Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

86 reviews

amelody's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

dsalazar's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Really great read. There were parts where I did disconnect but that’s because it got a little too much into history or felt drawn out. Another minor hang up I had was with the sheer amount of information being thrown at you, at a very fast pace, in an intricate way. I get this was the intention and it may just be that it requires a second read. It kind of reminds me of Oppenheimer (2023) in that regard where it was fast paced and lots of details and Names are thrown out and the timeline isn’t chronological so a second or third watch helps with solidifying some details.

This is all minor because overall I enjoyed the depth the characters had. This is my first Murakami book and it was exactly what I expected in terms of magical realism and explaining a mystery just enough that you want to know more but also would rather not know at the same time. So many unsettling scenes that were page turners. He captures complex emotions so well I had to put the book down during some of the more (literally) torturous chapters.

100% recommend

Content Warnings

anemosise's review against another edition

4.5

mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

bumped up rating higher after sitting on it more. i loved trying to connect a lot of murakami's dots while reading, and ended up being more satisfied than I was after initially putting it down. love his writing style, even though it was incredibly slow, i was still engaged! wish he wrote about the women characters more normally lol

Content Warnings

ajc0516's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

blau_elmo's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This book, to me, is Murakami at his best. Minimal weird, contrived sex scenes that are uncomfortable to sit through. Instead, there is a focus on the story line, which is filled with that magical realism mysticism, in which the quirky, memorable characters act together cohesively to drive the plot forward.

The book uses subtle occurrences, like the disappearance/reappearance of the main character's pet cat Noboru, as a catalyst for other stranger occurrences in the book. Everything is tied together in this convoluted but enthralling web, and Murakami keeps pulling his signature twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

I would describe this more as a collection of character stories bound together to form one cohesive novel. Every story, from the Lieutenant's war story to Nutmeg's disability, to Okada and May and Creta's unique personalities, creates the blend of adventure and introspection that Murakami does so well.

The comparison between the main character and

the actual Noboru Wataya

is particularly interesting; especially in the framing of "goodness" and "evil" as something shared between the two characters, their similarities driving their rivalry.

An adventure through and through; my favourite Murakami book for sure.

Content Warnings

kathleendayle's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

risemini's review against another edition

4.25

dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

meghanc's review against another edition

2.0

mysterious slow-paced

Loveable characters: No

Content Warnings

leechio's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

cheuksin's review against another edition

3.5

dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

First time reading a Murakami book , when people said his writing was overly horny they really weren’t joking
Malta Kano was wearing a trench coat. The lapels were closed tight across the front, but from the subtle fragrance of a woman’s naked flesh I could tell she was wearing nothing underneath.
It never really explained why toru okada doesn’t speak to his family
The sexualisation of the 16 year old May Kasahara is uncomfortable
At least it didn’t have a Cliff hanger
“She told me that the baby’s name was Corsica and that half the baby’s father was me, while the other half was Lieutenant Mamiya.” Isn’t lieutenant mamiya an elderly man, also when the fuck did they even meet like did I miss something?

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