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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
slow-paced
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After thinking about this book for a few days, the only conclusion I can come up with about Nishino is that he was possibly, and probably, AROMANTIC. As in, a person who experiences little to no romantic love. Not to be confused with sexual attraction. His desire to be in romantic relationships and his feeling of being “broken” and not being able to fall in love makes sense if he was aromantic. Sadly, he, and possibly the author, may not have known about the term ‘aromantic’ and couldn’t learn to accept himself in the end. Of course, aromantic people may still desire and engage in romantic relationships and that’s completely normal: however, it’s sad when aromantic people don’t know they’re aromantic and that they’re not alone or weird or broken.
Anyways, this is only my interpretation and I could be totally off from what the author intended but, it’s a POV to consider.
Also, if anyone actually reads this review and thinks “aromanticism” isn’t real - the only thing I can tell you is that it’s very real and your denial of it and inability to relate to it doesn’t make it any less real.
—- [Spoiler]
This would also somewhat explain why he thought he was in love with his sister. Platonic love can be confused for romantic love. The only person/woman he ever felt emotionally close to was his sister and that may be why he mistook platonic for romantic and thought he was “in love” with his sister.
Anyways, this is only my interpretation and I could be totally off from what the author intended but, it’s a POV to consider.
Also, if anyone actually reads this review and thinks “aromanticism” isn’t real - the only thing I can tell you is that it’s very real and your denial of it and inability to relate to it doesn’t make it any less real.
—- [Spoiler]
This would also somewhat explain why he thought he was in love with his sister. Platonic love can be confused for romantic love. The only person/woman he ever felt emotionally close to was his sister and that may be why he mistook platonic for romantic and thought he was “in love” with his sister.
reflective
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
I really liked to format of this book and how it was broken up. It was a truly innovative way to get to know a character - through the eyes of all of their past loves. (No spoilers) I enjoyed the revelation at the end which linked back to one of the first stories, but I would have loved to see this storyline threaded through the rest of the book. Perhaps it was and I just didn't pick up on it, so maybe it's a me problem which could be fixed with a re-read, or perhaps it just needed to be a little bit more obvious!
I really enjoyed Kawakami’s Strange weather in Tokyo but for my this book just fell flat. The story is split into 10 different perspectives so it’s hard to connect or dive into the life of a lover. Plus Nishino is clearly just a meh guy and honestly I found this a little tricky to finish.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wonderfully written, "The Ten Loves of Mr Nishino" sets aside a chapter for each past love of the main character and delves into the experiences each have whilst trying and (usually unsuccessfully) failing to love him. Nishino is a complex character, with many flaws and a great deal of self doubt. At the same time he comes across as rather arrogant in some stories, whilst in others he is vulnerable and in need of affection. Each of the characters is gently woven together, with some characters meeting each other in other chapters which makes the whole story flow really well. I enjoyed it immensely.
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perhaps it says more about me and the men I date, but this book (especially the middle section) left me devastated - particularly Manami's and Kanoko's chapters. I thought this book was a great exploration of the chasm that exists between sex and intimacy and how often people can mistake them as equivalent. .