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jemin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
i was slightly bored in the middle and all the characters were strange but it was quite good
hellojohnpaul's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.0
the__writwr's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
4.75
lina973's review against another edition
5.0
The first Murakami book I read and it left me searching up every other book he has ever written. 5 stars! Surreal, dark and beautiful.
amanca02's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.0
danto's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
teavani's review against another edition
4.0
university library
conflicted. while i truly like some of the writing (first chapter w the meadow was truly transporting), i did not like some of the portrayals of female characters. even if i hadn’t known this about murakami earlier it’s pretty easy to pick up on like less than halfway through the book. this is especially clear with midori’s character but still present with naoko and reiko
however it seems reductive to give this 1 or 2 stars just for that reason… or saying that the premise is just boy falls for quirky girl and his life is changed forever. the writing is really quite something. if i didn’t have the gripes i do this would probably be a 5 star read but i personally can’t give it that.
central themes of love, loss, & sex. definitely a character driven story and i see why someone who prefers action-based plot would not care for this. murakami writes with a unique precision and clarity that’s unmatched for me so far. i think i’ll explore more japanese fiction because there seem to be some gems out there?
conflicted. while i truly like some of the writing (first chapter w the meadow was truly transporting), i did not like some of the portrayals of female characters. even if i hadn’t known this about murakami earlier it’s pretty easy to pick up on like less than halfway through the book. this is especially clear with midori’s character but still present with naoko and reiko
however it seems reductive to give this 1 or 2 stars just for that reason… or saying that the premise is just boy falls for quirky girl and his life is changed forever. the writing is really quite something. if i didn’t have the gripes i do this would probably be a 5 star read but i personally can’t give it that.
central themes of love, loss, & sex. definitely a character driven story and i see why someone who prefers action-based plot would not care for this. murakami writes with a unique precision and clarity that’s unmatched for me so far. i think i’ll explore more japanese fiction because there seem to be some gems out there?