Reviews with content warning for Panic attacks/disorders - Norwegian Wood

Okay…. This book was way more depressing than I thought. Throughout the novel, we are following Toru Watanabe as he recalls these two women he fell in love with; Naoko, who he was in love with, but she struggled with depression and hearing voices, and Midori, who had a lively, liberated spirit. It took me a while to enjoy this book, as it is really slow-paced, and the themes of suicide and depression are hard to swallow, but this book was a gentle summer read to remind me that life is short and that spending time with loved ones is a thing we can take for granted. Also, I loved the passages with the letters going back and forth between Naoko and Watanabe, as I felt like the connection between characters was real and tangible. One thing I didn’t like was how many s*x scenes there were; they weren’t graphic but it just irked me because they just felt weird. Overall, this book was a nice break from some of my faster-paced reads.

Content Warnings

luccamaria's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

"Things will go where they're supposed to go if you just let them take their natural course. Despite your best efforts, people are going to be hurt when it's time for them to be hurt. Life is like that. I know I sound like I'm preaching from a pulpit, but it's time you learned to live like this. You try too hard to make life fit your way of doing things. If you don't want to spend time in an insane asylum, you have to open up a little more and let yourself go with life's natural flow. [...] So stop what you're doing this minute and get happy. Work at making yourself happy." (p. 355)

Content Warnings

1smarieokay's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

Content Warnings

domiohrens's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

The minute i finished the book I knew that it had become my favorite book.
The plot is incredible, the characters are likable (except for Toru and literally any men in the book) and they feel real, you can easily relate to their emotions and the problems they have throughout the book. I read this book because its Harry Styles favorite book, I didn't know what I was getting into or how this book would change the way I read and enjoy books.

This book showcases how deep and difficult mental illnesses are and how trauma can change the way you live, think and feel. I loved all the characters deeply and shed many tears while reading. I find that Murkami is really good at describing the feelings the characters have, as well as situating the reader, in the ambiance of the place where the story develops. (It makes you feel like you're there with them)

I don't think ill ever love a character as much as I loved Naoko (which makes me question my mental stability/health lol). The women characters of this book are amazing and real, if you see them from the right lens. As a woman and feminist I never saw them the way Murkami intended to show them. The way you think truly changes the way you understand and read the book.
My favorite chapters were

the ones were Toru visted Naoko and Reiko. I loved how you get an "inside look" into their daily lives, activities and what they're feeling/working on.

At times some really weird stuff happened like

when Wanatanbe and Reiko had goodbye sex in honor of Naoko ????

. The rating would be higher if Murkami wasn't a misogynist and often added too much detail to triggering/(uncomfortable to the reader) situations. At times some really weird stuff happened like

when Toru and Reiko had goodbye sex in honor of Naoko ???? or when Reiko described what happened to her with her student

. I hated the way Toru only saw women as a piece of meat that he can just have sex with, often the book portayed women like they were weak and defenseless and only a man (Toru with this shrimpy lol) could save them from their emotions and trauma.

I have to say that this book might not be for EVERYONE, to some people it may be boring, "too much" or "too dramatic/heavy". It also talks about serious issues that may trigger people. I recommend looking at the reviews and seeing the trigger warnings before you read it, just to know what you're getting into. If you're okay with all that I encourage you to read this book, you won't regret it and its really makes you think about your life and the people that you surround yourself with (also your mental health lmao).

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