Motherthing
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Description
“A quirky, gruesome, utterly original feminist horror experience.” —The New York Times Book Review
When Ralph and Abby Lamb move in with Ralph’s mother, Laura, Abby hopes it’s just what she and her mother-in-law need to finally connect. After a traumatic childhood, Abby is desperate for a mother figure, especially now that she and Ralph are trying to become parents themselves. Abby just has so much love to give—to Ralph, to Laura, and to Mrs. Bondy, her favorite resident at the long-term care home where she works. But Laura isn’t interested in bonding with her daughter-in-law. She’s venomous and cruel, especially to Abby, and life with her is hellish.
When Laura takes her own life, her ghost haunts Abby and Ralph in very different ways: Ralph is plunged into depression, and Abby is terrorized by a force intent on destroying everything she loves. To make matters worse, Mrs. Bondy’s daughter is threatening to move Mrs. Bondy from the home, leaving Abby totally alone. With everything on the line, Abby comes up with a chilling plan that will allow her to keep Mrs. Bondy, rescue Ralph from his tortured mind, and break Laura's hold on the family for good. All it requires is a little ingenuity, a lot of determination, and a unique recipe for chicken à la king…
Book Information
Characteristics
1 reviews
Mood
Protagonist(s)
Pace
Writing Style
Posts
Wahnsinn! Dieses Buch möchte ich gerne nochmal zum ersten Mal lesen
Dieses Buch ist unglaublich vielseitig! Das Buch ist humorvoll, erschreckend, emotional und einfach eine gute Mischung aus allem. Die Protagonistin Abby ist mir ans Herz gewachsen ❤️ Einige Male hat sie mich mit ihrer Art zum schmunzeln gebracht. Das Ende des Buches saß ich beim lesen nur noch so da: 😳🤯🫣 Was für ein grandioses Buch!!!!
Einzigartig vielseitig!
Ein unglaublich makaberes Buch. Dennoch absolut humorvoll geschrieben. Es hat eine gute Horrorkomponente, viel Body Horror, es ist zeitweise wirklich sehr bildlich und ekelerregend umschrieben. Gleichzeitig musste ich so oft lachen, weil die Autorin einen sehr besonderen Schreibstil hat der sehr ist sehr intuitiv gestaltet ist - man merkt die Stimmungsschwankungen des Protagonisten unglaublich gut. Wir haben es hiermit, Obsession, Liebe, Verzweiflung und Trauer zu tun, die unsere Protagonistin in eine Spirale absoluter Hilflosigkeit, aber keiner Planlosigkeit fallen lässt. Ein super durchdachte das Buch mit einem tollen roten Faden und super interessanten Charakteren. Ich würde mehr von diesem Genre und dieser Autorin lesen. absolutes LeseHighlight.
Sehr langweilig!
Story: Als Ralph und Abby Lamb bei Ralphs Mutter Laura einziehen, hofft Abby, dass dies die Chance ist, sich ihrer Schwiegermutter endlich anzunähern. Nach einer traumatischen Kindheit sehnt sich Abby verzweifelt nach einer Mutterfigur – besonders jetzt, da sie und Ralph versuchen, selbst Eltern zu werden. Abby hat so viel Liebe zu geben: für Ralph, für Laura und für Mrs. Bondy, ihre Lieblingsbewohnerin in dem Pflegeheim, in dem sie arbeitet. Doch Laura hat kein Interesse an einer Bindung. Sie ist boshaft und grausam, besonders zu Abby, und das Leben mit ihr ist die Hölle. Als Laura sich das Leben nimmt, sucht ihr Geist Abby und Ralph auf sehr unterschiedliche Weise heim: Ralph versinkt in Depressionen, während Abby von einer Macht terrorisiert wird, die alles zerstören will, was sie liebt. Zu allem Überfluss droht Mrs. Bondys Tochter damit, ihre Mutter aus dem Heim zu verlegen, was Abby völlig isolieren würde. Da alles auf dem Spiel steht, entwirft Abby einen erschreckenden Plan, um Mrs. Bondy zu behalten, Ralph aus seiner Qual zu befreien und Lauras Macht über die Familie endgültig zu brechen. Alles, was sie dafür braucht, ist ein wenig Einfallsreichtum, viel Entschlossenheit und ein ganz besonderes Rezept für Hühnerfrikassee …
abby's mother-in-law dislikes her in both life and death.
we follow abby who is drastically trying to save her grieving husband from the grip his mother's ghost has on him. i am quite literally reeling over this book. at first it was very much giving grady hendrix-campy-horror vibes but around the mid-point i realised that Motherthing is in a league of its own; it's funny, feral, blunt, shocking, bold and quite literally horrifying. this book truly feels like a gradual descent into madness and i loved single second of it. i am trying to refrain from hammering on about the unhinged woman in literature because i do think it can condemn troubled, abused or mentally ill female characters into a one-size-fits-all box but i think if there's any character that deserves to be crowned as the queen of being utterly utterly feral, it's Abby Lamb. Motherthing is over the top and the dark humor is very (very) dark but hogarth has simultaneously managed to tackle discussions of mental illness, motherhood, toxic relationships and grief absolutely beautifully. the stream of consciousness narrative is both vulnerable and also absolutely hilarious. There is an entire section about abby's violent (murderous?) thoughts after she lovingly made jellied-salmon for her co-workers and no one wanted any - i was howling. i wanted to scream, cry and throw up at multiple points throughout the book. it's not for the faint of heart but my god if this is your type of book, this will be your new favourite. if you liked Earthlings, Odyssey, Berlin, anything by Moshfegh, Animal, A Certain Hunger, The Discomfort of Evening or Magma... i truly think Motherthing will be your next 5-star read. it's unreal.
A book about motherfuckers and mother fuckers. This was the wildest ride ever. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book as weird as this one. At times it felt like a fever dream. Abby‘s descent into her real self, her madness, was magnificent to read. Overall I am truly not quite sure what to think. I think I’ll need to digest it first. 3 stars for simple reasons: did this amuse me? Yes! Did I enjoy reading this? I honestly don’t know! Were the characters intriguing? Yes! Do I hate gore and knocked off one star alone for that? Yes!
Weird, funny "horror" story
This story is weird and funny and disgusting at the same time. I loved to read it because I was so fascinated by the writing and the inside of Abby's thoughts and traumas. Could've had a trauma/trigger warning but I still loved the twists, metaphors, parallels and levels of the story where I didn't expect them to emerge.
This is deeply uncomfortable to read. (in a 'what great writing'-way)This protagonist has issues. Everyone in this book has issues. Horrifyingly enough, they are issues that exist in the real world. They all need to go and see a therapist.The narrator is insane.Good for her.Loved it.5*****, but I wouldn't read it again any time soon.
Characteristics
1 reviews
Mood
Protagonist(s)
Pace
Writing Style
Description
“A quirky, gruesome, utterly original feminist horror experience.” —The New York Times Book Review
When Ralph and Abby Lamb move in with Ralph’s mother, Laura, Abby hopes it’s just what she and her mother-in-law need to finally connect. After a traumatic childhood, Abby is desperate for a mother figure, especially now that she and Ralph are trying to become parents themselves. Abby just has so much love to give—to Ralph, to Laura, and to Mrs. Bondy, her favorite resident at the long-term care home where she works. But Laura isn’t interested in bonding with her daughter-in-law. She’s venomous and cruel, especially to Abby, and life with her is hellish.
When Laura takes her own life, her ghost haunts Abby and Ralph in very different ways: Ralph is plunged into depression, and Abby is terrorized by a force intent on destroying everything she loves. To make matters worse, Mrs. Bondy’s daughter is threatening to move Mrs. Bondy from the home, leaving Abby totally alone. With everything on the line, Abby comes up with a chilling plan that will allow her to keep Mrs. Bondy, rescue Ralph from his tortured mind, and break Laura's hold on the family for good. All it requires is a little ingenuity, a lot of determination, and a unique recipe for chicken à la king…
Book Information
Posts
Wahnsinn! Dieses Buch möchte ich gerne nochmal zum ersten Mal lesen
Dieses Buch ist unglaublich vielseitig! Das Buch ist humorvoll, erschreckend, emotional und einfach eine gute Mischung aus allem. Die Protagonistin Abby ist mir ans Herz gewachsen ❤️ Einige Male hat sie mich mit ihrer Art zum schmunzeln gebracht. Das Ende des Buches saß ich beim lesen nur noch so da: 😳🤯🫣 Was für ein grandioses Buch!!!!
Einzigartig vielseitig!
Ein unglaublich makaberes Buch. Dennoch absolut humorvoll geschrieben. Es hat eine gute Horrorkomponente, viel Body Horror, es ist zeitweise wirklich sehr bildlich und ekelerregend umschrieben. Gleichzeitig musste ich so oft lachen, weil die Autorin einen sehr besonderen Schreibstil hat der sehr ist sehr intuitiv gestaltet ist - man merkt die Stimmungsschwankungen des Protagonisten unglaublich gut. Wir haben es hiermit, Obsession, Liebe, Verzweiflung und Trauer zu tun, die unsere Protagonistin in eine Spirale absoluter Hilflosigkeit, aber keiner Planlosigkeit fallen lässt. Ein super durchdachte das Buch mit einem tollen roten Faden und super interessanten Charakteren. Ich würde mehr von diesem Genre und dieser Autorin lesen. absolutes LeseHighlight.
Sehr langweilig!
Story: Als Ralph und Abby Lamb bei Ralphs Mutter Laura einziehen, hofft Abby, dass dies die Chance ist, sich ihrer Schwiegermutter endlich anzunähern. Nach einer traumatischen Kindheit sehnt sich Abby verzweifelt nach einer Mutterfigur – besonders jetzt, da sie und Ralph versuchen, selbst Eltern zu werden. Abby hat so viel Liebe zu geben: für Ralph, für Laura und für Mrs. Bondy, ihre Lieblingsbewohnerin in dem Pflegeheim, in dem sie arbeitet. Doch Laura hat kein Interesse an einer Bindung. Sie ist boshaft und grausam, besonders zu Abby, und das Leben mit ihr ist die Hölle. Als Laura sich das Leben nimmt, sucht ihr Geist Abby und Ralph auf sehr unterschiedliche Weise heim: Ralph versinkt in Depressionen, während Abby von einer Macht terrorisiert wird, die alles zerstören will, was sie liebt. Zu allem Überfluss droht Mrs. Bondys Tochter damit, ihre Mutter aus dem Heim zu verlegen, was Abby völlig isolieren würde. Da alles auf dem Spiel steht, entwirft Abby einen erschreckenden Plan, um Mrs. Bondy zu behalten, Ralph aus seiner Qual zu befreien und Lauras Macht über die Familie endgültig zu brechen. Alles, was sie dafür braucht, ist ein wenig Einfallsreichtum, viel Entschlossenheit und ein ganz besonderes Rezept für Hühnerfrikassee …
abby's mother-in-law dislikes her in both life and death.
we follow abby who is drastically trying to save her grieving husband from the grip his mother's ghost has on him. i am quite literally reeling over this book. at first it was very much giving grady hendrix-campy-horror vibes but around the mid-point i realised that Motherthing is in a league of its own; it's funny, feral, blunt, shocking, bold and quite literally horrifying. this book truly feels like a gradual descent into madness and i loved single second of it. i am trying to refrain from hammering on about the unhinged woman in literature because i do think it can condemn troubled, abused or mentally ill female characters into a one-size-fits-all box but i think if there's any character that deserves to be crowned as the queen of being utterly utterly feral, it's Abby Lamb. Motherthing is over the top and the dark humor is very (very) dark but hogarth has simultaneously managed to tackle discussions of mental illness, motherhood, toxic relationships and grief absolutely beautifully. the stream of consciousness narrative is both vulnerable and also absolutely hilarious. There is an entire section about abby's violent (murderous?) thoughts after she lovingly made jellied-salmon for her co-workers and no one wanted any - i was howling. i wanted to scream, cry and throw up at multiple points throughout the book. it's not for the faint of heart but my god if this is your type of book, this will be your new favourite. if you liked Earthlings, Odyssey, Berlin, anything by Moshfegh, Animal, A Certain Hunger, The Discomfort of Evening or Magma... i truly think Motherthing will be your next 5-star read. it's unreal.
A book about motherfuckers and mother fuckers. This was the wildest ride ever. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book as weird as this one. At times it felt like a fever dream. Abby‘s descent into her real self, her madness, was magnificent to read. Overall I am truly not quite sure what to think. I think I’ll need to digest it first. 3 stars for simple reasons: did this amuse me? Yes! Did I enjoy reading this? I honestly don’t know! Were the characters intriguing? Yes! Do I hate gore and knocked off one star alone for that? Yes!
Weird, funny "horror" story
This story is weird and funny and disgusting at the same time. I loved to read it because I was so fascinated by the writing and the inside of Abby's thoughts and traumas. Could've had a trauma/trigger warning but I still loved the twists, metaphors, parallels and levels of the story where I didn't expect them to emerge.
This is deeply uncomfortable to read. (in a 'what great writing'-way)This protagonist has issues. Everyone in this book has issues. Horrifyingly enough, they are issues that exist in the real world. They all need to go and see a therapist.The narrator is insane.Good for her.Loved it.5*****, but I wouldn't read it again any time soon.