bahamamama's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
[A book club/buddy read selection.]
Beautiful and interesting descriptions of light throughout the story.
The story is told from the perspective of the main character and depicts the messiness of life when individuals connect and their complex feelings and choices merge. More than once I became lost in the story and was even caught off guard by the abrupt ending. I'll be checking out more works from this author.
Trigger warnings: alcoholism, rape
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Alcohol
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Emotional abuse and Abandonment
edgaranjapoe's review against another edition
- 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
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
robinks's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Spoiler
Fuyuko and Hijiri initially had a bit of a romantic connection, and I would’ve loved to see that fleshed out. I was a little disturbed by the final argument between Fuyuko and Hijiri and how they became friends from that, and the age gap between Fuyuko and Matsutsuka creeped me out. I was also pleased to see Fuyuko’s growth at the end, but it felt rushed, especially with the time skip that we didn’t get to see.Graphic: Sexual assault, Vomit, Alcohol, and Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, Body shaming, Pregnancy, and Fatphobia
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
The thing about an author's first translated novel being her best one is it sets the bar high for all her subsequent translated works, and they might not wholly live up to it.
Such is the case here with All the Lovers in the Night, whose story of a thirty-something woman with a solitary job in Tokyo bears similarities to Breasts and Eggs, but - published in its original Japanese nearly a decade before the latter - is less successful in terms of story and emotional beats, though I still like it.
I enjoy the novel's exploration of its themes - the transient and obfuscating nature of time, memories, and acts of remembering and recollection - and the gradual growth of the protagonist Irie. However, I can hardly remember the story - what takes place between the crucial scenes and plot points - for it seems static a lot of the time, with similar occurrings replaying in several loops.
There is nothing wrong with a novel that does not focus on plot, but what substitutes for that - be it inner monologue, rumination, characterization - should be effective, and in this case I do not find Irie's reflections to be effective enough. The book also needs more proofreading and copyediting, as there are still some missing words and grammatical errors.
Nevertheless, I do enjoy watching the character grow as she tentatively learns to bask in the night and, step by step, revel in all its lights.
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual content, Mental illness, Sexism, Vomit, and Car accident