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

This was very atmospheric; it wrapped you up so that you were immersed into the narrative. The loneliness of the main character is palpable through the writing style. I enjoyed my time reading this, but it didn't quite have that spark, and I haven't spent much time thinking about it since I finished reading. It is not quite memorable, apart from the atmosphere, but it is definitely rereadable. The discussions the main character has with both her editor and the man she befriends (as well as others) are relatable and insightful, and I often found myself annotating/underlining passages.

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adoola's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

a beautiful story about a woman realizing that she's become "no one", probably my favorite book :)

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hue's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

There's just something so remarkable in the way Mieko Kawakami writes. I'm so enveloped in her world at first word. To think none of these people are real. I can't wrap my head around it.

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torismazarine's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.25

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virgcole398's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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chrisljm's review against another edition

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reflective slow-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

I'm sure the mundanity and passiveness of the main character is important to the story, but I couldn't stand it. It was very frustrating to read how she interacted with other characters, but specifically her lack of response when communicating with them or the way she constantly repeated what they said. I also found the book to be dull and dry, and often times the monologues (particularly with one character) came off insincere and preachy. All the Lovers in the Night is described as "insightful, entertaining, and engaging; it will make readers laugh, and it will make them cry" but I strongly disagree. The storytelling was so overwhelmingly monotonous that I wasn't emotionally engaged at all.

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pagpangarap's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.25

the light motif was absolutely gorgeous, and the prose had me strung along althroughout the story. a lot of the content and the message is implied rather than explicitly stated, which made it all the more beautiful. mieko kawakami is extremely talented and i wish i could read this in japanese some day <3

i ached so deeply for fuyuko throughout the story, especially because it seemed like she couldn’t catch a break until the story’s conclusion. the ending leaves a little to be desired and i’m really curious about mitsutsuka’s truth, but i suppose that the mystery is just a part of the sensation of lacking closure.

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