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rogue_runner's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, definitely feels like the younger version of Murakami that this is. There's just a lot less refinement, although there were a couple of lines near the end that resonated hard.
ogollovesbooks's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
raouane's review against another edition
3.0
Simple and fun His first novel really tells you a lot about him
repobi's review against another edition
3.0
Novel pertama Murakami. Ceritanya pendek, cuma 90-an halaman. Ternyata sejak awal banyak sekali aspek khas Murakami yang akan muncul di novel-novel berikutnya.
internetrex's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
nataliaagnieszka's review against another edition
lighthearted
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? No
2.75
This was my third murakami book that I read and his first novel, and the writing never fails to impress. I loved the little references to his other book titles throughout and the characters are always interesting. This book however had no story line (which I don’t always mind) and was very short so not much happened. This was a solid start to his The Rat series.
cakrawala's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Short story about a young man, currently in his summer break feeling uncertain with his life. Loneliness, friendship, and love, hide within every sentence written. There is no plot, or a specific story written in this book, just a short break where the main character meets his best friend in his hometown and accidentally encounters with a girl with 9 fingers, whom he hadn't seen since he left that small town. There is no character development or any emotion written down here. It feels like the characters are merely existing. I couldn't say much about his writing style because it still feels unfamiliar.
This is my first time to read Haruki Murakami's work. I must admit that I felt uncomfortable reading the part where he describes woman, he should've shut his mouth and leave it alone. Some parts seemed unnecessary and sexualized woman. The story itself is quite absurd, with no plot or intention. As I mentioned before, it's only a short story about what happened in the main character's life during his 18 days of summer break.
What's the purpose of this book then? It might bring the reader into a dilemma, wondering why I read it in the first place? Maybe, the intention of Haruki Murakami was simply to pour all of his imagination and write a mundane story of a young man in his early 20s. That was pretty realistic, as in our 20, most of people just trying to figure out what they want to do with their life. This thing could be a reflection for us.
A quotation I took from the book, " There are no truly strong people. Only people who pretend to be strong " could be a good reflection and reminder for us.
This is my first time to read Haruki Murakami's work. I must admit that I felt uncomfortable reading the part where he describes woman, he should've shut his mouth and leave it alone. Some parts seemed unnecessary and sexualized woman. The story itself is quite absurd, with no plot or intention. As I mentioned before, it's only a short story about what happened in the main character's life during his 18 days of summer break.
What's the purpose of this book then? It might bring the reader into a dilemma, wondering why I read it in the first place? Maybe, the intention of Haruki Murakami was simply to pour all of his imagination and write a mundane story of a young man in his early 20s. That was pretty realistic, as in our 20, most of people just trying to figure out what they want to do with their life. This thing could be a reflection for us.
A quotation I took from the book, " There are no truly strong people. Only people who pretend to be strong " could be a good reflection and reminder for us.