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naobuna's review against another edition
3.0
not the greatest but it has a lot of heart, even though the female characters are written like shit I still like their base personalities (reiko/naoko especially, not so much midori). not the biggest fan of toru, i actually cringed at a lot of his actions.
john_otis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
2.5
bryanzhang's review against another edition
3.0
Norwegian Wood tells the story of a young man who is pulled around by two very different girls: one is unattainable and mysterious, the other is confident and carefree.
The writing itself is pleasant to read: Murakami's narrative style is one of quiet reflection, and his prose is gentle and calming.
Unfortunately, the book is marred by Murakami's patented male gaze: the female characters all exist to serve the main character's needs, and the frequent sex scenes suffer from an obsession with the female form. It's also hard to believe how much action the main character gets, considering he has very little personality aside from being a quiet bookworm. Yet, somehow, all the women in the book seem to gravitate toward him and feel comfortable enough with him to start telling him all their secrets.
Overall the book is a fairly pleasant read but not necessarily an important one.
The writing itself is pleasant to read: Murakami's narrative style is one of quiet reflection, and his prose is gentle and calming.
Unfortunately, the book is marred by Murakami's patented male gaze: the female characters all exist to serve the main character's needs, and the frequent sex scenes suffer from an obsession with the female form. It's also hard to believe how much action the main character gets, considering he has very little personality aside from being a quiet bookworm. Yet, somehow, all the women in the book seem to gravitate toward him and feel comfortable enough with him to start telling him all their secrets.
Overall the book is a fairly pleasant read but not necessarily an important one.
shreenija's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
naomisel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
arezvina's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
akenes_valdemar's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sugarmountain's review against another edition
私が求めているのは単なるわがままなの。完璧なわがまま。たとえば今私があなたに向って苺のショート・ケーキが食べたいって言うわね、するとあなたは何もかも放りだして走ってそれを買いに行くのよ。そしてはあはあ言いながら帰ってきて「はいミドリ、苺のショート・ケーキだよ」ってさしだすでしょ、すると私は「ふん、こんなのもう食べたくなくなっちゃったわよ」って言ってそれを窓からぽいと放り投げるの。私が求めているのはそういうものなの。
its something, alright. it wouldnt be right to call this my favorite book - but i loved it. really loved it. so do what you will with that
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia
alirizvi1's review against another edition
4.0
Weak four or strong three.
Listless and maneuvering, Murakami takes you on a windy mountain road just to show off his car, or his prose. There's no real destination, the plot progresses at it's own pace, yet at the end you're left with a feeling that something was accomplished. The love story(s) of a broken young man and his broken young friends invites you to reflect on your own love, your own broken-ness, your own direction. The road gets boring at times, gets exciting some other rare times (usually when Midori is involved), but keeps you in your seat right up until the end.
Listless and maneuvering, Murakami takes you on a windy mountain road just to show off his car, or his prose. There's no real destination, the plot progresses at it's own pace, yet at the end you're left with a feeling that something was accomplished. The love story(s) of a broken young man and his broken young friends invites you to reflect on your own love, your own broken-ness, your own direction. The road gets boring at times, gets exciting some other rare times (usually when Midori is involved), but keeps you in your seat right up until the end.