Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

37 reviews

kanderson246's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Confinement, Gore, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Abortion and Child death

dakotahreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Gore, and Torture

Minor: Animal death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, and Murder

kaitlyn_avecado's review

slow-paced

1.5

I just...So many people said this book was 10 out of 10. I've read one other of his books, but after reading this.....I'm never reading Murakami again. I hate how his books focus on an uninteresting, unemployed male character who never seems to care about anything happening around him. Murakami's portrayal of female characters is the kicker for me. He only writes about eccentric women who float about the protagonist and have sex with him. It feels like he adds trauma to the female characters to make them "deeper/more interesting". I slogged through this book hoping it would get better. Finally, some plot unfolds in the last 50 pages. Not worth it. SKIP

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Gore, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Torture

Moderate: War

Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, and Infidelity

sas_lk's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

I think this is now my second favourite Murakami book. I appreciate what he did with it, though sometimes I felt like some parts were just too long or unnecessary.
He has this way of blending realities and making you question what reality truly is. That's what I love so much about his books. He makes you so aware of how the world around us is always moving, and that maybe it isn't always linear. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Vomit and Abortion

Minor: Death and Infidelity

shannanigans's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Torture, Mental illness, Murder, Blood, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, War, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Body horror, Rape, Self harm, and Violence

jacob_dion's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Torture, War, and Death

Moderate: Abortion, Violence, Cursing, Car accident, Incest, Rape, and Vomit

directorpurry's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Animal death, Blood, Death, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Rape

Moderate: Abortion

natattack17's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow something about this book really hit. I can completely understand how some readers may not enjoy that story but the writing is beautiful. I almost always enjoy magical realism and this was such a complex story with so many turns, flashbacks, and tales from others but it is a worthwhile reading experience. The only aspect that I did not fully enjoy of understand was the main character, Toru Okada's relationship with a 16 year old girl named May. Aspects of this relationship didn't sit right with me. The character of May herself also toed the line of of being realistic and making me question her sanity. It felt as though the questions she asked and points she brought up although plausible for a 16 year went too far in her obsession with death and direful topics. Also for being described as an undeveloped teen her character felt overly sexualized.

ex. when Toru Okada comments on how she looked good in a bikini or her in a letter to Toru she speaks about feeling the urge to be naked and undressing when thinking about Toru.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Sexual content, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Sexual assault and Child abuse

Minor: Abortion and Suicide

ireneac's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Blood, and Body horror

irinalast's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death, Toxic relationship, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Gaslighting, Incest, Pregnancy, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Mental illness