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maimber's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
i really loved this book! seeing how all the characters lives were intertwined was so fascinating and always excited me when i saw a sentence about a person i recognised. seeing everyone interwoven and connected through a singular cat helped to expand outside of the (usually) narrow view of books that solely focus on a few characters. it speaks about life and how easy it is to feel like you’re the only person alive and other people fade into the background. when side characters names were mentioned, their stories often appeared later in the book and that really drove home the sentiment that you never truly know what’s going on in someone’s life unless you hear from them yourself. it offered a realistic understanding of the complexity of people and their separate and widely interconnected lives.
there were some aspects of this story that confused me but nearer the end i got settled in more. my only gripe is that because all the chapters are about different characters it’s not the easiest book to sit and read in one sitting. because of how separate the chapters feel it’s almost like reading them as their own short stories. this book was a tad harder to read than books that are just centred around a few characters but i enjoyed the variety of life experiences showcased through each individual character.
there were some aspects of this story that confused me but nearer the end i got settled in more. my only gripe is that because all the chapters are about different characters it’s not the easiest book to sit and read in one sitting. because of how separate the chapters feel it’s almost like reading them as their own short stories. this book was a tad harder to read than books that are just centred around a few characters but i enjoyed the variety of life experiences showcased through each individual character.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Death, Infidelity, Racism, Suicide, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
roxyc's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.75
I'm sure this will appeal to many readers, but for me it was very disappointing. I love a collection of interconnected stories. I love Japanese stories (by Japanese authors). I love stories that feature cats. But this fell far short of the mark for me.
Firstly, i expected the cat to be a central character that threads the stories together, but it felt more like a minor side character that pops up occasionally.
Secondly, the misogyny! The way the female characters were portrayed vexed me. And they were so one-dimensional. It made me feel that the writer really doesn't like women. There was also too much sleaziness and sexual content that felt unnecessary, more for shock value.
But the one thing i was most disappointed with was the shallow view of Japan & it's culture. A lot of stereotyping. It really felt like a surface level western tourist view of the city.
I think this may be a case of a western author living in Japan deciding to capitalise on the current market popularity of Japanese literature. There will be a wide audience for a book like this, but i feel that readers that love Japanese lit may struggle with it. Definitely not a love letter to Japan.
Firstly, i expected the cat to be a central character that threads the stories together, but it felt more like a minor side character that pops up occasionally.
Secondly, the misogyny! The way the female characters were portrayed vexed me. And they were so one-dimensional. It made me feel that the writer really doesn't like women. There was also too much sleaziness and sexual content that felt unnecessary, more for shock value.
But the one thing i was most disappointed with was the shallow view of Japan & it's culture. A lot of stereotyping. It really felt like a surface level western tourist view of the city.
I think this may be a case of a western author living in Japan deciding to capitalise on the current market popularity of Japanese literature. There will be a wide audience for a book like this, but i feel that readers that love Japanese lit may struggle with it. Definitely not a love letter to Japan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
miastr'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism, Police brutality, and Abortion
martha070805's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
cavexcanem's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Abortion
mabelngoo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Sexual harassment
ruthdaniell's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual harassment
b3ans's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use and Misogyny
Minor: Child death, Car accident, Abortion, and Sexual harassment
susannederstein's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
4.5 read but want it to be included in 5 star list
very thought-provoking, interesting and out of the ordinary. loved how the different stories interlinked and all the different topics they covered. amazing writing style and world-building
loved all about it except that i often had to google the japanese words (would have liked a little dictionary thing at the end) and that the book has received criticism for being from the outsider's perspective and often not representative of japanese culture while being written in the POV of japanese people
very thought-provoking, interesting and out of the ordinary. loved how the different stories interlinked and all the different topics they covered. amazing writing style and world-building
loved all about it except that i often had to google the japanese words (would have liked a little dictionary thing at the end) and that the book has received criticism for being from the outsider's perspective and often not representative of japanese culture while being written in the POV of japanese people
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Blood, Abortion, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Cultural appropriation, and Abandonment
sunfl0wermax's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Absolutely incredible. Inspiring, showing how the characters lives are all intertwined in interesting and intricate ways. I haven’t been touched by a book like this in a really long time. Really beautiful and inspiring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
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