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annahollamby'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? It's complicated
1.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
theperfectblues's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt
dugfromthedirt'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
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness and Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Outing, and Abandonment
joshuahc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Ableism and Lesbophobia
nonorora01'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? No
3.0
Minor: Ableism, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, and Sexual harassment
madamdun'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? It's complicated
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
jarshi's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
As someone who reads a lot of Japanese literature, I feel like I can’t escape Murakami because he’s probably the most popular and accessible Japanese author out there. And whenever I read his books, I feel that I’m finally starting to understand Murakami as a writer and what he wants to convey…
…and then… he will write… the most insane unnecessary shit you have ever read in your entire life and I feel the rage of a thousand suns within me. Seriously, what is his deal?
Graphic: Suicide
Minor: Ableism and Bullying
marinarc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Ableism
n_asyikin_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What a book. At the end of my read, I felt this tiny pressure just behind my chest, & I knew that these characters & their stories would linger.
It was the sort of story that you want to take your time with; I found myself as if I was a third person in between conversations, or the person privy to Watanabe's intimately complex humanly thoughts. Norwegian Wood was one of those reads for me that went beyond just storytelling; I don't know how to explain it, except the writing was so otherworldly yet it grounded you securely upon earth.
Murakami & Rubin infused an individual with their surroundings, marrying wisdom inspired by nature to be reflected upon one's conscious contemplation; it was a work which disintegrate any physical boundaries that led you to a cosmic discovery.
These characters were trying to work through the rhythm of life and death; trying to understand the physical & psychic interactions between people. The depictions of the manifestations on how people approached those (frankly) rhetorical conundrums were brilliantly depicted through the parallel & contrast between the characters.
And I have to say, of all the characters, I adored Midori the most. I loved how unfiltered & unforgiving she was. She was a bright soul inspite of her storms; most conversations involving Midori & Watanabe immediately put me at ease; those two together brought about lightness to being. I think, whereby Watanabe tend to get stuck in melancholic rumination, Midori forced him to live in the present. She was never fearful of her emotions, or needs; Watanabe caring for her was the tenderness that she needed in the chaos of her world.
There was also Reiko. The wise Reiko reached out to me like a mentor she was to Watanabe. Her stoicism was a possible route Watanabe could take, providing pragmatism in Watanabe's tautology.
Sex was central to this story. It reflected a mean for human interaction.
Norwegian Wood will make you contemplate. It felt like having the stories of the universe contained within these casts of individuals. What more can I say except, this book is beauty in every shape & sense of the word.
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent