soupstix 's review for:

The Ten Loves of Mr Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami

2.5

mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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this was lovely and atmospheric just like hiromi kawakami’s other novel that i’ve read—strange weather in tokyo—yet it lacked a certain charm due to its central character, nishino yukihiko. i found his motivations for being the way he was unconvincing and lame, but i appreciated the depth and strength kawakami lends to her female narrators in their approaches to their relationships with him. what i love about kawakami’s writing style is that it is both straightforward and mystifying, even when the content itself is not necessarily the most engaging. while i can’t say i disliked this novel—in fact, i even enjoyed it—i feel that it would be a disservice to other novels i’ve read if i bumped the rating any higher.