Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

37 reviews

minhtan's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicide attempt

mudkipmillie's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Like many Murakami books, the ending feels a bit unresolved. Also there are some HEAVY themes in this book, so watch out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Abortion, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Grief, and Death

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Child death

annuich's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Trafficking, Torture, Suicide attempt, Rape, Infidelity, Incest, Genocide, Death, and Confinement

esmithumland's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I loved the inter-leaving stories in this book, and the mysteries were deeply intriguing. I liked that they were simultaneously explored while remaining largely unresolved. But I didn't care for the gratuitous death and gore (although I could somewhat see that contributing to the story), the weird pedophila, or the fact that while half of the characters are women their only point is to revolve around and relate to the men. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Pedophilia

vee's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book will definitely require a reread. I'm still trying to process it. It was completely enthralling the entire time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Abortion, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Incest, Infidelity, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence

paperdollskaterboy's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

From reading the other reviews, it seems this is a love-it or hate-it book. I am on the love-it side but I honestly cannot tell you why.
I am usually not into books with graphic violence, slow plots, and (relatively) passive protagonists, but something lured me into this story and I couldn't shake it off. (And I started to grow fond of Toru.)

This is my first Murakami book so I don't know if this is his style or specific to this story, but I found the way emotions are written in this book incredibly contagious. I mean that sometimes I would feel my own feelings how the protagonist felt his: distanced but incredibly detailed and accepting. I was able to step into another way of feeling in a way that I think is really rare. It felt like I was part of the surrealist landscape. If that intrigues you, try it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Vomit

katyaj's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don't believe that I will ever be able to describe this book in the way it deserves. I cannot explain what made me love this, or made me read page after page but I felt compelled to. It is a fantastic book, and I would highly recommend it, but it is not for those who are squeamish, or those looking for a fast paced plot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Sexism, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Misogyny