"Beauty is the Devil's shade."

In the village of Lapvona, little Marek finds himself in a power struggle that puts his faith to the test. He goes from a poor delusional son to a greedy boy living among the riches of the Lord governor, while also experiencing the villagers' struggles.

I am drawn to books that are strange and bleak, and Lapvona was exactly that. The story was unique and grotesque, yet beautifully written. It focused on important themes such as faith, guilt, corruption, and greed. I also really liked the medieval atmosphere as it was almost reminiscent of a grim fairytale. 

I enjoyed following the lives of everyone in the village. Their blind faith in the village's Lord, Villiam, their belief in the pompous priest, Father Barnabas, how they overcame their struggles, simply trying to survive. Meanwhile, the Lord was living his best life while punishing those throughout the village.

This book isn't for everyone, but I enjoyed the bleakness of it. It was an interesting view of human depravity wrapped up in a twisted tale in typical Moshfegh fashion.