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racbuckallew's review
reflective
sad
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
3.5
Norwegian Wood is not what I was expecting in that it is less spiritual and metaphysical than other Murakami I have read. This was a slow read, but I’m glad to have stuck with it; you can certainly get attached to the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Suicide, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
ficteon's review against another edition
2.5
This book is a rollercoaster and I have very mixed opinions of it. I'll try to keep it spoiler free.
This book would've been amazing! If Murakami kept his weird fetishes, opinions about women and periods and weird view points to himself.
I went from crying to cringing and thats very bizar. I've given other books by Murakami such great ratings (as there he kept his dumb outdated ideas to himself.) Very ironic is that one sentence in the book is on how another book is outdated... which made me laugh, as look at yourself
One thing I loved about this book is how Murakami writes death. He made me sob about characters I've only known for 1 or two sentences. He is a great writer! Just this book has pages after pages with just misinformation and cringeworthy sex.
Can this man stop talking about periods and talk to his wife about them to learn how they work???? Its just embarrassing.
'Im not like other girls'? plenty
Rape fetish? included.
Victim blaming? Yup.
Unconsentual sex? Yesss
No we women don't scream at strangers or friends and become uncontrollable monsters on our periods. Thanks murakami for seeing your wife this way.
The last pages I went from absolutely sad and loving the words to cringing as the mc cums in a women without consent. Not that the women minded ofc, they never do as women are sexdolls in this book.
Some quotes to show the problematic writing:
"Know what I did the other day?" Midori asked. "I got all naked in front of my father's picture. Took off every stitch of clothing and let him have a good long look. Kind of in a yoga position. Like, "here, daddy, these are my tits, and this is my cunt."
"Ok, I'll wear a hat for a couple of days after my period starts. A red one. That should work," she said with a laugh. "If you see me on the street and I'm wearing a red hat, don't talk to me, just run away."
"Great. I wish all girls would do that."
The mc and a girl are going to a porn movie in an adult cinema (its the 70s) and they are watching a s&m rape kidnap fantasy movie where two sisters get kidnapped and raped and ofc like it as porn.
"If I were the younger sister, I wouldn't get worked up so easily" said midori. "I'd keep watching"
Oh people are looking up my skirt??? Mmmmmh I love to be seen as a sex object anyway so idc. Well one thing is right though! The women in this book are not like other girls!! As no real women would react like the women do in this book.
I think from page 100 to 200 it was only bad page after bad page. And then after it kept returning as well again and again but those 100 pages were cruel.
And don't get me started on the pedophilia!!! As the age of consent was (since recently was) 13 Its not seen as pedophilia to mr Murakami that one character had sex with a 13 year old. Yes!! The character was raped by this child. Thats bad! But if you read that part the woman thats raped by the girl is not upset about it being a child, she was actually into it!!! She only rejected having sex WITH A CHILD because it was cheating on her husband. Was she raped - yes! Was she attracted to this 13 year old - Also yes!!! It was absolutely gross.
Again the writing is absolutely stunnningggg. He is just an outdated male writer which is a flaw. It's not all his books and ill keep reading them as they do have a lot to them. Just this one wasn't it at allll. Still it has amazing moments it in it as well so I'm not completely hating it either. See complex relationships with the book.
The emotional writing is stunning. Murakami can make you feel big emotions (even if he ruins that with cringe shit after but ok) His words and way of writing is amazing and in his other two books I read he really does it soooo well.
When it wasn't about the cringeworthy stuff the mc really had some good things to say. It just always got ruined by him saying something bad a second after.
Tw for suicide.. as lots of people kill themselves in this book. You could say its almost the whole plot.
I look forward to reading his other work. But again.. this was not it for me. Even if there is a reason for the grossness (which I don't think so. He is just an old guy born in a conservative society.) The reading experience really got ruined.
This book would've been amazing! If Murakami kept his weird fetishes, opinions about women and periods and weird view points to himself.
I went from crying to cringing and thats very bizar. I've given other books by Murakami such great ratings (as there he kept his dumb outdated ideas to himself.) Very ironic is that one sentence in the book is on how another book is outdated... which made me laugh, as look at yourself
One thing I loved about this book is how Murakami writes death. He made me sob about characters I've only known for 1 or two sentences. He is a great writer! Just this book has pages after pages with just misinformation and cringeworthy sex.
Can this man stop talking about periods and talk to his wife about them to learn how they work???? Its just embarrassing.
'Im not like other girls'? plenty
Rape fetish? included.
Victim blaming? Yup.
Unconsentual sex? Yesss
No we women don't scream at strangers or friends and become uncontrollable monsters on our periods. Thanks murakami for seeing your wife this way.
The last pages I went from absolutely sad and loving the words to cringing as the mc cums in a women without consent. Not that the women minded ofc, they never do as women are sexdolls in this book.
Some quotes to show the problematic writing:
"Know what I did the other day?" Midori asked. "I got all naked in front of my father's picture. Took off every stitch of clothing and let him have a good long look. Kind of in a yoga position. Like, "here, daddy, these are my tits, and this is my cunt."
"Ok, I'll wear a hat for a couple of days after my period starts. A red one. That should work," she said with a laugh. "If you see me on the street and I'm wearing a red hat, don't talk to me, just run away."
"Great. I wish all girls would do that."
The mc and a girl are going to a porn movie in an adult cinema (its the 70s) and they are watching a s&m rape kidnap fantasy movie where two sisters get kidnapped and raped and ofc like it as porn.
"If I were the younger sister, I wouldn't get worked up so easily" said midori. "I'd keep watching"
Oh people are looking up my skirt??? Mmmmmh I love to be seen as a sex object anyway so idc. Well one thing is right though! The women in this book are not like other girls!! As no real women would react like the women do in this book.
I think from page 100 to 200 it was only bad page after bad page. And then after it kept returning as well again and again but those 100 pages were cruel.
And don't get me started on the pedophilia!!! As the age of consent was (since recently was) 13 Its not seen as pedophilia to mr Murakami that one character had sex with a 13 year old. Yes!! The character was raped by this child. Thats bad! But if you read that part the woman thats raped by the girl is not upset about it being a child, she was actually into it!!! She only rejected having sex WITH A CHILD because it was cheating on her husband. Was she raped - yes! Was she attracted to this 13 year old - Also yes!!! It was absolutely gross.
Again the writing is absolutely stunnningggg. He is just an outdated male writer which is a flaw. It's not all his books and ill keep reading them as they do have a lot to them. Just this one wasn't it at allll. Still it has amazing moments it in it as well so I'm not completely hating it either. See complex relationships with the book.
The emotional writing is stunning. Murakami can make you feel big emotions (even if he ruins that with cringe shit after but ok) His words and way of writing is amazing and in his other two books I read he really does it soooo well.
When it wasn't about the cringeworthy stuff the mc really had some good things to say. It just always got ruined by him saying something bad a second after.
Tw for suicide.. as lots of people kill themselves in this book. You could say its almost the whole plot.
I look forward to reading his other work. But again.. this was not it for me. Even if there is a reason for the grossness (which I don't think so. He is just an old guy born in a conservative society.) The reading experience really got ruined.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Child death, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
xiumillion's review
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
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
5.0
When I started this book, I felt like I had made a mistake in choosing it over all the other books on my TBR that I could've bought. The beginning was slow and I didn't really care about what was going on. However, not long after, I found myself completely absorbed into Toru's life and the lives of those around him. I took so long to complete this book because I truly didn't want it to end. I don't think this book is for everyone, but it was absolutely for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Moderate: Terminal illness
roseblossom999's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Terminal illness, and Violence
withoutpaix's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Rape
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Suicide and Terminal illness
scouto's review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, and Terminal illness
eviepops0161's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Death of parent, Suicide, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Addiction
lisa00's review against another edition
dark
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Death, Sexual content, Grief, and Mental illness
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, and Lesbophobia
arthages's review
dark
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
1.5
A deeply disturbing book to read as a queer female person. The descriptions of scenery are nice though?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Death of parent, and Pedophilia
Minor: Lesbophobia
2hermione4's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really enjoyed the symbolism that was used, especially regarding the 4 basic elements of nature, but the sexism and the uncomfortable sex scenes made me consider not finishing the book.
*Check trigger warnings*
*Check trigger warnings*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Suicide, Pedophilia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexism, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Fire/Fire injury