The Weirdos

by Ottessa Moshfegh

Original fiction from the publisher's site, (parisreview.org, The Paris Review).

On our first date, he bought me a taco, talked at length about the ancients’ theories of light, how it streams at angles to align events in space and time, that it is the source of all information, determines every outcome, how we can reflect it to summon aliens using mirrored bowls of water.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Contemporary, Essays, Literary Fiction, Horror Thriller, Audiobook

15 pages, ebook

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Ottessa Moshfegh is a fiction writer from New England. Eileen, her first novel, was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Man Booker Prize, and won the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction. My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Death in Her Hands, her second and third novels, were New York Times bestsellers. She is also the author of the short story collection Homesick for Another World and a novella, McGlue. She lives in Southern California.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every time I read something written by Ottesa i have nightmares.

[michelle (travelingbooknerds) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“He always hid his shame and self-loathing under an expression of shame and self-loathing, swinging his fist back and forth, “Shucks,” always acting, even then. I don’t think he ever experienced any real joy or humor. Deep down he probably thought I was crazy not to love him. And maybe I was. Maybe he was the man of my dreams.”

WOW. that ENDING !!! wowowowowowowowowow. when it feels like Moshfegh is writing a story specifically for you, it TRULY feels OTHERWORLDLY in an energetically uncanny valley type of way and it is equal parts thrilling and terrifying. i always get so much from every Moshfegh story i have the pleasure and honor of ingesting, even when i don’t always fully lock on to the story like a heat-seeking missile locks onto a warm target, and this story was a clear home-run knocked clean out of the entire stadium. so i’m sure you can imagine how much i’m buzzing rn from reading The Weirdos.

imho, one of the most (if not the most) relatable short stories included in Moshfegh’s short story collection Homesick For Another World, easily in my top 3 from the collection as a whole.

[manicpixie.bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

codependency???? or are they just really weird…???

[Felicia Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny short story about awful people stuck in a really sad situation, partly due to their lack of intelligence. Or lack of... *something*.

[Clementine · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’m gonna be sort of James Dean, like I just don’t give a shit, but sad, you know?”

[prettygirlfriedrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

He can’t save you
And what does that mean?
I was talking to myself
:3

[Alice Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eww i hate men lol

[Ava Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was definitely one of my top 3 from “Homesick for another world”

[Ella Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Weirdos.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my faves from homesick from another world. I always get great things out of ottessa’s writing.

[Tess McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a bunch of weirdos 🙄

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I sort of liked this but i finished it mostly not liking it at all. Why on earth is this woman with this man? And why is he with her? Do they have any love for each other or is it just better than being alone? I can’t tell but I think I’d be long gone and relieved to be on my own.

I gave it a second star because it made me think. Usually when I do nit like a book I simply move on to another. This time I sat and thought about it for quite some time.

[Kylie Mainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t get enough of Moshfegh 😩

[Shwan Fraidoon Abdulqader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m the girlfriend in this story

[Yvette G · Rating 3 out of 5]

For people in boring crappy relationships? I guess this goes with the theme if the book. They want something better but aren’t willing to look for it.

[Struan Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

God I literally know this guy!

[Colton Koprowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

“He always hid his shame and self-loathing under an expression of shame and self-loathing, swinging his fists back and forth, “shucks,” always acting, even then. I don’t think he ever experienced any real joy or humor. Deep down he probably thought I was crazy not to love him. And maybe I was. Maybe he was the man of my dreams.

[Zuza · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand that its about people dependent on each other, crappy sad people who would probably be better off without each other yet still are together but I dont really get this "something" other people Find in this story

[callie ˚.꠶ · Rating 5 out of 5]

reread of one of my favs from homesick

[✞; dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For weird neurotic girls who hate their bfs.

[genevieve · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh. reading this for a second time and yet, nothing really changed. it's just mediocre at best

[cristiianclemente · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️.5/5

[Vera Marsova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couples goals, am I right

[Halen Marcinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an odd strange story, certainly worth the read and certainly earns the title of "The Weirdos."

[nafeese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading her stuff. The details and the descriptions are amazing.
Reading her work makes me feel seen.

[Raneem]

literally know this man

[Moll · Rating 4 out of 5]

they are indeed weirdos….. ottessa moshfegh what a fucking genius you are