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vixenreader'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, and War
A lot of trauma is between the lines, especially in his childhood. Also, if you experience anxiety and depression, brace yourself for a difficult read.smoladeryn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Just when I was beginning to forget, that bird of ill-Omen came flapping my way, to rip open with its beak the wounds of memory. —p139
This book is so well written, and a classic indeed. And, still, I’ve never both hated a book so intensely and also not been able to stop reading it.
It’s incredibly poetic at times with vignettes that startled me in their simple and quiet beauty. The blurb describes this account of the character’s life (and perhaps Osama Dorias’) as being without sentiment. Cold? No. It’s a dark, depressing, dank telling of a person’s life, but if you pay attention there is so much sentimentality for his depression and deceitful, destructive ways.
Before I go on, I do also need to address- his disgusting abuse of the women in his life. He very clearly knew he was despicable for it but he never truly realized just how awfully abusive and destructive he was. He often wrote about these women as if they deserved it because they were weak, ugly, or “crippled”.
I found myself thinking about reading this through a modern 2022 lens, how much mental illness and pain is clear in the character. In today’s world, no doubt we could see any number of diagnoses for this character. I wonder if it would have changed things.
The thing I struggled most with was how much this book is one of utter self loathing, but somehow, at the same time he fails to ever take responsibility for a single thing that happens to him. In fact, he describes it all as simply happening to him as if he’s a pacifist in his life. And maybe that’s how he truly experienced it - but oh if he knew all he had to do was simply take responsibility and self reflect! Even in his, clearly later years of life, the self reflection that is this book is actually just self indulgence!
The narcissism and self centred perspective often made me nauseous and gave me vertigo how quickly he’d both dwell in what was surely a very awful life as well somehow believe he was so special as to be the only person in the entire world suffering in the way he did. Not only this, him! A boy from a rich family who lost that connection through his own poor choices! And sure, he lacked a loving family, but my lawd, even many who experience serious child abuse can find a way through life without feeling so utterly sorry for themselves.
I think this is what kept me most from feeling compassion for him. Although, at times I would start to feel some compassion, it would be ripped away by the next paragraph’s grandiose claims at how hard done by he was.
It is curious, but the cathedrals of melancholy are not necessarily demolished if one can replace the vulgar “What a messy business it is to be fallen for” by the more literary “What uneasiness lies in being loved” —p47
Somehow he is so poetic in the narcissism I couldn’t shake how haunting it was. It reminds me of Bukowski, a poet I love in a way, but also hate.
(I am very susceptible to other people’s suggestions. When people say to me, “You really shouldn’t spend this money, but I suppose you will anyway…” I have the strange illusion that I would be going against expectations and somehow doing wrong unless I spent it. I invariably spend all the money immediately.) —p161
Even toward the end, when he should be starting to find clarity on his mistakes he blames everything around him for his terribleness.
BUT THE POETRY, ugh it kills me. I’m so conflicted.
But materialism could not free me from my dread of human beings; I could not feel the joy of hope a man experiences when he opens his eyes on young leaves. —p66
Just when I was beginning to forget, that bird of ill-Omen came flapping my way, to rip open with its beak the wounds of memory. —p139
Finally, at times I actually laughed out loud. I often wondered where his (supposedly) magnificent humour was in all of this. His grandiose claims at how funny and charming everyone found him rarely materialized. But there were glimpses.
Then, just when I had begun to entertain faintly in my breast the sweet notion that perhaps there was a chance I might turn one of these days into a human being and be spared the necessity of a horrible death, Horiki showed up again. —p138
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
fairyribs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
pattycrabby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse
orange_splice's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Medical content, Cultural appropriation, and Classism
It was a product of its time, unfortunately. Consistent, but brief, sexist stereotypes mentioned throughout the book (The main character saying that women enjoyed doing domestic chores handed to them, calling them emotional and complicated a lot.) Near the beginning, there's a weird mention of the main character doing an 'Indian Dance' jokingly in a loin cloth as a child. It's also mentioned, briefly, that the main character is repeatedly sexually assaulted by women around him from the time he is a child to the end of the book. The most triggering parts of the book arepennepasta'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
booksraintea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape
hammy_down's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
xdili's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment
ixxy'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
4.5
I've read this in both Japanese in English, and can confirm that the translation by Donald Keene is quite faithful.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault