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Once More, with Feeling
Calling to mind smart, deadpan and unrepentant novels such as
The New Me
and
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
, Sophie McCreesh's distinctive and arresting debut novel is about a young woman veering towards self-destruction.
Once More, With Feeling follows Jane, an artist navigating her closest relationships while fixating on her own perceived failures and self-imposed isolation. When Jane receives a student grant to attend a workshop in London, England, she sees the opportunity to leave her tedious life behind and start anew, bringing along her new friend Kitty, who Jane will not admit she has little in common with other than a shared appreciation for boxed wine and various other drugs.
In London, Jane struggles to improve both her craft and her mindset while Kitty thrives, and a once exciting trip abroad transforms the already uneven dynamic of their friendship, leaving Jane feeling more withdrawn than ever. As her increasingly destructive behaviour gets in the way of her artistic ambitions, her most important relationships--those with Kitty, her absent lover Richard and a discredited therapist named Anna--begin to deteriorate as Jane starts to examine her growing dependence on substances.
Darkly funny, piercing and tender, Once More, With Feeling is a portrait of a detached young woman trapped in the perils of self-loathing and addiction, who is searching for originality in an age of profound social disconnection and anxiety.
Once More, With Feeling follows Jane, an artist navigating her closest relationships while fixating on her own perceived failures and self-imposed isolation. When Jane receives a student grant to attend a workshop in London, England, she sees the opportunity to leave her tedious life behind and start anew, bringing along her new friend Kitty, who Jane will not admit she has little in common with other than a shared appreciation for boxed wine and various other drugs.
In London, Jane struggles to improve both her craft and her mindset while Kitty thrives, and a once exciting trip abroad transforms the already uneven dynamic of their friendship, leaving Jane feeling more withdrawn than ever. As her increasingly destructive behaviour gets in the way of her artistic ambitions, her most important relationships--those with Kitty, her absent lover Richard and a discredited therapist named Anna--begin to deteriorate as Jane starts to examine her growing dependence on substances.
Darkly funny, piercing and tender, Once More, With Feeling is a portrait of a detached young woman trapped in the perils of self-loathing and addiction, who is searching for originality in an age of profound social disconnection and anxiety.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2021
18 people are currently reading
5102 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
September 25, 2022
"feeling nothing is a full-time job." wow.
no plot, just a sad twenty-something girl in life vibes. don't listen to goodreads ratings, this book was so good
no plot, just a sad twenty-something girl in life vibes. don't listen to goodreads ratings, this book was so good
July 17, 2023
it’s amazing how you can write 220 pages of words without actually saying anything
January 17, 2025
Good but not great. Still need to collect my thoughts. Full review soon.
October 29, 2021
Deadpan writing, coke and booze and a ton of sex had by a twenty-some old Toronto woman heading for self-destruction aren’t necessarily a recipe for a good book. What a complete waste of time. If I could, I’d give this amateur hour zero stars.
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July 15, 2023this novel won't be for everyone. the same way my year of rest and relaxation and normal people aren't for everyone.
i personally enjoyed it. i thought it was an entertaining character study. there was no plot, just bad decisions after bad decisions, and a lot of cringe.
one thing that bothered me was the fact that the character, jane, is said to be 23 but it feels like she's 27 to 33 sometimes. mostly because of the references (sears catalogue, spice girls). that's more millennial than gen z. unless this book was set in like the early 2010s? idk.
overall it was fun and it isnt that long to read.
i personally enjoyed it. i thought it was an entertaining character study. there was no plot, just bad decisions after bad decisions, and a lot of cringe.
one thing that bothered me was the fact that the character, jane, is said to be 23 but it feels like she's 27 to 33 sometimes. mostly because of the references (sears catalogue, spice girls). that's more millennial than gen z. unless this book was set in like the early 2010s? idk.
overall it was fun and it isnt that long to read.
December 11, 2021
A plotless narrative novel that I actually enjoyed?!?!?!? Must be something to do with how much I RELATE to being drunk while wanting to be an artist and living in Toronto. #yikes #thankgodImsober
BIG CONTENT WARNING: folks struggling with sobriety should read this with care!! <3
BIG CONTENT WARNING: folks struggling with sobriety should read this with care!! <3
December 21, 2021
HEAVY! Wish there was a little bit more character/narrative development, but I think the point is that it's very much all in the subtext. The Spice Girls concert scene knocked me out. Super readable, despite the brutal subject matter. 3.5 stars, rounded down.
February 9, 2022
What a refreshing debut! I love me some hot mess plotless fiction that’s full of inappropriateness. This book won’t be for everyone, but if you like Jenny Offill you will dig the dissociatiated smothering in this one.
The book follows Jane, a young artist who is more concerned about the affections of her boyfriend's cat than his. She is aloof on the outside but chronically dependent on the inside. She seeks out toxic relationships in order to feel a misguided intimacy. She drinks, does a lot of drugs and works at the Fish Bar while under the influence of both.
By some stroke of luck, she gets accepted to an arts program in London where she and her equally obtuse friend, Kitty, galavant separately.
The writing is just biting while being low key giggly. I could just lap up each page of McCreesh’s filthy yet charming prose. If you like a “cool girl” narrative this one’s for your VIP TBR.
The book follows Jane, a young artist who is more concerned about the affections of her boyfriend's cat than his. She is aloof on the outside but chronically dependent on the inside. She seeks out toxic relationships in order to feel a misguided intimacy. She drinks, does a lot of drugs and works at the Fish Bar while under the influence of both.
By some stroke of luck, she gets accepted to an arts program in London where she and her equally obtuse friend, Kitty, galavant separately.
The writing is just biting while being low key giggly. I could just lap up each page of McCreesh’s filthy yet charming prose. If you like a “cool girl” narrative this one’s for your VIP TBR.
November 9, 2022
it had some good lines i related to a lot, but that unfortunately doesn't make a good book.
i'd say it's only OK. the writing was deadpan for sure but that does not mean that it should not be very smooth. the sentences seemed to jump a lot to different topics and i was taken out of the book multiple times because of it. the book was not cohesive and well-written to me and the characters were not any different from similar books i've read. what did it say that has not already been said better by other novels? it was really relatable and funny at times though, so i'd still recommend it to some people.
i'd say it's only OK. the writing was deadpan for sure but that does not mean that it should not be very smooth. the sentences seemed to jump a lot to different topics and i was taken out of the book multiple times because of it. the book was not cohesive and well-written to me and the characters were not any different from similar books i've read. what did it say that has not already been said better by other novels? it was really relatable and funny at times though, so i'd still recommend it to some people.
January 12, 2023
3-3.5 stars. A story of a young art school student trying to find her way while weighed down by an unnameable ennui. She uses alcohol and drugs at first for fun. This is a kind of sad maladaptive “slice of life” story.
This one I’m a bit on the fence about. I found it at first quite boring, then more and more compelling, which I think McCreesh was likely going for. It was in the end kind of quite sad. However I think the entire book kind of suffered from the “don’t tell me, show me” issue, with some over explaining.
Not a bad novel, and a quick read for those looking for that.
Trigger warnings: alcohol and drug use, addiction.
This one I’m a bit on the fence about. I found it at first quite boring, then more and more compelling, which I think McCreesh was likely going for. It was in the end kind of quite sad. However I think the entire book kind of suffered from the “don’t tell me, show me” issue, with some over explaining.
Not a bad novel, and a quick read for those looking for that.
Trigger warnings: alcohol and drug use, addiction.
December 22, 2023
this book is very relatable if you have never ridden the popularity train, and is a healthy reminder that people suck and life's a joke.
August 11, 2022
In her debut, Sophie McCreesh has captured the true-to-life experience of a woman in her mid-20's who, without much trajectory or purpose, goes through life in a grey, unglamorous Toronto.
This is most definitely akin to books like My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Luster, and the like. I am here for narratives of everyday women having no particular direction or goal, just dealing with mental illness, being horny, and lackluster qualities of life, so I of course enjoyed this book as well.
I connected to the protagonist immensely. Being in a relationship with a kind of lame person, but allowing it to happen (if only for the physical benefit); becoming codependent with an emotionally volatile, charismatic, substance-abusing friend; having parents that weren't neglectful per se, but just didn't seem to care (especially the way in which her mother was written); etc. Additionally, Jane is most definitely, if not autistic-coded, then at the very least representative of quite a lot of autistic traits--having a certain deadpan ennui, texture preferences (clothing), the way she approaches substances, codependency, art, the need to isolate, analyzing social situations.
To summarize, I'm rating this a 5 because I found it so relatable, and a realistic depiction of what my early 20's felt like. But I think it's more realistically a 4, and I can see how a lot of people may not like it; it doesn't have a straightforward plot but is instead is just kind of observing this period (and relevant past memories) in Jane's life. The character doesn't really develop in one particular way, but she does change.
As I listened and didn't read, I heard quite a few passages I wanted to quote but just couldn't take from the page--so I think I would probably recommend the physical copy, although the narration was well done. Audiobook accessed via Libro.fm, a platform supporting indie bookstores.
This is most definitely akin to books like My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Luster, and the like. I am here for narratives of everyday women having no particular direction or goal, just dealing with mental illness, being horny, and lackluster qualities of life, so I of course enjoyed this book as well.
I connected to the protagonist immensely. Being in a relationship with a kind of lame person, but allowing it to happen (if only for the physical benefit); becoming codependent with an emotionally volatile, charismatic, substance-abusing friend; having parents that weren't neglectful per se, but just didn't seem to care (especially the way in which her mother was written); etc. Additionally, Jane is most definitely, if not autistic-coded, then at the very least representative of quite a lot of autistic traits--having a certain deadpan ennui, texture preferences (clothing), the way she approaches substances, codependency, art, the need to isolate, analyzing social situations.
To summarize, I'm rating this a 5 because I found it so relatable, and a realistic depiction of what my early 20's felt like. But I think it's more realistically a 4, and I can see how a lot of people may not like it; it doesn't have a straightforward plot but is instead is just kind of observing this period (and relevant past memories) in Jane's life. The character doesn't really develop in one particular way, but she does change.
As I listened and didn't read, I heard quite a few passages I wanted to quote but just couldn't take from the page--so I think I would probably recommend the physical copy, although the narration was well done. Audiobook accessed via Libro.fm, a platform supporting indie bookstores.
February 23, 2022
I'm not altogether surprised to see this book receive some fairly harsh reviews--despite being marketed as a party girl feminist romp, this novel feels alienated and introverted to a degree that will probably never be entirely fashionable. Like Jean Rhys' early novels, OMWF follows a young woman (Jane) who is highly sensitive and intelligent, but seems almost incapable of communicating her emotional reality to those around her. This social misalignment proves a persistent source of anxiety, and she does her best to form connections across the gap by drinking, snorting, and fucking her way toward common ground (or at least permission to share a bed for the night). Because Jane can't share what she's truly feeling with others, the emotion behind the narration's flat affect is so intense as to be blinding, like being forced to squint on an overcast day.
As in Rhys (or Lispector, or Duras), that juxtaposition between the work's almost manic emotional register and the banality of day to day life is what makes OMWF a powerful read, if occasionally an off-putting one. Where McCreesh differs is the very contemporary, media-poisoned humour she often brings to the proceedings. The way she manages to get across why Jane hitches her wagon to a coterie of fashionable cretins while also subtly roasting them is deft and delightful, and her comic timing is excellent. (This I suspect is where the publisher's hopeful comparison to Moshfegh lies.) My laughter-to-wince ratio was 1-to-3, which made the emotional trauma quite manageable.
With luck, OMWF will be remembered as a minor classic of its tragicomic kind, and as one of the better addiction narratives of the young decade.
- Mul
As in Rhys (or Lispector, or Duras), that juxtaposition between the work's almost manic emotional register and the banality of day to day life is what makes OMWF a powerful read, if occasionally an off-putting one. Where McCreesh differs is the very contemporary, media-poisoned humour she often brings to the proceedings. The way she manages to get across why Jane hitches her wagon to a coterie of fashionable cretins while also subtly roasting them is deft and delightful, and her comic timing is excellent. (This I suspect is where the publisher's hopeful comparison to Moshfegh lies.) My laughter-to-wince ratio was 1-to-3, which made the emotional trauma quite manageable.
With luck, OMWF will be remembered as a minor classic of its tragicomic kind, and as one of the better addiction narratives of the young decade.
- Mul
July 23, 2021
This book took a bit of getting into, but once I was a few chapters in, I was totally hooked. I love deadpan and dry-wit humour, and Once More, With Feeling delivered that. Despite not much actually happening throughout the book, I felt a compulsion to read on, and I just couldn't put it down once I got into it.
The prose is vividly descriptive, conversational, and down to earth. The bluntness of the writing reminded me a little of Ottessa Moshfegh and Naoise Dolan. I loved Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Dolan's Exciting Times, and this book has some similarities to those.
The protagonist Jane was relatable in many ways, and I really enjoyed getting to know her, taking her everywhere with me as I read the book. I felt deeply sorry for her as she seemed to struggle to find her place in the world, with a verbally abusive boyfriend and not too many friends. Jane’s loneliness is relatable for anyone living in a big city like Toronto. Her anxiety, depression, crippling paranoia, and constant need for validation made her more of a complex character, which overall made this a more interesting and engaging read.
It was a fantastic debut from Canadian author Sophie McCreesh. And that cover image? Designed by Jennifer Griffiths. I freaking love it!
Avocado Diaries
The prose is vividly descriptive, conversational, and down to earth. The bluntness of the writing reminded me a little of Ottessa Moshfegh and Naoise Dolan. I loved Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Dolan's Exciting Times, and this book has some similarities to those.
The protagonist Jane was relatable in many ways, and I really enjoyed getting to know her, taking her everywhere with me as I read the book. I felt deeply sorry for her as she seemed to struggle to find her place in the world, with a verbally abusive boyfriend and not too many friends. Jane’s loneliness is relatable for anyone living in a big city like Toronto. Her anxiety, depression, crippling paranoia, and constant need for validation made her more of a complex character, which overall made this a more interesting and engaging read.
It was a fantastic debut from Canadian author Sophie McCreesh. And that cover image? Designed by Jennifer Griffiths. I freaking love it!
Avocado Diaries
February 3, 2022
A downright uncomfortable read. Like a canker sore that I couldn’t help but poke at. The plot meandered along some path having to do with living in a verbally abusive household, being introduced to alcohol too early, and having poor mental health. I hate to side with Kitty, who seems equally awful, but Jane is toxic. I want to wash away the memory of this one.
December 25, 2021
This book is so cool and good I love it so much. When I read it I feel like I'm right there with Jane and feel how she's feeling too and relate so hard with her wow. A v raw read. Love the way it explores the way friendships and other relationships are formed too. Love it thank u
May 15, 2022
if the protagonist from my year of rest and relaxation was canadian and a tiny bit more likeable ... still not sure how i feel about it so 3 stars for now
September 21, 2022
no plot, just cocaine and codependency
February 21, 2023
This was a quick and easy read and had little to no plot - which I do enjoy sometimes! Reminded me of Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados but less depth. Not really taking anything away from this...
April 5, 2024
you could not pay me to care
April 18, 2022
A very good book by Sophie McCreesh
December 2, 2022
this is truthfully a 3.5/5 but im rounding up to improve the general rating bc why are the reviews so bad omg??? it's a good book! sorry u don't understand women with inferiority complexes 🙄
January 25, 2023
This is a good book. I don’t know what people are mad about in these reviews - I think the description perfectly sets up readers expectations of the novel. The tone of the novel and the “lack of plot” are all purposeful, a reflection of the character. This was a nice quick read for me that offered me a new perspective, made me feel great about my own life, and introduced me to a new, destructive friend of mine (Jane). I’m also a woman from Toronto in her twenties though, so perhaps this book resonated a bit more with me.
January 31, 2023
Reminded me of My Year of Rest and Relaxation and The New Me!
March 5, 2025
The first half was very quotable, having grown up in Toronto. The second half felt like it was a few drafts away from publication - the ending especially. Quite fragmented and disjointed.
Nevertheless, I will always love a dirty girl book. Thanks for the rec Andrea
Nevertheless, I will always love a dirty girl book. Thanks for the rec Andrea
September 1, 2022
the way I am Jane I am literally the mc I read the synopsis to my counsellor and she was like “she is so u”
October 6, 2022
astonishing
January 11, 2023
Jane’s experience being stuck in spirals of addiction and anxiety is scary and lonely, and it’s told in such an indifferent, emotionless way. I felt sad the entire time.
May 17, 2024
off brand ottessa moshfegh
October 31, 2024
This book lacked any real passion or purpose. It felt as though the author was ticking boxes, aiming to create a new edgy, ambiguous heroine—sexy, disturbed, and self-sabotaging—but ultimately, she came across more like something a misguided, self-diagnosing 14-year-old might write during an “I’m not like other girls” phase.
“A question from Jane’s lover: “Will you chill with this depressing music?”
“ ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ is considered the saddest song, statistically.”
“What are you thinking about?” Richard asks. Jane wants to respond that, at twenty-three, she is too young to understand current events but thinks about killing herself often.”
“You look angry all the time unless you’re fucking, or listening to techno. You could moisturize your skin more.”
“She’s stroked his belly. Fed him treats while looking for approval, as if the cat’s approval is equivalent to Richard’s, which would be equivalent to happiness.
It still feels strange that she’s thinking about this unrequited love as she touches the left side of her clit”
“The yoga mat feels right. At least, it feels like what she deserves in this very moment. Jane feels like she’s gained some unnamed emotion when she touches it. Like she’s about to make herself come with a vibrator but stops.”
“She crumbles two all over the table then drops three more into her coffee. Coffee makes her shake. Everything makes her shake.”
“Jane is sure she looks vacant and chill while she’s being fucked—and if her detachment shows in a bad way, no one has ever called that out.”
“ I am not sorry for taking ketamine by mistake, but I wish I had done it in a cooler place with better people.”
“People with low serotonin are more likely to feel they’ve been treated unfairly and to seek revenge.”
“She’s left bits of herself everywhere since she was born. Feeling nothing is a full-time job. She accepts that her ability to feel has been gone for a long time but maybe it was stolen from her. Maybe by Kitty. Possibly even by Justin, Richard, or someone else. She might not remember.”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews