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f18's review against another edition
dark
funny
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
3.5
I can't be the only person who finds Ryu Murakami hilarious. Cmon fix your votes for tone/mood!
I saw the movie Audition years ago, and found it underwhelming. In part, because I had been overhyped on how gory it would be but reading the book reminded me of other issues I had with the story.
After watching Love & Pop, Audition, and both reading and watching Piercing I think that what I really wanted from this book isn't what Murakami is interested in exploring in his work. I did enjoy this more than Piercing. Aoyama wasn't exactly likeable but he was far less grating than Kawashima who made me constantly want to throw the book across the room until around the halfway point when the comedy of errors plot kicked in. Piercing I found funny straight away which made it a much more entertaining read. Murakami's works are ultimately focused on internal psychology though, and in a way I always seem to have mixed feelings about.Having forgotten the plot since watching the film (other than the most basic outline) I was really expecting Asami to be lying to Kawashima about her past trauma and have been setting him up from the very beginning to fall for her in order to get him close enough to torture. Being reminded that no, actually her trauma had just made her a yandere was a disappointment. Aoyama assumed the homeless child would be capable of murder and I would have loved for him to assume that Asami had turned on him because of her past only for her to reveal it had all been a lie. While people's lives inform their actions of course (cycles of violence exist) its frustrating to see the idea over and over again that its a given that a tough past will turn someone into a monster.
Regardless, the ending was brilliant.
I saw the movie Audition years ago, and found it underwhelming. In part, because I had been overhyped on how gory it would be but reading the book reminded me of other issues I had with the story.
After watching Love & Pop, Audition, and both reading and watching Piercing I think that what I really wanted from this book isn't what Murakami is interested in exploring in his work. I did enjoy this more than Piercing. Aoyama wasn't exactly likeable but he was far less grating than Kawashima who made me constantly want to throw the book across the room until around the halfway point when the comedy of errors plot kicked in. Piercing I found funny straight away which made it a much more entertaining read. Murakami's works are ultimately focused on internal psychology though, and in a way I always seem to have mixed feelings about.
Regardless, the ending was brilliant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Blood, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, Torture, and Gore
Minor: Infidelity, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Grief, Pedophilia, Death, Incest, Child abuse, and Alcohol
drug abuse specifically in the form of giving someone drugs without their consentmermaidsherbet's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Cancer, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Sexism, Cursing, Gore, Murder, Alcohol, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, and Medical content
scifi_rat's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Plot: 3★
Prose: 4★
Pace: 4.5★
Concept/Execution: 5★/1.5★
Characters: 2★
Worldbuilding: 3.75★
Ending: 0.5★
Prose: 4★
Pace: 4.5★
Concept/Execution: 5★/1.5★
Characters: 2★
Worldbuilding: 3.75★
Ending: 0.5★
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Sexism, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Grief, and Infidelity
spooky_coochie's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
has a few great moments really dissecting how ridiculously high standards are for women and how men will completely disregard a woman's personhood in favor of their fantasy. Aoyama can only think of women as a dichotomy of good and bad, despite being told - "nice person, bad person, that's not the level this girl is at," and his eventual concession that she "was not a nice girl, but that was how he decided to think of her."
And OF COURSE the final third goes hard.
But I hate to say, Takashi Miike's film adaptation really elevates the source material. For starters, the tension building doesn't really work as well in the book - probably because we're really only in Aoyama's mind, and not getting things like flashes of Asami waiting by the phone or feeding vomit to a tongueless bag man (who is not present in the book at all).
It's fine that the violence and horror isn't as overt in the book, but it is so very unsubtle about Asami's motivations by the end. As Aoyama is being poisoned, he stops a moment and spells out Asami's entire psyche - oh, she must hate men because of her abuse and therefore wants to remove their feet just like her stepdad who molested her blah blah blah. It goes on for a page or so explaining everything in no uncertain terms. Like, thanks, I gathered that. And it's so unnatural, too - why would he have this moment pondering her entire schtick and thoroughly psychoanalyzing her when he's minutes from getting gored? Perhaps the bluntness is partially a translation issue, but even then, I think Miike draws this out much better. The film's not exactly subtle in how it connects the dots between Asami's past and her violent tendencies, but it's a bit more artful than this.
Anyways, I hate to say but I'd probably like this better had I not already seen the film adaptation. In comparison, this feels like...a half-baked treatment of the film script. Which obviously isn't the case, but...
also, and this is of course not Ryu Murakami's fault, I really cannot get over how atrociously bad this release's cover art is!!!! My other thought is that, based on how he's written women in the books by him I've read, Haruki Murakami totally would have fallen for Asami's shtick and had his feet removed lol
And OF COURSE the final third goes hard.
But I hate to say, Takashi Miike's film adaptation really elevates the source material. For starters, the tension building doesn't really work as well in the book - probably because we're really only in Aoyama's mind, and not getting things like flashes of Asami waiting by the phone or feeding vomit to a tongueless bag man (who is not present in the book at all).
It's fine that the violence and horror isn't as overt in the book, but it is so very unsubtle about Asami's motivations by the end. As Aoyama is being poisoned, he stops a moment and spells out Asami's entire psyche - oh, she must hate men because of her abuse and therefore wants to remove their feet just like her stepdad who molested her blah blah blah. It goes on for a page or so explaining everything in no uncertain terms. Like, thanks, I gathered that. And it's so unnatural, too - why would he have this moment pondering her entire schtick and thoroughly psychoanalyzing her when he's minutes from getting gored? Perhaps the bluntness is partially a translation issue, but even then, I think Miike draws this out much better. The film's not exactly subtle in how it connects the dots between Asami's past and her violent tendencies, but it's a bit more artful than this.
Anyways, I hate to say but I'd probably like this better had I not already seen the film adaptation. In comparison, this feels like...a half-baked treatment of the film script. Which obviously isn't the case, but...
also, and this is of course not Ryu Murakami's fault, I really cannot get over how atrociously bad this release's cover art is!!!! My other thought is that, based on how he's written women in the books by him I've read, Haruki Murakami totally would have fallen for Asami's shtick and had his feet removed lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Pedophilia, Homophobia, Sexism, Transphobia, and Misogyny
minayana's review against another edition
dark
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
3.5
You ever read a book and you’re not quite sure why you liked it as much as you did?
Objectively, this is a pretty average book but it’s a fun and quick read. I’ve been in quite a reading slump recently, and this definitely got me out of it. There was just something about this book that was so unserious and I found it to be ridiculous and funny at times lol.
This book is riddled with misogyny and very much written by a man. Personally, I didn’t feel a lot of the tension or the build up. I think this is a book that would be a lot better going in blind. I don’t think I enjoyed the book in the way that I was supposed to…..but I actually did end up liking it in an odd way and idk the book was kinda camp lol 3.5 stars.
Objectively, this is a pretty average book but it’s a fun and quick read. I’ve been in quite a reading slump recently, and this definitely got me out of it. There was just something about this book that was so unserious and I found it to be ridiculous and funny at times lol.
This book is riddled with misogyny and very much written by a man. Personally, I didn’t feel a lot of the tension or the build up. I think this is a book that would be a lot better going in blind. I don’t think I enjoyed the book in the way that I was supposed to…..but I actually did end up liking it in an odd way and idk the book was kinda camp lol 3.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, Sexism, Animal death, Torture, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault
gasolinecupcake's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I think the movie does the storyline more justice. But the book is still a great read.
The movie is my favorite movie of all time so maybe I'm a bit biased
The movie is my favorite movie of all time so maybe I'm a bit biased
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Body horror, Pedophilia, Torture, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Gore
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
-An animal dies -There is a whole chapter which is dedicated to sex that the characters have. It's pretty descriptivecoochieconsumer's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
I’m usually one to prefer the book to the movie, but in this case I much prefer the movie. The story is told from the point of view of a very sexist main character and while this appears to be the point, Aoyama can’t see past his own prejudices and the picture he’s painted of this woman he barely knows, it feels like a bit TOO much to be just that in my opinion. Giving it 2 stars due to my enjoyment of the movie and the satisfaction I felt when Asami finally severed that unpleasant man’s foot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Animal death, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual harassment
aegireads's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Sexism, Torture, and Violence
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