Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Norwegian woods by Haruki Murakami

401 reviews

sam_smith101's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

sinfell's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It’s extremely difficult to understate how well this book approaches topics of grief and death, as well as how well Murakami grounds each character to reality, so much so that I feel as though I have not connected so much with another main character as I have with Toru. While this book, much like Murakami, does have dated and problematic cultural views, I think the sheer quality alone is enough to excuse it, if only to keep reading until completion. 
I have read several of Murakami’s stories, but I feel his more realistic works have their own sort of surrealism to it that any fantastical plot points feels completely unnecessary. 
Plus Midori is in this book, so that should be reason enough to give it 5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

bella613's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I like the way Murakami writes, as if he must tell a story that really happened and not as if he's creating one. 
I didn't love this book the way I loved Killing Commendatore. It was not quite what I expected, especially after hearing it was this book that exploded Murakami into fame. But I did connect with it. As it is with Murakami, there are some uncomfortable sections of the book. But there are some uncomfortable moments in life, so... it's sort of beautiful that he captures it so intensely? 
I found myself most drawn to Naoko in this story. Midori as a character is someone I would probably not enjoy spending time with in real life, but added to the story in a mostly positive way. I didn't like Toru much in the same way that one might not like oneself. Listening from his pov felt like looking back on one's own life and seeing all the flaws and mistakes and self-centered choices that were made. But he was very real. That's one thing I also love about Murakami: all of his characters feel undeniably real. 
My favorite part of the book was probably the long letter describing the sanatorium and the following visit to the sanatorium.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Rape, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

giulidrago's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Non è un libro perfetto e diversi elementi sarebbero da modificare, ma Norwegian Wood ha il sapore della pioggia e del rimpianto, e sono rimasta sorpresa da quanto mi ha coinvolto emotivamente. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, and Suicide

esv_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Infidelity, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Rape, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Car accident, Chronic illness, and Sexism

ceh517's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, Child death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Miscarriage

countdraculahimself's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-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

2.0

disgusting 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Death, and Cancer

disgusting

pauroxas's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I would like to try to describe the hold this book had over me. The last time I had read it was more than 7 years ago, but every detail of it is still etched in my mind. I read my copy until it fell apart. I used to recommend this to people I have known. I may have gotten a couple of them to read it, and I don't know if they have gotten the same things as I did out of it. Probably not. And it's okay. 

I have first picked it up after having been kicked out of the university and I had gone back home in disgrace. I was 16, very sick, friendless and hopeless. 

Within the pages of this book, I have felt understood. It had spoken of things that other people were too afraid (or could not be bothered) to talk about with me. Death, loss, grief, unrequited love, depression, desolation, isolation, darkness; but also - growing up, learning about one's sexuality and sex, friendship, devotion, hope, little glimpses of light. But I hadn't known yet how much of this book I would get to experience for myself.

I have lived with this book, I have lived through it, I have lived by it. I have identified with every character in it, I kid you not. I had found myself in many of their situations. I had grieved their losses and experienced their pain. It felt very much like I was constantly drifting in and out of this book, my life having been woven in its pages before I have even lived it. In so many ways, I am still that 16-year-old.

It will be interesting to meet up with this old friend again someday. Maybe, if I find myself out of the woods.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Grief, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Sexual content

meg_reads83's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Rape, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, and Misogyny

soniaaaaaaaa's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

heartbreakingly good, the characters felt like real people and how murakami is able to explore grief and loss was really effective. 

i would also check the trigger warnings before reading, some stuff i read i didnt expect and it was quite disturbing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, and Suicide

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual assault

Minor: Lesbophobia, Death, Child death, and Death of parent