Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

In the Miso Soup by Ryū Murakami

48 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence

calamitydane's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Murder, Body horror, Suicide, Blood, Self harm, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Death, Suicide attempt, and Fatphobia

Minor: Cannibalism

joy_ong's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Rape, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Torture, Animal death, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Vomit

booksthoughtsandtea's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Stalking, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Animal death, Gore, Murder, Sexual violence, Torture, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Rape, and Drug abuse

Please take care of yourself and read the content warnings.

kimberlyswalters's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Vomit, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Animal death, Body horror, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Rape

larseneiii's review against another edition

dark tense 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Body horror, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Torture, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Stalking, Animal cruelty, and Gore

Moderate: Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Rape

kamurphy919's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Rape, Blood, Torture, Violence, Death, Gore, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Stalking

p1ttoresque's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Murder, Gore, Animal cruelty, Vomit, Sexual violence, and Blood

Moderate: Self harm

lolabug's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Murder

zoetennant's review against another edition

dark sad 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? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Self harm, Sexism, Homophobia, Body horror, Misogyny, and Rape