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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quite slow, got distracted by other greater books available to read that enticed my interests.
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
I loved this book! It was filled with a a slight melancholy, yet peaceful. I found solace in the simplicity of the narrators life.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
What a disappointment. Boring plot, dull predictable characters and the constant mention of a 13 year old girl's breasts made this a painful read. This was so bad I won't pick up any new books by Murakami again.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
debated ending my life every time he mentioned that 13 year old girls chest
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
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:
Complicated
I’d have liked if the ending was more resolved and the loose threads were tied up, instead of being left up almost completely to imagination. All we’re left to feed off of are a few lazily dropped clues. It’s unlike Murakami to leave these many loose threads.
That said, the writing felt magical. It was atmospheric, and with good music this book goes exceptionally well. The characters were distinctive and I definitely felt drawn to them all. I wish Menshiki’s mystery was revealed more since he was definitely the one character I felt the most interested in.
As is typical of Murakami, women’s breasts are certainly focused on a lot. But what makes it worse is the obsession with 13 year old Mariye’s chest, particularly when the story is reaching its climax. It was genuinely jarring how obsessed this 70-something man was with a 13 year old’s chest, through the eyes and ears of his 30 something protagonist. And the ending connected to that dream was just... awful. No words. But as is always the case with Murakami, you gain some (new knowledge, new music, new ways of thinking) and you lose some (his absolutely abhorrent way of writing women).
I’m still confused about the number of loose threads he refused to touch though. Wish this wasn’t a glaring issue with the book. Otherwise, it was a good reading experience.
That said, the writing felt magical. It was atmospheric, and with good music this book goes exceptionally well. The characters were distinctive and I definitely felt drawn to them all. I wish Menshiki’s mystery was revealed more since he was definitely the one character I felt the most interested in.
As is typical of Murakami, women’s breasts are certainly focused on a lot. But what makes it worse is the obsession with 13 year old Mariye’s chest, particularly when the story is reaching its climax. It was genuinely jarring how obsessed this 70-something man was with a 13 year old’s chest, through the eyes and ears of his 30 something protagonist. And the ending connected to that dream was just... awful. No words. But as is always the case with Murakami, you gain some (new knowledge, new music, new ways of thinking) and you lose some (his absolutely abhorrent way of writing women).
I’m still confused about the number of loose threads he refused to touch though. Wish this wasn’t a glaring issue with the book. Otherwise, it was a good reading experience.