Reviews with content warning for Incest - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Really great read. There were parts where I did disconnect but that’s because it got a little too much into history or felt drawn out. Another minor hang up I had was with the sheer amount of information being thrown at you, at a very fast pace, in an intricate way. I get this was the intention and it may just be that it requires a second read. It kind of reminds me of Oppenheimer (2023) in that regard where it was fast paced and lots of details and Names are thrown out and the timeline isn’t chronological so a second or third watch helps with solidifying some details.

This is all minor because overall I enjoyed the depth the characters had. This is my first Murakami book and it was exactly what I expected in terms of magical realism and explaining a mystery just enough that you want to know more but also would rather not know at the same time. So many unsettling scenes that were page turners. He captures complex emotions so well I had to put the book down during some of the more (literally) torturous chapters.

100% recommend

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mirandanoel's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

A wonderful and peculiar reading experience that forces you through many tight alleys, blind corners, and dark hallways. I think reading this book with few expectations and little knowledge about it's contents will enhance your experience. Like with other Murakami works, the chapters contain the whole array of human emotion. Delightfully uncanny & best to read with an empty head.

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anemosise's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

originally rated a 3.75 directly after reading, bumped up to 4.25 after sitting on it more. i loved trying to connect a lot of murakami's dots while reading, and ended up being more satisfied than I was after initially putting it down. love his writing style, even though it was incredibly slow, i was still engaged! wish he wrote about the women characters more normally lol

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