59 pages 1 hour read

Ottessa Moshfegh

Homesick for Another World

Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 2017

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

“A Dark and Winding Road”

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

“A Dark and Winding Road” Summary

A real estate lawyer named Charles visits his family’s cabin, which lies at the end of a dark, winding road in the woods. Charles has come to the cabin to escape a fight with his pregnant wife, whom he feels is mistreating him. The cabin is extremely bare: no running water, electricity, or cell service, and only a chair and simple bed inside. Charles is happy to be away from his wife and spends the first night eating his favorite foods, smoking marijuana, and drinking Scotch. He had planned to drink a special bottle of wine, which his college roommate had given him as a wedding gift, but he forgot to bring a corkscrew. He finds a flesh-colored dildo in the bed, but is undisturbed, assuming it’s a kind of prank.

The isolation of the cabin leads Charles to think about his family, especially his younger brother MJ. Charles and MJ were not close as children. MJ bullied Charles, calling him anti-gay slurs and beating him up, despite being three years younger. The brothers have grown into very different men: Charles is a lawyer and owns an expensive home, whereas MJ works in a factory and wears old, ratty clothing.

Related Titles

By Ottessa Moshfegh

Study Guide

logo

Eileen

Ottessa Moshfegh

Eileen

Ottessa Moshfegh

Study Guide

logo

Lapvona

Ottessa Moshfegh

Lapvona

Ottessa Moshfegh

Study Guide

logo

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

Ottessa Moshfegh

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

Ottessa Moshfegh