Scan barcode
esv_'s review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Infidelity, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Rape, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Car accident, Chronic illness, and Sexism
pepelu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Grief, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
kaylanoellesims's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Suicide, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Self harm
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, and Infidelity
m4rtt4's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
pedroelizabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Medical content, Sexual content, Suicide, and Death
samchase112's review against another edition
- 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
Death exists, not as the opposite but as a part of life… Death exists — in a paperweight, in four red and white balls on a billiard table — and we go on living and breathing it into our lungs like fine dust.
Death was not the opposite of life. It was already here, within my being, it had always been here, and no struggle would permit to forget that.
I miss you awful sometimes, but in general I go on living with all the energy I can muster.
And I'm just going to keep on getting stronger. I'm going to mature. I'm going to be an adult. Because that's what I have to do. I always used to think I'd like to stay seventeen or eighteen if I could. But not anymore. I'm not a teenager anymore. I've got a sense of responsibility now. I'm not the same guy I was when we used to hang out together. I'm twenty now. And I have to pay the price to go on living.
By living our lives, we nurture death. True as this might be, it was only one of the truths we had to learn.
And when I awoke I was alone, this bird had flown…
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Sexual content, Death, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Vomit, Rape, and Medical content
bexdot's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
rushh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, Suicide, Death of parent, Chronic illness, and Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Medical content and Infidelity
ivana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Medical content, Mental illness, Animal death, Child death, and Cursing
smrj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Suicide
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Minor: Lesbophobia and Medical content