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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Totally unlike anything else I've ever read. Even though its a beefy book (almost 700 pages) and by all rights not much happens, it was engrossing the entire way though. A wonderfully interesting first dip into modern Japanese Fiction for me and highly recommend to anyone who likes slow burn books or dips into mystical realism.
"Bringing my face close to the glass, I looked out at the wide expanse of ocean. The horizon seemed to be pushing up against the sky. I followed the line where the sky met the water from end to end. No human being could draw a line so beautiful, whatever ruler they might use."
finally done !!!! what the fuck was that
finally done !!!! what the fuck was that
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A little slow, but I really liked this one. I thought there were some parts that reminded me of Wind up Bird, but it was less frightening.
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
Look, I am a very sympathetic Murakami reader. I started this book because I was going through a stressful time on the academic job market and Murakami's simple sentences and magical realism provide exactly the right amount of escape to help me find peace and sleep at night.
I very much enjoyed reading this book for the above reasons. That being said, the plotline felt like a retread of Murakami's greatest hits: the pit is awfully similar to the "dry well" in Wind-Up Bird; we have a recent divorcee searching for footing; a pre-pubescent strong-willed girl; the same escape to the same mountains as we had in A Wild Sheep Chase; and, a mysterious source of magic (in this case, a painting which comes to life).
The real issue--aside from the lack of anything new being said--is Murakami's weird obsession with breasts and their development on underage girls. According to my kindle search, there were 40 references to breasts in this novel and nearly all of them were terribly distracting and completely unrelated to the story. This includes a lengthy description of his deceased younger sister's breasts as a defining feature of her young and all-too-short existence. Shout-out / anti-shout-out to my partner Erin Fowler for bringing this to my attention with respect to 1Q84 (where I must have glossed over it). I can't unsee it in his writing now.
In any case, someone please get him an editor. If you need help sleeping, pick up one of his books and be transported, but read his older work--the Rat trilogy and especially The Wild Sheep Chase is both less bloated and vastly more enjoyable than his newer novels. I'd also recommend The Wind-Up Bird, though I'm 100% sure if I went back to that the relationship with the pre-teen neighbor girl would be weird.
I very much enjoyed reading this book for the above reasons. That being said, the plotline felt like a retread of Murakami's greatest hits: the pit is awfully similar to the "dry well" in Wind-Up Bird; we have a recent divorcee searching for footing; a pre-pubescent strong-willed girl; the same escape to the same mountains as we had in A Wild Sheep Chase; and, a mysterious source of magic (in this case, a painting which comes to life).
The real issue--aside from the lack of anything new being said--is Murakami's weird obsession with breasts and their development on underage girls. According to my kindle search, there were 40 references to breasts in this novel and nearly all of them were terribly distracting and completely unrelated to the story. This includes a lengthy description of his deceased younger sister's breasts as a defining feature of her young and all-too-short existence. Shout-out / anti-shout-out to my partner Erin Fowler for bringing this to my attention with respect to 1Q84 (where I must have glossed over it). I can't unsee it in his writing now.
In any case, someone please get him an editor. If you need help sleeping, pick up one of his books and be transported, but read his older work--the Rat trilogy and especially The Wild Sheep Chase is both less bloated and vastly more enjoyable than his newer novels. I'd also recommend The Wind-Up Bird, though I'm 100% sure if I went back to that the relationship with the pre-teen neighbor girl would be weird.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes