Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Tokio blues (Norwegian Wood) by Haruki Murakami

193 reviews

m4rtt4's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.25

Naoko❤️‍🩹 I truly loved her.
Actually I really liked all the female characters, though they all more or less were also used as vessels for fulfilling the author's sexual fantasies — especially Midori, her personality at times was so pick-me-girly for the sole purpose of getting Watanabe's sexual attention.

This one was a re-read, and I must say I felt it so much more now at 20 — the main characters' age — than when I first read it at 16 years old. I've read all Murakami's novels, and even though I kind of miss the magical realism that was almost nonexistent in this book, it didn't really need it either as it was deep enough just like this. I just wish the metaphor of the "well" Naoko talked about in the beginning had appeared later on in the story, it should have had a greater purpose. Overall a very melancholic yet great reading experience, but for your own good, do consider skipping this if things related to suicide trigger you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Sexual content, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Violence, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Lesbophobia

wuasti's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexism, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

ragingpages's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Grief, Cancer, Suicide, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, and Rape

4str0's review against another edition

challenging tense fast-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

2.0

questo libro potrebbe chiamarsi: le ragazze che toru watanabe si è scopato per dimenticarsi i suoi traumi e sarebbe la stessa cosa

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Mental illness

kimberlyallen011'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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence

ichthusangel's review against another edition

challenging sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

I get why a lot of his OG fans didn't like this book at all. It's way too straight forward to be Murakami™, with not too many Murakami™ metaphors to exercise your brain nor elusive enough to give you brain fog. The only time sex is described graphically is when a 13 year old supposedly assaults a 31 year old. Apparently all women think about sex and bodies of men most of the time and guys are sexist bastards who too, only think about sex. 

 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Lesbophobia, Child death, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

Minor: Police brutality

xrosinab's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Influenced by one of my favourite bands, the title is named after the song 'Norwegian Wood' which is Naoko's favorite song. This book is about the transition from young adulthood into adulthood, touching on themes such as sex, love, loss, friendship, suicide, etc. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death, and Sexual assault

biomass_specimen's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

1.0

Murakami should stop writing novels that include how hot underage girls are. Gratuitous and pornographic pornographic depiction of sexual assault involving a minor. Naoko is so sad and that’s such a shame because she is so hot. Manic pixie dream girls all want my penis self insert fantasy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

jigglydelight's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.0

 I wanted to DNF this book, but with it being so many people's favorite Murakami book, if not favorite book in general, I felt that I needed to at least finish it for some street cred. It did take me 700 years to finish it though.

This is my second Murakami book, the other one I liked enough. He writes a good depressing story to think about life. There were hauntingly beautiful moments and quotes about life. However, this man hates women. Every time I began to enjoy this book, he found a way to irritate me again. This book is very "catcher in the rye" to me. I think I would have loved this book more in my early 20s.



Brooke's Star Rankings (2023):
⭐: DNFd after reading 50%
⭐⭐: finished the book, probably out of spite. Did not like it.
⭐⭐⭐: Fine!
⭐⭐⭐⭐: pretty good book
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Book that has stuck with me for some time after reading it/shifted my perspective 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Suicide

halsteady's review against another edition

sad tense slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, and Death

Moderate: Homophobia