Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - All the Lovers in the Night

This is a big shock to me since I expected to love it yet I couldn't gel with the writing style, nor with the main characters. However, the scenery that Mieko Kawakami painted throughout the story was beautiful and some of the lines were poetic. I just felt like it was a slow journey that never quite reached its destination and some of the content can be quite triggering to those who have experienced alcoholism or suffered at the hands of a alcoholic or been sexually abused. Whilst covering these topics is extremely important, I feel as though All The Lovers in the Night could have dealt with this a little more sensitively. It wasn't for me but it will definitely be for someone else. I am still very interested in reading Breasts and Eggs in the future.

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umasbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad 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? Yes

3.0

I really wanted to love this book but sometimes it felt like a chore to pick it up. It felt like things were happening but also it was not at the same time? I loved the melancholy, monotonous tone of the book… it felt real. However, when I finished the book, I felt unsatisfied and wondered “Is that all?” I guess its just hard to grasp that sometimes a life will be handed to you and taken away only to leave you with its remnants in the form of longing and heartache.

All in all, it is a good book. But if you are reading to escape the reality of life this is probably not the book for you.

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sophie_laura_'s review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

all the lovers in the night is the second novel that i have read by mieko kawakami but it is so far very much my favourite. the novel follows fuyuko irie, a freelance proofreader in her thirties who lacks many friends or meaningful connections other than with her boss. that is until a chance encounter with a man called mitsusuka.

this novel ripped my heart out, held it in the palm of its hand, and then right at the last minute, stomped all over it. despite her ‘loner’ status, i found fuyuko to be a really easy character to relate to and i really felt for her throughout the novel, even when she was making decisions that i didn’t necessarily agree with. i found the novel to be very accessible and easy to digest, both in long sittings and in bitesized chunks, which is something that i think is quite rare!

i read this as an ebook but i now want to buy a physical copy to reread and appreciate fully. the reading experience has only made me appreciate kawakami’s writing more and i can’t wait to get my hands on her other novel heaven.

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sho73's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this less than breasts and eggs
The real strength of the book lies in the last 30 pages
Kawakami has an incredible skill for dissecting people in such a short amount of pages
The relationship between main character and Hijime is what really resounded with me
The transition through our main character healing happens fluidly, sometimes it feels like swimming through murky waters and sometimes a clear fresh spring

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yaazz's review against another edition

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4.0

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lloyd_e's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

4.0

A book about a mid-30s woman who is basically a loser not doing anything with their life finding happiness. Loved it, the writing was amazing and the story was great too.

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poppyedition's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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greyyy's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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