Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - In the Miso Soup

Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

In the Miso Soup by Ryū Murakami

47 reviews

mnstr_qn's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I don't know where to start with this book. It was like watching a car crash. This is not my first Murakami novel, and their writing is intense, their stories extreme. I'm sure it's even more terrifying in it's original language. I wouldn't recommend it unless you can stomach some seriously dark stuff or you have a therapist you meet with regularly or both.
What is it about? A seedy underside of Japan, mental illness, and murder, played out under a cat and mouse game between the two main players.
Real talk, spoilers -

I don't think Frank was a man. I think "he" was a woman in a fat suit. It's never addressed in the book, but there are some weird hints.

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natalieanya's review

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

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perpetually_isolated_being's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

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calamitydane's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

3.0

I liked the first two sections but I really didn't like section 3. The descriptions were disturbing, but I like that. The last part and especially the ending, didn't seem to mesh with the rest.

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snuffbby's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

had my heart racing, thought provoking, unpredictable and tangible. i really enjoyed this and at no point did i know what would happen next. this is my second of Murakami's books and i find his writing refreshing and visceral.

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eena's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

2.75

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booksthoughtsandtea's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Oddly terrifying and fascinating. I am unsure if I think the mental illness representation further harms the mental health community (I'm in that community) or not. In some ways it shows the harm of forces institution, and how it does not help if the patient doesn't want to change. This book was very fatphobic. The only fat person in this whole story is an American... and it doesn't sit right with me. I think this book is a meditation on the fasination people have with foreigners, how classism is so prevalent in wealthy and less wealthy countries, lonliness, and how we are all fascinated by death. Either way, this book had me empathize for the bad guy... That's a hard feat when murder is involved.

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