Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

La ballade de l'impossible by Haruki Murakami

42 reviews

ritte_e's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Only giving this a 1.5* review since the writing style is good (with good translation); unfortunately a very distasteful scene nearly made me drop it. The characterization of the female characters is questionable and prominently unrealistic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcohol, Pedophilia, Cancer, Sexism, Death, and Mental illness

bunitsu's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

3.75

oh lord was this a journey. i have never read a book so fast. without the time i took a break, it only took me 7 days to read. even though i had to take a break after a while due to the intensity of certain things in the book, before those things happened i couldn’t put the book down. beautifully written but as always it’s not murakami without misogyny.  i hated a lot of moments in the books, some things i couldn’t comprehend why one would do some of the stuff he did. it just didn’t make sense but i will never stop reading murakami because of the beauty of his writing style.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Self harm, Grief, Misogyny, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Death, Abandonment, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Suicidal thoughts

dizzymissliz's review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

what an odd, depressing little book.
the writing was genuinely beautiful and the translation had a reflective flow that demonstrated the author's way with words. the only reason my rating is so low is because the book was a bit boring TO ME. i think it was a good book, and i liked the way that toru changed throughout the years. but the treatment of women was really nauseating and the story didnt go anywhere! it was just depressing- in a thoughtful way, ill say that, - and i felt no empathy with any of the characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Abandonment

Moderate: Toxic relationship

daria_mm's review against another edition

The description of female characters is just atrocious

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Sexual harassment

nonorora01's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? No

3.0

Himla svårt! Tydligt att Murakami redan då hade en magisk kvalitet i sitt språk. Synd att han var mer sexistisk på den tiden...

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, and Suicide

hapalyn's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness

Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Incest, and Infidelity

soleilnigro's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense 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

damn. i was really not expecting to feel the way i do about this book - i was eager to read "norwegian wood" because of all of the mass hype, and as a big harry styles fan i wanted to try reading one of his favorite books.

i did NOT enjoy this novel, and by halfway in, i couldn't get through it without skipping or skimming pages. i can agree that the writing is beautiful in some ways, and that the overall feel of murakami's writing can really immerse the reader, but what he writes ~about~ didn't pull me in at all. this book is filled with misogynistic and pedophilic undertones, and is so clearly made by a man, for men. 

<(((SPOILER - basically all of the women in this book are sex objects, and then die.)))>

i didn't feel any emotion while reading this, which sucked as it's meant to be about death and grief. i was and still am disturbed by the abrupt and graphic descriptions of sex, i felt grossed out and uncomfortable because of sex scenes happening directly after tense/sad scenes. trigger warning for tense and upsetting sex scenes, and brief jokes about r*pe. 

not much about this book was enjoyable and i don't understand the hype. being talented should never excuse being a misogynist. 

if you're interested in a great book about death and grief, i recommend "everything i never told you" by celeste ng. 

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Rape

rebeccajben's review against another edition

dark funny 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

1.0

No more Sofia book recs. This was garbage. I thought murakami was supposed to be good….????? His depictions of mental illness are deeply disturbing and problematic, and his obsession with sex is just EXHAUSTING. This took years off my life. 293 pages I’ll never get back.

P.S. it should be noted that Sofia did not enjoy the book she just made me read it bcuz she did and she feels the same way I do. #redeemed

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexism, Biphobia, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Rape, and Misogyny

Moderate: Bullying

louiseimaquarium's review against another edition

funny mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

I honestly think that Toru is kinda useless and he does nothing for the plot and he literally is the boy from the catcher in the rye..I loved Midori but why do they always have to have an extroverted woman to spice up the boring protagonist's life? 
It was also very annoying that Toru had to sleep with EVERY woman in this book??
The whole Reiko storyline was so so weird 
This book didn't make me feel a lot. But I had an okayish time reading it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Death and Suicide

ahnminjim's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Infertility, and Sexual harassment