A review by gillthequill
All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

3.0

 When reading this novel, I kept feeling like I was on the verge of some great truth. Like this work was saying something profound, in it's sometimes preaching monologues, hidden in those small details (like the perfume). But I kept getting the impression, despite the excellent writing, this work was not for me. I'm not sure who it is for. It felt like there wasn't a clear lesson, clear takeaway, clear goal I could find. There were themes, yes, of depression, mental illness, societal expectations, how beholden we are to other's opinions, and being a woman in society (especially Japanese society). It felt like capital G Great Literature some high school student may have to read one day. I left with mixed feelings but I don't necessarily regret reading the work, if alone for how wonderfully written it was. 
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