Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

103 reviews

libraryoflanelle's review

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Pedophilia and Suicidal thoughts

pizzaisjesus98's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A wonderful and important book. I love how the author described colors, feelings, and people. I’m also surprised at the emotions it got out of me. Truly a lovely piece of writing, even if some parts of it drag a bit. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Blood, and Stalking

tayaingrid's review

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Abandonment

anniemlx's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Loved this read. What Patrick White tried to do in the book I recently reviewed is what Kawakami does perfectly. It was emotional, entertaining, informative, reflective… one of those works that sticks with you. The ending was hopeful without being cliche, and above all, the story was realistic and believable. Bonus points for autism representation and (potentially? Probably?) showing someone on the ace spectrum (although I am not 100% sure if either was intentional it is always nice to see). I look forward to reading more from this author.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Rape

sea_sea's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book was absolutely amazing. Would 100% recommend it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

lbaclian's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

corvuscorax's review against another edition

3.75

This was, for me, a fresh perspective into a topic I thought I had "mastered". What is it to be a woman? What is it to have or to want a child? From an almost kaleidoscopic angle, in a manner both sensitive and unafraid, Mieko Kawakami gives us an array of different answers. By the end of the second part, you will almost forget about the first, that's how dense this one is. But I say almost, because there are constant connections between the two. The main character is incredibly easy to get into the head of, even when our situation is quite different from hers. She has a way with words, as a writer, and you get to see her work through doubts so painful they make you squeamish.

I loved the way female friendships were depicted in this, because each friendship was different. There were no cookie-cutter mimosa friendships, and even the ones that were closest to that were dissected in such a way as to raise interesting questions about what we really know about one another. There is a lot of death, both literal and metaphorical, and quite a few goodbyes that manage to pull at your heartstrings. The highlights for me in this book are the most bizarre scenes, like

the scene where Midoriko and Makiko crack eggs and cry, or that in which Natsume thinks about inserting a plastic syringe into herself, or the meeting between Natsume and that strange, strange man.

Would really recommend this!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Rape and Suicide attempt

jonwood's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

I thought this was a brilliant character study taking serious, thoughtful stab on psychological issues that should be thought about more, from how culture expectations on appearance and sexuality effect self-esteem to questions about deciding to have a child and how to go about it. Being moving book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Cancer and Terminal illness

bruhmantics's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Transphobia

ktrain3900's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.5

This is a slice of life novel, and a social commentary novel, and a feminist novel, meandering largely through hot, sticky summers in Tokyo and Osaka, while also meandering through the lives of a number of interesting and unspecial (in the best way) mostly female characters.

In the journal entries, long conversations, and hallucinatory dreams of the Part 1 (essentially the Breasts section) we meet Natsuko, her sister, and her niece, as the latter two visit Natsuko in Tokyo for sister Makiko's breast enlargement consultation, where Natsuko is ultimately a foil in the drama between Makiko and Makiko's tween daughter Midoriko, all while exploring aspects of her own childhood.

Part 2 (essentially the Eggs section) is more stream of conscientiousness, with the dreamy quality now more like a ghost haunting old neighborhoods, almost through time, the long conversations now with colleagues and friends, as Natsuko now contemplates having a child as a single mother by choice. She continues to explore her own past and life, as she emerges from a fog to forge a future she wants.

While I found the book a little hard to engage with when I first started, to the point I started reading other books for a break, I was able to breach the tidebreak and get into the ocean of the book and it's well thought out and considered debates between the mainly female characters. The ending did feel a little bit contrived, or at least convenient, but ultimately this is a novel that deserves a place along with classics like The Golden Notebook and The Women's Room addressing women's issues and creativity from a more contemporary lense. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, and Rape