Nowamajormotionpicture,starringAnneHathawayandThomasinMcKenzieShortlistedfortheManBookerPrize“Eileenisaremarkablepieceofwriting,alwaysdarkandsurprising,sometimesuglyandoccasionallyhilarious.Itsfirst-personnarratorisoneofthestrangest,mostmessed-up,mostpathetic--andyet,inherowninimitableway,endearing--misfitsI’veencounteredinfiction.Trustme,youhaveneverreadanythingremotelylikeEileen.“--WashingtonPostSohereweare.MynamewasEileenDunlop.Nowyouknowme.Iwastwenty-fouryearsoldthen,andhadajobthatpaidfifty-sevendollarsaweekasakindofsecretaryataprivatejuvenilecorrectionalfacilityforteenageboys.Ithinkofitnowaswhatitreallywasforallintentsandpurposes--aprisonforboys.IwillcallitMoorehead.DelvinMooreheadwasaterriblelandlordIhadyearslater,andsotousehisnameforsuchaplacefeelsappropriate.Inaweek,Iwouldrunawayfromhomeandnevergoback.ThisisthestoryofhowIdisappeared.TheChristmasseasonofferslittlecheerforEileenDunlop,anunassumingyetdisturbedyoungwomantrappedbetweenherroleasheralcoholicfather’scaretakerinahomewhosesqualoristhetalkoftheneighborhoodandadayjobasasecretaryattheboys’prison,filledwithitsownquotidianhorrors.Consumedbyresentmentandself-loathing,Eileentempersherdrearydayswithperversefantasiesanddreamsofescapingtothebigcity.Inthemeantime,shefillshernightsandweekendswithshoplifting,stalkingabuffprisonguardnamedRandy,andcleaningupherincreasinglyderangedfather’smesses.Whenthebright,beautiful,andcheeryRebeccaSaintJohnarrivesonthesceneasthenewcounseloratMoorehead,Eileenisenchantedandprovesunabletoresistwhatappearsatfirsttobeamiraculouslybuddingfriendship.InaHitchcockiantwist,heraffectionforRebeccaultimatelypullsherintocomplicityinacrimethatsurpassesherwildestimaginings.PlayedoutagainstthesnowylandscapeofcoastalNewEnglandinthedaysleadinguptoChristmas,youngEileen’sstoryistoldfromthegimlet-eyedperspectiveofthenowmucholdernarrator.Creepy,mesmerizing,andsublimelyfunny,inthetraditionofShirleyJacksonandearlyVladimirNabokov,thispowerfuldebutnovelenthrallsandshocks,andintroducesoneofthemostoriginalnewvoicesincontemporaryliterature.OttessaMoshfeghisalsotheauthorofMyYearofRestandRelaxation,HomesickforAnotherWorld:Stories,andMcGlue.
