Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

216 reviews

skaiaa's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.75

It was good, but defs different to what I expected! Another review I read about the 'sickness' (eventually leading them to commit suicide) being passed on from Kizuki to Naoko, then finally to Toru (main character), and he calls out to Midori for help but its too late is such an interesting theory! Also, sooo much sex I was not expecting that (idk just the vibe I got from how I've heard  norwegian wood being talked about and how popular it is)./
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st1va's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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_maak's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

3.5

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nesilla's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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boofaboo's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
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storieswithannej's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

DNF at 57%

The scene with the 13 yo girl and what Reiko and Naoko said about this psychological illness not going to heal triggered me. Now every next line that Reiko would mention "snap!" I felt like something in me's snapping too, that I need to pause for a while because it suddenly felt too much. I felt my heart beat racing too and I need a breather. I can't seem to remove that image from my mind.
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vinicoelho's review against another edition

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

3.25

The only other Murakami I have read is Kafka on the Shore so that is my frame of reference for this book. As in Kafka on the Shore I can appreciate Murakami's beautiful writing style and the way he can conjure an image or describe feelings in a tactile way. I would say this book is more approachable than Kafka on the Shore since it sheds the magical realism element and focuses on the increasingly complex relationships between the characters. Aside from the protagonist, characters can feel a touch two dimensional at times, defined only by their relationship to Watanabe but I think this reflects how we see people in our own lives sometimes, the only perspective we have is our own. The story certainly shows its age both in the comments made by some characters and the way the female characters are sometimes portrayed, Toru finds himself in a love triangle between the archetypical manic pixie dream girl Midori and the depressed-but-in-a-hot-way Naoko. The book really took a nosedive towards the end
where after a beautiful conversation and 'funeral' ceremony between Toru and Reiko, the wise, older sister/aunt figure to him and Naoko (the only relationship spared from Toru's sad and tortured horny tendencies) have a raucous night of vividly described sex
and felt like it ended on an abrupt note - a tired cliche.

Overall this was an enjoyable read and I did find myself engrossed in the characters and their stories and how they interacted with each other, I just wish it was spared of Murakami's usual old man horniness
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tengoku088's review against another edition

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

5.0

Probably the best book I ever read.  It's sweet at times, sad at others, it is written wonderfully, the pages flow like nothing. A must read 
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pepelu's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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gfiore11's review against another edition

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

4.0

This is a book that sticks with you as you reflect on what just happened. Rife with possibile interpretation, I could easily read this again and experience a different book. Absurd is some ways, but not magical like some of Murakami’s other books. 
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