heidi chronicles: Reading Log: Otessa Moshfegh

Saturday, December 5, 2020

Reading Log: Otessa Moshfegh

"Bettering Myself" is a grand romp of a story with a narrator who is supposed to be unlikable, but one who is written so well, so fully inhabited, that I found myself cheering her on as she made a wreck of her life, one small decision at a time, as casually as toss ing an egg on the floor while getting milk from the refrigerator and then disregarding the mess as she steps over it.

As an opening to this collection, it sets the bar high.

1. Loyalty.
2. Forbearance: self-control towards others.
3. Hardihood.
4. Generosity: not just a simple matter of giving away what one has, but "Largitas in a man caused him to set no store on greed or gifts, and to have nothing but contempt for bribes."
5. Benevolence. The Davidic ethic: It is the strongest quality of the preudomme - benevolence of the strong toward the weak.
6. Honor: honor is achieved by living up to the ideal of the preudomme and pursuing the qualities and behavior listed above.

7. Championship: everywhere and always be the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

2022 Version 3.1 GC/H/LS/P/U d+ s+: a++ C+++$ UL++++@ P+ L++>$ E-@ !W+++$ N+++>$ o+++$ !K w$ !O- M V PS++$ PE- Y++ PGP t+@ !5 X R+++ tv b+>$ DI+ !D--- G++++ e+++(++++)>++++ h+ r* x++++>-----
2020 Version: 3.1 GC/H/LS/L/P/SS/U d>+ s+>+: a++ C++ UL+++ P+ L+ E- W+++ N o+++ K+ w--- O M+ V+ PS+++$ PE--$ Y++ PGP+ t+ 5 X+ R+++ tv b++++$ DI+++ D--- G++++ e+++>++++ h+>- r* x---
2018 GH/LS/P/SS d+ s+: a+ C++$ UL+ P+ L+ E- W+++ N o K+ !w-- O- M V PS+++ PE-- Y+ PGP t+ 5 X+ R+ tv-- b+++ DI+++ D--- G++++ e+++ h r- z++
2012
GH/IT/LS/L/M/P/TW d+$ s+:- a+ C++$ P+ L++ E--- W++ N+ K w+ M+ V(-) PS++ PE-- Y++ PGP t+ !5 X+ R+ (!)tv b++ DI++ D--- G+++(+) e+++>+++++ h- r++ x+++++