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Quick answer: If you liked Lapvona, read Ottessa Moshfegh's Death in Her Hands and Homesick for Another World, then Blood Meridian, The Master and Margarita, Candide and Catch-22. All are bleak, darkly funny stories about cruelty, absurdity and the ways people survive.
Ottessa Moshfegh's 2022 novel is set in a medieval village ruled by a cruel lord, where a boy named Marek lives with his father after the death of his mother, and strange, grotesque events unfold. It is bleak, comic and disturbing. Please note it contains graphic violence and abuse. The books below offer similar dark satire and grim stories.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death in Her Hands | Ottessa Moshfegh | Adult | mystery of one note |
| Homesick for Another World | Ottessa Moshfegh | Adult | short stories |
| My Year of Rest and Relaxation | Ottessa Moshfegh | Adult | numbed existence |
| Blood Meridian | Cormac McCarthy | Adult | Western horror |
| Child of God | Cormac McCarthy | Adult | early Southern gothic |
| The Master and Margarita | Mikhail Bulgakov | Adult | surreal classics |
| Candide | Voltaire | Adult | satirical adventure |
| Catch-22 | Joseph Heller | Adult | war satire |
| Cursed Bunny | Bora Chung | Adult | surreal short stories |
| Earthlings | Sayaka Murata | Adult | extreme alienation |
| The Vegetarian | Han Kang | Adult | readers who want a challenging read |
| The Metamorphosis | Franz Kafka | Adult | absurd classic |
| The Mercies | Kiran Millwood Hargrave | Adult | witch trials in Norway |
| Burial Rites | Hannah Kent | Adult | last execution in Iceland |
| Mexican Gothic | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Adult | haunted house |
1. Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh
A widow finds a note in the woods and invents a murder. Odd and absorbing.
Best for: mystery of one note.
2. Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh
Moshfegh's collection of misfits and grotesques. Grim and darkly comic.
Best for: short stories.
3. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
A young woman tries to sleep through a year in New York. Dark and funny.
Best for: numbed existence.
4. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
A teenage runaway joins a gang of scalp hunters in the 1850s Southwest. Violent and poetic.
Best for: Western horror.
5. Child of God by Cormac McCarthy
A violent outcast lives in the Tennessee hills. Short and disturbing.
Best for: early Southern gothic.
6. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Devil visits Moscow, and a writer's love story unfolds alongside. Satirical, strange and unforgettable.
Best for: surreal classics.
7. Candide by Voltaire
A naive young man is told that all is for the best. Short, funny and sharp.
Best for: satirical adventure.
8. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Captain Yossarian tries to survive a war and a maddening bureaucracy. A classic of absurd comedy.
Best for: war satire.
9. Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
Dark and strange tales from Korea. Funny, weird and chilling.
Best for: surreal short stories.
10. Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
A woman who believes she is an alien rejects human norms. Dark, strange and disturbing.
Best for: extreme alienation.
11. The Vegetarian by Han Kang
A woman stops eating meat and her family reacts with violence. Short, strange and unforgettable.
Best for: readers who want a challenging read.
12. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
A man wakes up as an insect. Short and brilliant.
Best for: absurd classic.
13. The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
A remote island community of women faces a witch hunt. Bleak and powerful.
Best for: witch trials in Norway.
14. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
A servant awaits execution in 1829. Atmospheric and sad.
Best for: last execution in Iceland.
15. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A young woman visits a decaying mansion in the Mexican countryside. Eerie and atmospheric.
Best for: haunted house.
How to Choose
For more Moshfegh begin with My Year of Rest and Relaxation or Death in Her Hands. For bleak satire choose Candide, Catch-22 or The Master and Margarita. For grim violence pick Blood Meridian or Child of God. For strange, disturbing fiction read Cursed Bunny, Earthlings or The Vegetarian. Lapvona is harsh, so these picks suit readers who like dark comedy. Lapvona was published in 2022 and divided critics, with some praising its audacity and others finding it too grim. It is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Moshfegh's earlier novels but want something stranger.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lapvona about?
A boy in a medieval village lives under a cruel lord and witnesses strange events.
Who wrote it?
Ottessa Moshfegh.
When was it published?
2022.
Is it graphic?
Yes, with violence and disturbing scenes.
Is it funny?
Darkly so.
Is it historical fiction?
It is set in an imagined medieval world.
Is it a good first Moshfegh?
Many prefer My Year of Rest and Relaxation as a starting point.
What should I read next?
Try Death in Her Hands or Candide.
Which book here is best for Western horror?
Try Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, which suits readers looking for Western horror.
Which book here is best for satirical adventure?
Try Candide by Voltaire, which suits readers looking for satirical adventure.
Which book here is best for extreme alienation?
Try Earthlings by Sayaka Murata, which suits readers looking for extreme alienation.
Which book here is best for witch trials in Norway?
Try The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, which suits readers looking for witch trials in Norway.
Which book here is best for short stories?
Try Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh, which suits readers looking for short stories.