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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-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:
Yes
Gosh, it is alway a pleasure to read Murakami's work. I have grown attached to this world he created and the characters he filled it with. I was looking for something a little more though - something a little more shocking. Absolutely no regrets reading this book. I wish all the characters peace.
PS: can someone tell Murakami that a 13 year old girl would never talk openly about being flat chested with a 30 year old man MULTIPLE TIMES.
PS: can someone tell Murakami that a 13 year old girl would never talk openly about being flat chested with a 30 year old man MULTIPLE TIMES.
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
classic murakami tbh. too many descriptions of books and a plot that makes you want to reread until you catch everything going on!
“He explained the distinction between the two types of holes: fuketsu, the larger ones that were big enough for people to go into, and kaza-ana, the smaller ones that people couldn’t enter. Both terms were alternate readings of the same Chinese characters meaning “wind“ and “hole.” Our uncle seemed to know everything.”
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
In many ways, this book was inspired. The use of language and repetition in the narrative was masterfully executed. The book layered stories within stories and cycles of meaning. I loved the philosophical conversations between characters both human and non-corporeal. The magical realism was captivating and the mystery surrounding the pit and the bell was incredibly compelling.
Though long, I found the pacing fast enough to keep me engaged for most of the book. However somewhere around the three quarter mark, I lost interest in the narrative. It seemed to slow to the point of loosing all interest. That however is forgivable.
What I found most problematic was the language around female characters. All women and girls mentioned had almost no dimension. They appeared as mere objects in the narrative- objects of desire and over sexualization. Their motives, if discussed, were completely vapid. They were described almost exclusively in terms of how attractive they are and specifically the size of their breasts. The size of each female character’s breasts, including those of young girls were described ad nauseam. There were multiple conversations between a middle aged man and an adolescent girl about her small breasts. It was extremely uncomfortable as a reader and felt both unrealistic and unnecessary. It did not add to the story in any way. The continued discussion was disturbing and made the story hard to finish.
It could have been a truly great story but the sexism really ruined it.
Though long, I found the pacing fast enough to keep me engaged for most of the book. However somewhere around the three quarter mark, I lost interest in the narrative. It seemed to slow to the point of loosing all interest. That however is forgivable.
What I found most problematic was the language around female characters. All women and girls mentioned had almost no dimension. They appeared as mere objects in the narrative- objects of desire and over sexualization. Their motives, if discussed, were completely vapid. They were described almost exclusively in terms of how attractive they are and specifically the size of their breasts. The size of each female character’s breasts, including those of young girls were described ad nauseam. There were multiple conversations between a middle aged man and an adolescent girl about her small breasts. It was extremely uncomfortable as a reader and felt both unrealistic and unnecessary. It did not add to the story in any way. The continued discussion was disturbing and made the story hard to finish.
It could have been a truly great story but the sexism really ruined it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Obsession with female breasts, underage and otherwise, aside, Murakami delivers an interesting and captivating story about routine.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No