which come to mind would include "masterful," "inventive," and "hypnotic." It's not easy to produce a mesmerizing novel featuring a twisted and unsympathetic protagonist, but Patricia Highsmith did it in her Ripley novels, and Moshfegh has done it here.

The first-person narrator, Eileen of course, is a secretive alcoholic, a stalker, and a petty thief, who silently nurtures disgust and hatred for most of humanity, particularly for her alcohol-demented father. She dreams of escaping her dysfunctional life but never does, not until her twenty-fourth year, when she meets the beautiful Rebecca, whose promise of friendship leads her into even darker territory. Eileen tells the story from the vantage point of old age when she has seemingly become more well adjusted and ordinary. But one wonders.

The suspense is thick throughout, as the reader is made to feel the violence lurking just under the surface, knowing it will eventually erupt. The use of details in describing Eileen's actions and thoughts convincingly take the reader into a damaged mind. An aspiring writer would do well to examine how Moshfegh has accomplished what she has with such seemingly unpromising subject matter.

This novel is a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, winner to be announced in March.