Reviews tagging 'Torture'

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

26 reviews

qstew's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Misogyny, Murder, Stalking, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Kidnapping, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Mass/school shootings, Body shaming, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Suicide attempt, Confinement, and Torture

k_pelowk's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I can’t wait to reread this story. I love the characters; I have real affection for them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Suicide, Sexual content, and Torture

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Death of parent

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. 

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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

mxpringle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

This book was so so good in every way except one, and would have been 5 stars except for the sheer misogyny in describing every female character's breasts and

the horribly disturbing adult/minor relationship and blatant pedophilia

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Death, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture

Minor: Gore

kailey_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Torture

delekelll's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I think the max I can give this book is 4 stars, because I enjoyed it and it was enthralling, but THE sex scene  and the gratuitous focus on every single female characters boobs threw me off. (hey murakami is that something you can speak to ????) I enjoyed the way that the secrets of the novel were given out very slowly, and I thought the ending was great. I think that now I've read both favorite books of someone who was not the nicest to me I understand more about them. Also, I feel like I should have taken longer to read this book. 1170 pages in 4 days is a lot. But, I felt the need to finish and move out of the cat town while the train still stopped for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Torture, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Dementia, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Body shaming, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

Minor: Death, Rape, Animal death, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry

Definitely unsettling, when it is not outright morally reprehensible. However, it was a very fascinating book and some of the triggering materials related to the above content warnings were justified in being included in the novel.

isaospina's review against another edition

challenging mysterious slow-paced

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

3.25

I've been reading this book for months, next to Ana Karenina, 1Q84 is the longest book I've read to date.

It took me a while, the beginning is tough, Murakami female characters are... Sexist at best but once you go through the first book you learn to swallow it.

The second book was my favorite, it's where the plot thickens and the entire cult-murder deal is right down my alley. It's also the book that took me less time to read as I didn't have to deal with countless descriptions of boobs. 

Third book was Ok, I guess. It did feel like Aomame's character took some steps backwards. But the ending made me smile, so I'll give it that.

Not gonna lie, s my first Murakami read I don't feel excited for more, nor feel the need to blacklist him from authors I read or will read. Still this book is a little over the place, with too much repetition and plot holes, also sexism and flat as tortilla female characters. If you can power through that, it's an entertaining read.

I know he doesn't get better with female characters but I believe there must be better books that give him the reputation he has, this one isn't one of them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, and Torture

ihoneymustard's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Rape, Torture, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence

aurorarory's review

dark emotional mysterious slow-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual content, and Murder

maia313's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.25

A book that is terrible for people who like the 'proper' traditional format- clear climax, all questions answered. But for those who don't mind the strange and fantastical nature, it is perfect. All common criticisms with Murakami are still found valid in this book, yet the dreamlike quality is once again perfected. I loved both Tengo's and Aomame's (and Ushikawa's in book 3) perspective chapters.
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR ENDING
The final book spoke about Chekhov's gun being unfired, which is true both metaphorically and literally- Aomame never shoots the Heckler & Kock, and there is no 'final showdown' between the characters and Sakigake, or any shocking revelation. Although some of this would have been good, I find that the strange nature of his books excuses this, and it works very well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Torture, Sexual assault, and Death

Moderate: Rape