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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Happy ending, although I wish there were more info on the cult. I love cults, although I have no intention of joining one. LOL.
It's a long listen, but you won't notice it anyway since the story is highly interesting. Lots of erotic notions too (they ARE necessary), so not a good idea to listen to this on speakers.
It's a long listen, but you won't notice it anyway since the story is highly interesting. Lots of erotic notions too (they ARE necessary), so not a good idea to listen to this on speakers.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I enjoyed this very much! I think most of all I liked the slow careful pace and the way the story slowly reveals itself. In the beginning everything is pretty normal and there's nothing unusual about the world or the people in it, but almost right away you just get this feeling that something else is going on beneath the surface, and you're right. I especially liked that nothing was presented as a surprise. I get so tired of shock and awe story telling or when I feel like the author is trying to trick you, so this was a great relief. Even when the most unexpected is being revealed it never feels like it's trying to throw you off. I feel like the "Ta-da!" approach is a sudden sharp turn in the road, forcing you to slam on the brakes and jerk the car around to readjust. This style feels more like a gradual curve that keeps bending tighter and tighter without slowing down. The tension ramps up gradually as you feel the car on the edge of losing control and then it evens out and you can relax. The story never shakes you loose and never tries to startle you. There are some real unexpected twists and there is plenty of tension, but you always get to feel it rising instead of suddenly kicking the floor out from under you.
There's a lot of questions left unanswered by the end of the book, which tempers the feeling of resolution a bit. I'm still sort of deciding how I feel about the left over mysteries. On one hand I'm still curious about the corners of the world that never really got enough light shone on them. There's a huge cord through the whole of the story that never gets any kind of explanation even though it is the driving force for the whole world. On the other hand, maybe explaining some of these more mysterious aspects would have dulled some of their luster. There's a definite dreamlike ambiance around the world and understanding it better might break that bubble. Also since the story is mostly told from the perspectives of the characters, you generally only know as much as they know, so at the end when they're staring off into the future unsure of what will happen next, you feel the same wonder and anticipation. It's similar to how in the movie The Graduate, it ends once Dustin Hoffman and the girl get on the bus to run away together (spoiler alert?). They don't say they lived happily ever after, they don't say anything, you're just on a bus going somewhere and then the screen fades to black.
One "complaint" I have is that the characters all felt sort of similar. I liked the characters overall but I realized afterwards that they were all very cool, collected, and calm. They all had the same deliberate concentration and were generally pleasant but stolid. I feel like it would have benefited from a little variety.
A special note on the audio book version, which is the version I "consumed" (heaven forbid I say "read"). The book is told from the perspective of three characters, and each characters perspective had a different reader. A small complaint was that each reader gave a slightly different characterization of one character who interacts with all three perspectives, but actually it makes sense that each character would have a different impression of him so never mind. (This might be a very general spoiler next, though I don't really think so since it's basically what the whole book is about) Through most of the story the two main characters are orbiting around each other and never interact until the very end, and when they do, the two perspectives collide, and consequently, the two readers that represent the two characters finally speak together. Maybe that seems inconsequential but it's a huge pay off the first time Aomame speaks to Tengo in her own voice. It only happens for the two of them and it only happens at the very end and it feels special.
There's a lot of questions left unanswered by the end of the book, which tempers the feeling of resolution a bit. I'm still sort of deciding how I feel about the left over mysteries. On one hand I'm still curious about the corners of the world that never really got enough light shone on them. There's a huge cord through the whole of the story that never gets any kind of explanation even though it is the driving force for the whole world. On the other hand, maybe explaining some of these more mysterious aspects would have dulled some of their luster. There's a definite dreamlike ambiance around the world and understanding it better might break that bubble. Also since the story is mostly told from the perspectives of the characters, you generally only know as much as they know, so at the end when they're staring off into the future unsure of what will happen next, you feel the same wonder and anticipation. It's similar to how in the movie The Graduate, it ends once Dustin Hoffman and the girl get on the bus to run away together (spoiler alert?). They don't say they lived happily ever after, they don't say anything, you're just on a bus going somewhere and then the screen fades to black.
One "complaint" I have is that the characters all felt sort of similar. I liked the characters overall but I realized afterwards that they were all very cool, collected, and calm. They all had the same deliberate concentration and were generally pleasant but stolid. I feel like it would have benefited from a little variety.
A special note on the audio book version, which is the version I "consumed" (heaven forbid I say "read"). The book is told from the perspective of three characters, and each characters perspective had a different reader. A small complaint was that each reader gave a slightly different characterization of one character who interacts with all three perspectives, but actually it makes sense that each character would have a different impression of him so never mind. (This might be a very general spoiler next, though I don't really think so since it's basically what the whole book is about) Through most of the story the two main characters are orbiting around each other and never interact until the very end, and when they do, the two perspectives collide, and consequently, the two readers that represent the two characters finally speak together. Maybe that seems inconsequential but it's a huge pay off the first time Aomame speaks to Tengo in her own voice. It only happens for the two of them and it only happens at the very end and it feels special.
dark
hopeful
reflective
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:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Well written page turner with extremely disappointing ending with no pay off
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Parallel world, mixed with a love story... Hmm... review to come... When I'm not lazy. xD
I am a huge fan of Murakami. I love his writing, his storytelling, and the kinds of stories he tells.
I think it's because of that that I finished this book. I enjoyed it, certainly. I was affected by the characters and their story. But it was long, and a little laborious in places. I would still say his masterpiece is The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, even though this one seems like he wants it to be.
Start with A Wild Sheep Chase or The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle if you want to test your interest in Murakami on a shorter, more accessible book than this one.
I think it's because of that that I finished this book. I enjoyed it, certainly. I was affected by the characters and their story. But it was long, and a little laborious in places. I would still say his masterpiece is The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, even though this one seems like he wants it to be.
Start with A Wild Sheep Chase or The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle if you want to test your interest in Murakami on a shorter, more accessible book than this one.
