Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

77 reviews

janainthebooks's review

dark emotional 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

3.0

I understand it is the perspective of a 19 year old boy but the way women are viewed and described in this book is extremely superficial, overtly sexual and plane boring. This one sided and objectifying way of storytelling takes away from the depth of the story and the of the characters. The story itself is rather slow paced and at times hard to get through, but gets more interesting in the last third. All in all its an intriguing plot and some passages are beautifully poetic, but it could've been executed better. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Grief, Suicide, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Death

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

Minor: Classism

thebookwasb3tter's review

It was maddeningly slow, I found the main character to be  awful and self absorbed, the women were written as sex caricatures, and the dialogue made me cringe. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Grief, Suicide, Bullying, Mental illness, and Self harm

mmari's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Death of parent and Toxic relationship

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

en0mad's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

katanarin's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• 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

Like always Murakamis style of writing is very delicate. The plot is interesting, good pacing, poetic descriptions.
 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 :,)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexism and Toxic relationship

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

tilde_c_s's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Grief

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Death, and Alcoholism

dqueen's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

Hated this book and the depiction of women. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that it was written in a different time, but the descriptions were awful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, and Suicide