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janainthebooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexism, Grief, Suicide, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Death
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Minor: Classism
jacattack99's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My only big complaints are the last three paragraphs (I didn’t feel like I needed him to wrap things up with her) and the weird sex scenes / sexist language (which of course I had been prepped for before I read it). For me, it could’ve ended at the train station with him being told to be happy.
Overall, a huge fan of the writing style, and I enjoyed the exploration of love and death and life.
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Sexism
nesilla's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Alcohol, Death, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexism, Suicide, Grief, Self harm, Cancer, and Misogyny
soyboysimon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This one is much less bad. The misogyny is still there, but it feels more like its on purpose because of the nature of the main character. And its not like every woman he meets is just a pair of breasts with legs this time. Because I was expecting it, it was less of a problem for me.
It sure doesn't sound like I'm describing a good book, does it? Let me tell you what this book got right! Unlike his other works, there is no magic in this book. The writing is whats magical about it. It has that japanese way of storytelling, much like a Studio Ghibli movie, where you're following a character through their daily life, living the slow moments with them.
The main character grapples with the dilemma of loving more than one person at a time and having to choose and wondering if he's making the right choice. And you really feel his love for both women and get to see such tender but different moments between them and could see him being happy either way. And its told from the perspective of him looking back on his life and wondering if theres anything he could have done differently.
Its reflective, its charming, its mundane. This books makes me want to live.
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Suicide, Alcohol, Mental illness, Rape, and Sexual content
saara's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Suicide, and Sexism
lagaialettrice's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cancer, Suicide, Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
katanarin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The plot and fantasy aspect differs to other Murakami books, this book is a romance novel and got nothing surreal to it.
There is like always one thing that annoys me about this book or about Murakami in general.
The way he writes woman lol
Again - every woman is at one point in this book just an sexual lust-object for the protagonist or another male. In Kafka on the shore it somehow made sense to me but in this book it seemed really unnecessary and at some point it was so annoying that it really ruined the moment. It's just sad :,)
Graphic: Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexism and Toxic relationship
knik's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexism
fanny_bobanny's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Disclaimer: I read the books translated in Greek so I don't know if some things are that bad in the English or other versions.
I should have quit reading this book the first time it came to my mind. Almost everybody commits suicide and that's not the worst part. I understand all the "existential crisis" that all the characters are going through but they could be a lot less of "pick me, I'm special" persons, it's exhausting the whole "nobody understands me because I'm so quirky/ weird/ depressed/ different" kind of thing. Also what is going on with all the sexism in the book and all the problematic lines e.g. "I'm going to rape you". I get that the book was written in 1987 but wow. Lastly, I didn't like the way it ended but I get that some people might like it because it leaves room for a different life for the character after all the things he learned from his friends "not being strong enough" and committing suicide but I just didn't like it. I will try to read 1 or 2 books of his just to understand if it's this one I have a problem with or i don' t like the writer.
I liked the way he described the environment, the food, the smells and I'm sure it's much more beautiful in the original language. Also, it was really easy to read.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Suicide
maidinnah's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny