In Ottessa Moshfegh’s latest novel, Lapvona , the story centers around the quasi-medieval town of Lapvona where its villagers face drought and starvation as their despotic lord hoards their water supply. I admit, this is my first time reading Moshfegh, and, after seeing the book's deep-fried surrealist trailer, I was over the moon excited for this one. I was hoping for Pathologic or a Hieronymus Bosch painting in written form. However, asides from a scene involving the creative use of grapes and a Homelander mommy issue situation, the story itself was largely underwhelming. Instead the plot slowly meanders through the various farming seasons and the climax is ... well, anticlimactic. Ultimately, Lapvona presents a dark satire and wry commentary on human greed, but its execution and themes feel half-baked. I wish it had leaned more into its absurdism and mysticism elements and developed its ideas further because the story itself had so much potential. Thank ...