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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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
peckreadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Suicide
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 I've given other books by Murakami such great ratings (as there he kept his dumb outdated ideas to himself.) Very ironic is that one sentence in the book is on how another book is outdated...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: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
icrylikeagirl's review against another edition
reflective
sad
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
0.5
This was terrible!! Boring and misogynistic.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexism
ellie_the_banshee's review against another edition
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
erinbarton's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
this had elements i really enjoyed - the 60s tokyo setting, the writing style, the vivid food descriptions - but unfortunately i just found this underwhelming in plot and characterisation
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Rape
juandb's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
While I do agree that it gets a bit weird sometimes, mostly due to Murakami's self-indulgence in regards to how much -and how deeply- sex is described (the scene at the end between Watanabe and Reiko felt particularly out of place), I mostly disagree with the reviews I've read that thrash the novel because of how awful the characters are; don't get me wrong, I do believe that most characters are pretty harmful both towards themselves and others, with Watanabe himself being the most so. But I just don't think that makes the book a bad one.
I read it as the story of an adolescent (let's keep in mind that for at least half of the book, Watanabe is a minor) whose remarkable levels of self-pity, coupled with a nonexistent capacity for empathy, prevent him from seeing just how much of a negative effect his actions have on those around him. He frequently -and thoughtlessly- acts in ways that cause considerable pain to both Naoko and Midori, and very scarcely considers the impact o those actions. With Naoko, he claims to worry about her wellbeing, but these thoughts rarely convert into actions; or rather, into some form of refrain. He appears and reappears in her life at times that he shouldn't, and when he does, he interacts with her in ways that he shouldn't. Her strange behavior (which is understandably so, given her decaying mental health), as well as Reiko's reassurances, are enough to keep him from ever considering the possibility that he might not be a great influence for her.
Speaking about Reiko, while she is generally nicer than most other characters, I felt like all things considered, she ended up being a negative influence both for Naoko and Watanabe. Her having lived in the asylum for so long, as well as her age and simply her manners, makes both Naoko and Watanabe (as well as the reader, at least in my case), see her as a sort of mentor figure; but I believe her carefree approach to Naoko's mental health is an important factor in the worsening of her condition. Through their letters we see Naoko become more and more detached from the world, gradually finding it more difficult to write her letters to Watanabe and then even developing auditory hallucinations; but Reiko insists that she's still fine, only admitting that she might need some more proactive help at the very end. Her whole thing about knowing whether someone will get cured or not just by looking at them seems to me like an indication that she isn't a very healthy influence for other patients. And even after Naoko's death, she seems to be of the opinion that there wasn't much that could be done about it -when Watanabe expresses this thought, she doesn't challenge it.
As for Naoko herself, I thought she was the most interesting and enigmatic character. She reminded me of Shin Hae-mi, from the movie Burning (2018), and Carol, from Safe (1995). Like Shin Hae-mi, she is misunderstood by pretty much everyone around her, becoming increasingly lonely and helpless; like Carol, her health problems are addressed by isolating her from the outside world, surrounded by people who, despite their best intentions, are unable to help her.
I read many negative opinions of Midori, and I do partly agree with them. At times she seems a bit too into the "quirky, not traditionally feminine, kind of innocent yet assertive girl" which makes it hard to take her seriously. However, she does deliver one of my favorite scenes from the book, when she writes her letter to Watanabe while sitting next to him. I do wonder whether it would have been a better ending if she simply hadn't forgiven him, which would have been a nice change from the submisiveness that women have towards Watanabe in the story. Either way, in spite of how things resolve later, it is a deeply moving scene, probably because it is the only time Watanabe is directly confronted in this way. He spends the rest of the novel downplaying the effects of his actions on other people, but this time, someone is explicitly telling him how hurt they were because of him. His reaction is telling: he makes no mention of felling guilty after reading the letter, and in fact, right after reading it he talks about how he went for a walk because he had nothing to do, and how he tried to write to her but ended up writing to Naoko.
My other favorite scene is when Watanabe accompanies Nagasawa and Hatsumi for dinner. In my view, Nagasawa is the character that allows Watanabe to feel better about himself in comparison. Nagasawa is a bad person, and Watanabe knows this. He evidently takes pride in how he eventually cuts ties with him, though not before having indulged him for so long, going out with him at night to find cheap sex. Nagasawa is a cold, selfish character who makes Watanabe, a slightly less cold, slightly less selfish character, feel like he is a good guy.
And to me, this scene is what makes that most evident. The whole evening, Hatsumi is crying for help, a help that Nagasawa knows she needs but isn't willing to give her. And when Watanabe has the chance to talk to her on his own, he offers barely any real, honest advice.
So to me, the story is about an unempathetic man who doesn't see the harm he causes, and so ends up surrounded in pain and death. It is understandably a hard read, but in my view, it's clear that its darkest elements -the overly masculine perspective, the abundance of sex, the one-dimensionality of the female characters- are purposely used to show Watanabe's distorted view of reality and people. The only elements I would change are, as I said, the way things end with Midori, as well as the overly crude depictions of sex.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
kyoe983's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The one thing that this book keeps consistent throughout the story it's aesthetic. Through Murakami's writing style and the translator's work, we're transported in the somber and full-of-death world of Toru Watanabe, with every scene, place, thought, and dialogue seeming extremely vivid. This clearness of the story seems very entertaining while reading, but if you take it away you'll realize that Murakami writes about a bunch of nonsense. The flaws of this book are numerous, and even if it seems you're following a story while reading, you're not. There are just events. Rememberings of a 40-year-old man. Are his thoughts even real? He does mention in the first chapter that he doesn't remember much, and then proceeds to write a full book, very vividly and detailed, about his life 20 years ago. Maybe that also explains why the ending is so fucking bad. Maybe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing and Death of parent
Minor: Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
mengzhenreads's review against another edition
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? Yes
2.75
I really am not sure how to feel about this book. On one hand, the writing was seriously top-shelf high quality stuff, with a style that is deceptively simple but really beautiful. On the other hand, I really felt weird about how Murakami wrote all of the female characters in this book. I felt like they were all written and described in ways that were questionable at best, and while I really got the idea of the whole reminiscent, nostalgic view at Toru's college life, the way that all of the women in the story were described just took me OUT. I did still enjoy parts of it, but overall I have really mixed feelings about this novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Rape
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Death of parent
mjones14's review against another edition
challenging
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
4.0
Jesus christ. The amount of times I thought 'oh' whilst reading this. I get why it's such a red flag of a book now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent