Ottessa Moshfegh likes her characters degraded. They live intensely and feel deeply, fuelled by shame, lust, alcohol, overactive imaginations and, occasionally, laxatives. Over the last 10 years, the American novelist has published five novels and one collection of short stories. At first they might not seem that cohesive, spanning medieval gross-fests and 60s psychological thrillers, but Moshfegh is remarkably consistent. She writes about lonely people who are exceptional not because of any kind of unique charisma or talent, but because they are willing to bare all to the reader: every grotty habit and dark urge brought to light. With the film adaptation of Moshfegh’s novel Eileen in cinemas now, here’s a tour of her back catalogue.
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