Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

6 reviews

destroycilantro's review against another edition

mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced

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

3.0

Started reading this book and couldn’t put it down and then the plot got really slow and I put it up on a shelf and forgot about it for about 3 years. Finally finished it and I must say I have a million criticisms of this book. At the very least it was poetic to read the ending of this book as the characters narratively return the beginning. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Fatphobia, and Body shaming

bites_of_books's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

This one was a let down... 

Murakami can write really beautiful passages but this 1000+ book was just way too long and about 40% of it was just boring descriptions of mundane things. I do enjoy it when an author takes care to describe certain details but this was just too much.

We follow Aomame, a young woman who climbs down a staircase off a freeway and finds herself in a seemingly different world from her own. On the other hand we also follow Tengo, a young man who is tasked with ghostwriting a novel for a teenage girl by his editor. Aomame and Tengo live different lives and the first Book in this novel is spent trying to figure out how they fit together.

The themes explored in this book go from loneliness, religion, the power of literature, broken family dynamics, and more. Some of it did feel visceral and real, but others were just explored over repetitive and overdone writing. 

Then there are all the descriptions of women and anyone who isn't perfectly attractive in the author's eyes... it was just awful. The mysoginy was rampant throughout as well as deeply uncomfortable descriptions of certain intimate encounters that left me feeling like chucking the book in a corner and going for a walk. 

I do not recommend this novel, it's not magical realism in my eyes, it's fantasy/sci-fi. It's entirely way too long for what it is and it's not enjoyable in the least. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Rape, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Torture, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Animal death, Confinement, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, and Lesbophobia

rafagina's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

1.0

Slow, repetitive and predictable. On top of that, every female character is written either in cringe and belittling ways or downright horrendously misogynistic. Every single chapter there are gratuitous sexual descriptions and abusive episodes happening that add nothing to the story. If this is Murakami I don't know why people recommended it so much.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Murder, Abandonment, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Violence

kibiiiariii's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Acephobia/Arophobia, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Pedophilia, Biphobia, Cancer, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Abandonment, Blood, Death of parent, Infertility, Abortion, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Violence, and Toxic friendship

jackmerlot's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Fatphobia

sarah984's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

This book really disappointed me. All of the characters sound fascinating in theory, and I liked the parallel universes idea, but the writing was just really bad. Important points are reiterated over and over like the reader might not be paying attention, and plot points are over-explained (there is a part in book 3 where the POV characters are constantly missing each other and the narration is constantly telling you exactly when they passed each other by even though it's obvious - it made me feel like Murakami thinks his readers are idiots). 

All of the characters talk about taking control but just get pushed around by the narrative. Most of them hardly do anything at all.

The writing around underage girls is gross, especially a plot contrivance which allows a major character (who is a teacher!!) to have guilt-free sex with a teenage girl. All of the female characters are written very poorly and described by their breasts even when they are dead.

The romance that is basically the whole point of the book is ridiculous.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug use, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Torture

Moderate: Animal death and Incest

Minor: Fatphobia and Car accident