Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Tokio blues (Norwegian Wood) by Haruki Murakami

216 reviews

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

thecactusprincess's review against another edition

dark 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Death of parent, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

isal's review against another edition

inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

It’s overly sexual even when it’s not necessary for the plot or to understand the characters. Some relationships and their sexual activities made me extremely uncomfortable. I wish the women in this book had more of a role than just being there to pleasure the guy. 
But I like Murakamis way of writing and there is always something or someone to relate to (even when it’s just in one line).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Rape

cheskann's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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? N/A

2.0

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Sexual assault

lathecubit's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

maidinnah's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective relaxing sad slow-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

4.5

Even though Murakami’s infamous male gaze is prevalent, Norwegian Wood was so devastating and tragic that after I finished reading it, I just sort of checked out of reality for a bit to process the book. The novel’s melancholic and breathtaking prose captures the feeling of being trapped in the forests of your own despair, the rest of the world spins and burns around you, and you must choose whether or not you spin and burn with it. This story is more than a romance, it’s about the most important, life-or-death decision of all — how we cope in the face of grief. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny

bluecat97's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

hanami_sui's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

This is a really engaging book and the open ending leaves space for numerous interpretations. Personally, I think that the last part of the book is not included in the flashback like the rest of the narrative. Instead, it is based in the present and connected to the first chapter of the book where Watanabe lands in Germany and 'Norwegian Wood' playing on the speakers pushes him to face his past memories. After the entire recalling of his past story, he calls Midori in his present. This is why it is such a confusing call and she ends up asking 'Where are you?' Toru being clueless about his location means he's been lost all along due to being influenced by

Naoko's death

and finally realizes that he needs saving. All in all, I loved the book and I think that it'll stay with me for a long time. :') The lesson is to keep living, no matter what. ❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent and Cancer

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