An Argument for Short Fiction: “Death in Her Hands” by Ottessa Moshfegh
Review by Elena Negron
Ottessa Moshfegh once again encapsulates the ideas of loneliness, this time within the confines of the life of an elderly woman. Vesta, though her name is rarely said correctly, has isolated herself from her community and lives mostly in the constructions of society and the memories that she has of the past. Vesta and the narration get lost within her expansive imagination. She contemplates self, her dead husband, and most importantly fabricates a murder of which she has no proof but a letter, but nearly thinks into existence.
Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body.
Praise
The beginning of this book will live in my mind forever. It has all the workings of any other famous book opening and has become the tagline for the book. This novel deserves all the recognition it can get- Moshfegh captures the unraveling mind of a woman as it unravels. She drags you along with her, unwillingly yet still captivated. Moshfegh does it with such art and such clarity that the world Vesta creates is vivid and true to herself and to the reader, as if we are all losing our minds together and we don’t realize it.
I read this book for class- it wasn’t assigned, but I was able to choose any book I wanted to help guide my novel-writing process. This novel, however, was possibly one of the worst novel options I could have chosen. The book, the writing, and the characters are all wonderful. Moshfegh’s talent is undeniable. This novel is quite unlike any other novel I have ever read. In that way, it is nearly impossible to use it as a guide in writing my own novel.
An Argument for the Short Story
The only thing that could potentially strengthen this novel would be if it were in a shorter form. I love the novel length here, but perhaps a short story would have been just as, if not more, impactful. It would afford the reader a sense of uncertainty that Moshfegh clings to. It could heighten the feeling of an unhinged woman and leave the reader feeling just as unhinged, just as final as Vesta is. Novels afford the reader finality, answers. Short stories afford readers the illusion of answers, the idea that whatever they dream up happening to the character is what happens to the character. In the true style of Vesta, a short story would allow the reader’s imagination to run wild amongst the tension and chaos that Moshfegh creates.
Final Thoughts
As president of the Ottessa fan club, I believe this story is masterfully done. Just as masterful as My Year of Rest and Relaxation though Vesta is not as quirky, rude, or intriguing as the speaker of her most famous story. This is the kind of story I would love to write. We are never sure what is real, who is real, or what is happening.
