Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

15 reviews

edelstein'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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Addiction, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Rape

notmyendday's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Sexual assault, and Addiction

Moderate: Car accident

charliewohler's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Rape

kers_tin's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Alcoholism, and Addiction

lambclown's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Vomit

Moderate: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Car accident, and Terminal illness

felicityj's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Mental illness

vmoore6463's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, and Addiction

anna_l's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Vomit, and Addiction

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Rape, Addiction, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Dysphoria, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, and Vomit

Minor: Pregnancy, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Car accident, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Infidelity, Sexual content, Misogyny, and Sexism

enairabutcher's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Within the first pages of Mieko Kawakami’s All the Lovers in the Night I felt that churn in my stomach – discomfort. It was a welcome feeling, drawing my mind to other authors who deal in awkward protagonists (Otessa Moshfegh, Elizabeth Strout); a favourite genre of mine. Yet as I continued, I questioned this initial assessment. It’s not that Fuyuko Irie isn’t awkward – she very much is – but that the novel was reflecting on other aspects of her life and personality.

This novel feels deeply sad, just not for the reasons you may think from reading the blurb. As an introvert who requires very little in the way of human interaction to feel fulfilled, I still felt like Fuyuko’s life felt too quiet, too lonesome, too isolated. 

Spoiler

Then, as she descends into alcoholism, though it’s never named as such, her life unravels even more.

 

In a book of moments and slow conversations, the revelations about work, the pursuit of happiness, the impacts of trauma, the cadence of friendships, and the beauty of light – every bit of thematic resonance seems to emerge from the tiniest of details. As I read, I noticed these details often came back to me when I least expected it, through the repetition of a single line or description. It warrants a close read to get to the beauty among the sadness.

While All the Lovers in the Night was lovely in many ways, I found the pages about the publishing industry dry and uninventive. Perhaps this is coloured by my background in the industry or my desire to see something fresh, different – whatever the case, these scenes would have benefitted from more thematic relevance to the text. Rooting through the meaning behind Fuyuko’s work, at best I see a connection between her inability to remember the words she reads and her capacity to develop friendships.

The ending redeemed these weak points. There, again, Kawakami wove magic into just a few words.

 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Rape