Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

12 reviews

hue's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

There's just something so remarkable in the way Mieko Kawakami writes. I'm so enveloped in her world at first word. To think none of these people are real. I can't wrap my head around it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Body shaming

elisa_rachel's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Rape

Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Infidelity

maecaitlin's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

Interesting exploration of trauma and recovery. I found Fuyoka’s late-bloomer development to be a great depiction of life after a traumatic event.

As a result, her finding a gentle love in Mitsutsuka feels tender and sweet.

Kawakami’s writing is blunt and sometimes misses the mark for my taste. I particularly enjoyed the motif of a solo walk every Christmas Eve/Fuyoka’s Birthday, yet I wish there was more of a fleshed-out exploration of what this means to the character. However, I am mindful of and unsure if some meaning is lost in translation.

I feel Kawakami’s characters will live in my head for a long while as they feel very close to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Rape

Minor: Body shaming

chrisljm's review against another edition

reflective slow-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

I'm sure the mundanity and passiveness of the main character is important to the story, but I couldn't stand it. It was very frustrating to read how she interacted with other characters, but specifically her lack of response when communicating with them or the way she constantly repeated what they said. I also found the book to be dull and dry, and often times the monologues (particularly with one character) came off insincere and preachy. All the Lovers in the Night is described as "insightful, entertaining, and engaging; it will make readers laugh, and it will make them cry" but I strongly disagree. The storytelling was so overwhelmingly monotonous that I wasn't emotionally engaged at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Rape

Moderate: Grief, Sexism, Vomit, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, and Body shaming

Minor: Toxic friendship and Pregnancy

soyboysimon's review against another edition

sad tense medium-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

Didn't love this, I feel truly neutral about it. Its like i was reading only to get to the end of it. i didn't connect with any of the characters or their problems, the main characters troubles seemed self-inflicted, and I absolutely hate the way it talks about—or rather doesn't talk about—mental health.

The main character is dealing with a number of things,

anxiety, depression, alcoholism, an eating disorder, recovery from rape

, but they are presented as being normal parts of life that she has to conquer on her own, without help, before she can let herself be loved. Its sick and twisted to me, it wasn't good for me, I don't recommend it if you deal with any of these problems.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Vomit, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Rape, Car accident, Mental illness, and Alcoholism

lesliekate's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I feel like I didn’t get this at all. it started off so strong, then got so depressing and creepy and weird and uncomfortable, then completely irritating and fucked up, then slightly better. I am lost.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Mental illness

Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia

Minor: Sexism, Pregnancy, and Vomit

lambclown's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Vomit

Moderate: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Car accident, and Terminal illness

unoriginalinspiration's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Rape, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Rape, Addiction, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Dysphoria, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, and Vomit

Minor: Pregnancy, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Car accident, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Infidelity, Sexual content, Misogyny, and Sexism

robinks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

My first Kawakami! The story reminded me a bit of Murakami: beautiful descriptions of scenes, interesting philosophical questions, and a protagonist who is very passive. It was refreshing to have a female protagonist though, and I liked the commentary on feminism presented through Fuyuko’s interactions with and about Hijiri.

Fuyuko and Hijiri initially had a bit of a romantic connection, and I would’ve loved to see that fleshed out. I was a little disturbed by the final argument between Fuyuko and Hijiri and how they became friends from that, and the age gap between Fuyuko and Matsutsuka creeped me out. I was also pleased to see Fuyuko’s growth at the end, but it felt rushed, especially with the time skip that we didn’t get to see.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Vomit, Alcohol, and Rape

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, Body shaming, Pregnancy, and Fatphobia