Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

210 reviews

vinicoelho's review

emotional reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

3.75

The only other Murakami I have read is Kafka on the Shore so that is my frame of reference for this book. As in Kafka on the Shore I can appreciate Murakami's beautiful writing style and the way he can conjure an image or describe feelings in a tactile way. I would say this book is more approachable than Kafka on the Shore since it sheds the magical realism element and focuses on the increasingly complex relationships between the characters. Aside from the protagonist, characters can feel a touch two dimensional at times, defined only by their relationship to Watanabe but I think this reflects how we see people in our own lives sometimes, the only perspective we have is our own. The story certainly shows its age both in the comments made by some characters and the way the female characters are sometimes portrayed, Toru finds himself in a love triangle between the archetypical manic pixie dream girl Midori and the depressed-but-in-a-hot-way Naoko. The book really took a nosedive towards the end

where after a beautiful conversation and 'funeral' ceremony between Toru and Reiko, the wise, older sister/aunt figure to him and Naoko (the only relationship spared from Toru's sad and tortured horny tendencies) have a raucous night of vividly described sex

and felt like it ended on an abrupt note - a tired cliche.

Overall this was an enjoyable read and I did find myself engrossed in the characters and their stories and how they interacted with each other, I just wish it was spared of Murakami's usual old man horniness

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Sexual content

tengoku088's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Probably the best book I ever read.  It's sweet at times, sad at others, it is written wonderfully, the pages flow like nothing. A must read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

pepelu's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Grief, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

gfiore11's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a book that sticks with you as you reflect on what just happened. Rife with possibile interpretation, I could easily read this again and experience a different book. Absurd is some ways, but not magical like some of Murakami’s other books. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

sammm_888's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

arifairy's review

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Misogyny

vermiglio's review

dark emotional inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

hunnylemon's review against another edition

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

0.25

those were three days i’ll never get back. i don’t know why everyone recommends this as a good starter to murakami novels it is shite and the only thing that kept me reading was knowing what will happen to the manic pixie dream girl and her side piece (the main character apparently). there are too many things wrong with this book it felt like i was reading a much more graphic version of “looking for alaska”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Suicide, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

froggoz13's review against another edition

dark reflective

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

2.5

I am very conflicted due to the themes of pedophilia and homophobia and the misogynistic undertones that aren't adressed anywhere in the book. I don't like the characters and don't see myself being drawn to them or worried for them. I experienced the story as very strange and uncomfortable. 

The writing style is good and descriptive in a pleasant way but the dialogues are often quite direct. Overall I did want to continue reading the vook and find out what would happen next but I did not particularly enjoy reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Alcohol, Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Death of parent

Minor: Lesbophobia and Adult/minor relationship

claukv's review

challenging dark emotional 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Stalking, Alcohol, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness

Minor: Lesbophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Body shaming