Reviews with content warning for Rape - All the Lovers in the Night

Kawakami just gets the ache of loneliness and isolation and the fleeting nature of human connection and all the bittersweet feelings that come with it so well.

“Shine lest tonight any,
In the dark suddenly,
Wake alone in a bed”
- ‘Nocturne II’ by W.H. Auden

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poojag's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

3.25

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anjani's review

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dark emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

All The Lovers in the Night is about a woman in her mid thirties, who works as a proofreader and gives us a glimpse into her life little by little. It starts with her work - how she left a toxic job and went into freelance, then a little bit about her coworker, then takes us back in time as a school student and then back to the present where she meets a man in his 50s. All of these help us form an image of who Fuyoko - a timid, meek, anxious woman who has led her life quietly and did as she’s told.
What I didn’t understand is why there were certain incidents and events narrated that seemed to have not much significance later and felt out of place as a result. The writing was good, but the whole thing felt a little random and patchy to me.
Hence the 3.25 stars for an average read.

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furu_ya's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Irie's experiences, her thoughts and actions are so relatable and feel so realistic, it's almost painful. And yet I didn't finish this novel with a void in my chest, but a warm, comforting feeling, as if the light she was talking about found its way from the pages to me.

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kashila's review against another edition

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dark hopeful slow-paced

2.5

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tanyanguyen's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

what a beautiful, perfect book. it did induce a trauma response halfway through though

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