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chimo's review against another edition
4.0
I have fun reading the whole book, but what picked me interested was the conversation between May Kasahara and Mr. Okada (and her letters) in a strange way I feel like she was able to express some of my feelings, like we share the same sky of thoughts; I was able to understand her, she’s only seventeen-year-old girl, but she has a deep understanding of the world.
And here it what she said about death, I can’t relate more:
“If people lived forever-if they never got any older-if they could just go on living in this world, never dying, always healthy-do you think they’d bother to think hard about things, the way we’re doing now? I mean, we think about just about everything, more or less-philosophy, psychology, logic. Religion. Literature. I kinda think, if there were no such thing as death, that complicated thoughts and ideas like that would never come into the world. I mean-”
.
.
.
“I mean ... this is what I think, but... people have to think seriously about what it means for them to be alive here and now because they know they’re going to die sometime. Right? Who would think about what it means to be alive if they were just going to go on living forever? Why would they have to bother? Or even if they should bother, they’d probably just figure, ‘Oh, well, I’ve got plenty of time for that. I’ll think about it later.’ But we can’t wait till later. We’ve got to think about it right this second. I might get run over by a truck tomorrow afternoon. And you, Mr. Wind-Up Bird: you might starve to death. One morning three days from now, you could be dead in the bottom of a well. See? Nobody knows what’s going to happen. So we need death to make us evolve. That’s what I think. Death is this huge, bright thing, and the bigger and brighter it is, the more we have to drive ourselves crazy thinking about things.”
4.5⭐
And here it what she said about death, I can’t relate more:
“If people lived forever-if they never got any older-if they could just go on living in this world, never dying, always healthy-do you think they’d bother to think hard about things, the way we’re doing now? I mean, we think about just about everything, more or less-philosophy, psychology, logic. Religion. Literature. I kinda think, if there were no such thing as death, that complicated thoughts and ideas like that would never come into the world. I mean-”
.
.
.
“I mean ... this is what I think, but... people have to think seriously about what it means for them to be alive here and now because they know they’re going to die sometime. Right? Who would think about what it means to be alive if they were just going to go on living forever? Why would they have to bother? Or even if they should bother, they’d probably just figure, ‘Oh, well, I’ve got plenty of time for that. I’ll think about it later.’ But we can’t wait till later. We’ve got to think about it right this second. I might get run over by a truck tomorrow afternoon. And you, Mr. Wind-Up Bird: you might starve to death. One morning three days from now, you could be dead in the bottom of a well. See? Nobody knows what’s going to happen. So we need death to make us evolve. That’s what I think. Death is this huge, bright thing, and the bigger and brighter it is, the more we have to drive ourselves crazy thinking about things.”
4.5⭐
nanno_lib's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
glock_shmee's review against another edition
4.0
I would like to be in my own little freshwater well also. maybe the teenage girl plot went the wrong direction, pls edit thank you.
hahsbrown's review against another edition
4.0
I had no idea what the fuck was going on but I liked it.
(cinnamon my beloved)
(cinnamon my beloved)
jessicamusch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was completely absurd and I loved it
muksreads's review against another edition
5.0
A terrifying tale of a man's journey to deal with grief and find meaning, fighting to exert as much control over his life as possible and deal with trauma handed down over the generations.
A mysterious disappearance of a cat sets the wheels in motion for this story. The setting itself is suburban Japan but the setting slowly feels like you're slowly slipping into a fantasy world. Murakami beautifully weaves multiple stories together. As you read you can slowly connect the pieces together as the tales from the past sheds light on a series of seemingly unconnected occurrences.
As the story moves you can feel incredible amounts for the main character. His loss, his struggles to forget his loss and his want to move back to a reality which no longer feels like the one he left, is immediately understandable. The way Murakami portrays all of these emotions and explains so perfectly what it is to lose someone you care for and the dissociation he feels with reality -- taken many steps further than most stories -- is harrowing.
Murakami obviously has a strong interest in history, this book itself concentrates on parts of the war in Nomonhan. He displays the vulgarity and hopelessness of war. Nothing is held back and the story grows as a result. A central theme to this book is the fight between free will and determinism. Placing this argument against the backdrop of a war and the decisions people have made was a stroke of genius. Further placing this against a main story of loss and a struggle to find their place in the world was masterful. Combining these two in a fantastical and somehow relatable way was genius.
A stunning book.
A mysterious disappearance of a cat sets the wheels in motion for this story. The setting itself is suburban Japan but the setting slowly feels like you're slowly slipping into a fantasy world. Murakami beautifully weaves multiple stories together. As you read you can slowly connect the pieces together as the tales from the past sheds light on a series of seemingly unconnected occurrences.
As the story moves you can feel incredible amounts for the main character. His loss, his struggles to forget his loss and his want to move back to a reality which no longer feels like the one he left, is immediately understandable. The way Murakami portrays all of these emotions and explains so perfectly what it is to lose someone you care for and the dissociation he feels with reality -- taken many steps further than most stories -- is harrowing.
Murakami obviously has a strong interest in history, this book itself concentrates on parts of the war in Nomonhan. He displays the vulgarity and hopelessness of war. Nothing is held back and the story grows as a result. A central theme to this book is the fight between free will and determinism. Placing this argument against the backdrop of a war and the decisions people have made was a stroke of genius. Further placing this against a main story of loss and a struggle to find their place in the world was masterful. Combining these two in a fantastical and somehow relatable way was genius.
A stunning book.
ehinrichsenjr's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stellapropella's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
mattryansol's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0