Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

78 reviews

dqueen's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

Hated this book and the depiction of women. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that it was written in a different time, but the descriptions were awful. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, and Suicide

nelsonlala's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-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

Wtf va detta. Triggering som fan.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Alcohol, Abandonment, and Death of parent

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

thecactusprincess's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-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? Yes

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Death of parent, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

giorgia00's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Suicide, and Sexual content

zarajackson's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

3.25

Murakami’s writing style is beautiful and easy to read. The content of this novel, however, is not for anyone who is depressed or just can’t stand reading deeply disturbing thoughts from deeply disturbed characters. There isn’t much growth in these characters and it’s just hard to read sometimes, and it makes you wonder why you’re reading it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Sexual assault

stuckduck's review against another edition

dark sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Mental illness

m4rtt4's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.25

Naoko❤️‍🩹 I truly loved her.
Actually I really liked all the female characters, though they all more or less were also used as vessels for fulfilling the author's sexual fantasies — especially Midori, her personality at times was so pick-me-girly for the sole purpose of getting Watanabe's sexual attention.

This one was a re-read, and I must say I felt it so much more now at 20 — the main characters' age — than when I first read it at 16 years old. I've read all Murakami's novels, and even though I kind of miss the magical realism that was almost nonexistent in this book, it didn't really need it either as it was deep enough just like this. I just wish the metaphor of the "well" Naoko talked about in the beginning had appeared later on in the story, it should have had a greater purpose. Overall a very melancholic yet great reading experience, but for your own good, do consider skipping this if things related to suicide trigger you.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Sexual content, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Violence, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Lesbophobia

anna_l's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Suicide, and Sexual content

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Blood

yorozuya's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.25

My first Murakami and despite travelling while I started the book, I devoured it in the little time I had!

There's some messed up bits in here I won't lie but the writing style is so smooth and the way these dark themes are explored are so intriguing! The way Murakami describes memories will definitely stay with me for a while to come, and so will that very first scene of nothing but a description of a forest and a well...

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Dementia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Grief, Death, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, and Sexual content

leabharlady's review

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Ableism, and Sexism