Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Out

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

lilly_koonce's review

challenging dark tense 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

3.75

All the characters in this book are terrible people, but despite this, I found the book engaging up until the end, which was bizarre. Also, I'd really like an explanation for why all the male characters we get are misogynistic, ageist (towards women specifically), and pedophiles who all somehow have a thing for 43-year-old Masako.
Tw: Murder, Rape, Sexual Assault, Pedophiles, dismemberment, etc)…

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jan_coco_day's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

When I read Japanese literature, I somehow only pick the most quaint, cozy stories...or the most fucked up shit I've ever seen. This book is the latter.

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reading_for_the_dopamine's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

3.5

I agree that the best way to describe the book "Out" by Natsuo Kirino is "feminist noir."

I read "Out" as part of a reading challenge with the prompt "A thriller or crime novel in translation." This book is outside my comfort zone, as I primarily read romance. However, reading it has inspired me to read more dark mysteries and thrillers.

The author, Natsuo Kirino, is a Japanese novelist who started writing romance. However, she has been criticised for now writing crime novels with strong female protagonists. As a feminist romance reader, I found her emphasis on women, relationships, and psychology to be the most engaging elements. From the start, Kirino drew me in with her compelling portrayal of four ordinary, flawed, yet resilient women navigating the challenges of disenfranchised underclass women in Tokyo. Each woman's voice was distinct and benefited from Kirino's choice of multiple narratives. Despite these women being morally grey, I celebrated their efforts to support each other, even in particularly gruesome ways.

This book was less compelling from the mid-section when the secondary male characters were introduced in the middle. These men, perhaps deliberately on Kirino's part, contrastingly feel flat and one-dimensional. The men's perspective slowed the pace and shifted me from the intense world she created. This may not be the experience of other readers who respond to the very explicit horror scenes that then occur. I appreciated that while the violence was frequent and described in explicit detail, it did not feel gratuitous. I enjoyed how Kirino wove the multiple characters' inner world perspectives around the plot's events. Startlingly, this approach reminded me of the plots for a favourite movie, "Love Actually." I would have liked this aspect of her writing to continue to the end.

Overall, I have likely underestimated the rating of this book. I would recommend this book, no matter what genre of books you usually read. It will appeal to readers who like books that focus on the psychological aspects of intense, gritty women and the intersectionality of the damage of patriarchal oppression.

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mnstr_qn's review

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I don't know how to feel about this book. ... I found it gripping, depressing, horrifying even, and I couldn't put it down. The ending was very meh but even then....it's going to haunt me. Would I recommend it? To psychology students, maybe. It's extremely dark. The characters aren't even likable and yet you might find yourself drawn in by them anyway. It's not very fast, but the way it was written kept me intrigued. Definitely not for everyone, and be warned before you go in - bring a flashlight and plenty of batteries, it's pitch black in there.

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