cuun's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
As is often the case with a collection of short stories, the end result of First Person Singular is somewhat of a mixed bag. Some extremely interesting stories are mixed with some that are less compelling. All in all, a good albeit not essentiel Murakami read, IMHO.
ccastilloa's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
ues02's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
lisablob's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
strangely compelling yet the misogyny that seeps into the pages sours the reader's experience of the stories.
alinaedwards's review against another edition
to my surprise, I actually really, really enjoyed this collection. this is the first collection of short stories I’ve read from murakami, and I’ve discovered that his writing works much better for me in bite sizes rather than king size—aka, the short story rather than the novel.
for me, a novel needs a lot more to sustain itself than what murakami usually gives the reader, but a short story can contain all his trademark sense of the strange, simplicity of thought, and humor perfectly. it’s one burst of weirdness and then it’s done, and this is suited much better to me. I’m glad I finally had this realization so I can turn to his other collections before stepping into novel territory again.
for me, a novel needs a lot more to sustain itself than what murakami usually gives the reader, but a short story can contain all his trademark sense of the strange, simplicity of thought, and humor perfectly. it’s one burst of weirdness and then it’s done, and this is suited much better to me. I’m glad I finally had this realization so I can turn to his other collections before stepping into novel territory again.
rocketsaurus's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
mario_dimoser's review against another edition
It wants to be smarter than it actually is in the end
ninjajon5's review against another edition
4.0
Stick with this one. The earlier stories didn't grab me, but by the collection peaks in the middle with Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey, and you realise it's been subtly building the whole time by deliberate structure. It soon picks up the signature Murakami charm and witful accuracy, which reflects new light on the earlier stories too.