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katiereadsdaily's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
This was a genuine wtf moment kinda book for me. It took me awhile to get into the story but halfway through things started to pick up and took off. I don’t think the characters are amazing, the main character Aoyama isn’t a great man. The female lead Yamasaki Asami was tough to read but by the ending I was in shock, and I wish the reader got more from her perspective to understand her psyche more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
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
binks_brew's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Do not come to this book for a cover to cover horror or for something viscerally horrifying. Ultimately, it is more about making you feel uncomfortable, off put, and eventually maybe even feel bad for the antagonist.
After spending time focusing on himself since his wife's untimely passing, Aoyama decides he is ready to find another wife. His friend decides to create an audition for as fake movie to allow Aoyama to have the best chances of meeting someone who fits his criteria. Enter Asami; gorgeous, young, captivating, but mysterious enough to give pause. Perfect for Aoyama.
If you've read other works by Murakami, you know where this is headed from the beginning. Personally, it was very slow and a lot of description compared to action. I find that a lot of Japanese and Korean works from this time are this way, but this one was particularly slow even compared to others. Overall the plot and idea are good, though predictable.
However, if you read this I would recommend watching the movie. It seems to move along a bit faster, but also is just a good cult movie. You can find it with English subtitles easily.
After spending time focusing on himself since his wife's untimely passing, Aoyama decides he is ready to find another wife. His friend decides to create an audition for as fake movie to allow Aoyama to have the best chances of meeting someone who fits his criteria. Enter Asami; gorgeous, young, captivating, but mysterious enough to give pause. Perfect for Aoyama.
If you've read other works by Murakami, you know where this is headed from the beginning. Personally, it was very slow and a lot of description compared to action. I find that a lot of Japanese and Korean works from this time are this way, but this one was particularly slow even compared to others. Overall the plot and idea are good, though predictable.
However, if you read this I would recommend watching the movie. It seems to move along a bit faster, but also is just a good cult movie. You can find it with English subtitles easily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Misogyny
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