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katanarin's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Like always Murakamis style of writing is very delicate. The plot is interesting, good pacing, poetic descriptions.
The plot and fantasy aspect differs to other Murakami books, this book is a romance novel and got nothing surreal to it.
There is like always one thing that annoys me about this book or about Murakami in general.
The way he writes woman lol
Again - every woman is at one point in this book just an sexual lust-object for the protagonist or another male. In Kafka on the shore it somehow made sense to me but in this book it seemed really unnecessary and at some point it was so annoying that it really ruined the moment. It's just sad :,)
The plot and fantasy aspect differs to other Murakami books, this book is a romance novel and got nothing surreal to it.
There is like always one thing that annoys me about this book or about Murakami in general.
The way he writes woman lol
Again - every woman is at one point in this book just an sexual lust-object for the protagonist or another male. In Kafka on the shore it somehow made sense to me but in this book it seemed really unnecessary and at some point it was so annoying that it really ruined the moment. It's just sad :,)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexism and Toxic relationship
knik's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexism
kianaboydd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.75
extremely disturbed, disgusted, and appalled by the portrayal and writing of female characters and traits. the overly explicit sexual descriptions were so unnecessary. if i am missing some sort of nuance or element of the coming of age theme this book fails to attempt, i hope i find it. i don't know who let this man write so many books or even close to touch a keyboard or pencil to ever write any material.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
fanny_bobanny's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Disclaimer: I read the books translated in Greek so I don't know if some things are that bad in the English or other versions.
I should have quit reading this book the first time it came to my mind. Almost everybody commits suicide and that's not the worst part. I understand all the "existential crisis" that all the characters are going through but they could be a lot less of "pick me, I'm special" persons, it's exhausting the whole "nobody understands me because I'm so quirky/ weird/ depressed/ different" kind of thing. Also what is going on with all the sexism in the book and all the problematic lines e.g. "I'm going to rape you". I get that the book was written in 1987 but wow. Lastly, I didn't like the way it ended but I get that some people might like it because it leaves room for a different life for the character after all the things he learned from his friends "not being strong enough" and committing suicide but I just didn't like it. I will try to read 1 or 2 books of his just to understand if it's this one I have a problem with or i don' t like the writer.
I liked the way he described the environment, the food, the smells and I'm sure it's much more beautiful in the original language. Also, it was really easy to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, and Sexual harassment
maidinnah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- 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
4.5
Even though Murakami’s infamous male gaze is prevalent, Norwegian Wood was so devastating and tragic that after I finished reading it, I just sort of checked out of reality for a bit to process the book. The novel’s melancholic and breathtaking prose captures the feeling of being trapped in the forests of your own despair, the rest of the world spins and burns around you, and you must choose whether or not you spin and burn with it. This story is more than a romance, it’s about the most important, life-or-death decision of all — how we cope in the face of grief.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
wuasti's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
peckreadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Suicide
halsteady's review against another edition
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Homophobia
abbyluvsfrogs444's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
3.5
This was a hard book to rate and review. I've been off and on reading this for almost two years. It's not that I didn't like it, I just always found something better to read. This was such a complicated book. I have complicated feelings about it. Toru was duller than a butter knife. And I hated how the only thing he seemed to like about Naoko was her body. I don't believe that he loved her. He lusted her. Big difference. It felt very objectifying whenever he talked about Naoko. The way mental health is talked about is...interesting. I'm not sure Murakami gets it. And I don't think he understands women either. Stick to writing about your dull, little men, sir and leave women out of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
ficteon's review against another edition
2.5
This book is a rollercoaster and I have very mixed opinions of it. I'll try to keep it spoiler free.
This book would've been amazing! If Murakami kept his weird fetishes, opinions about women and periods and weird view points to himself.
I went from crying to cringing and thats very bizar. I've given other books by Murakami such great ratings (as there he kept his dumb outdated ideas to himself.) Very ironic is that one sentence in the book is on how another book is outdated... which made me laugh, as look at yourself
One thing I loved about this book is how Murakami writes death. He made me sob about characters I've only known for 1 or two sentences. He is a great writer! Just this book has pages after pages with just misinformation and cringeworthy sex.
Can this man stop talking about periods and talk to his wife about them to learn how they work???? Its just embarrassing.
'Im not like other girls'? plenty
Rape fetish? included.
Victim blaming? Yup.
Unconsentual sex? Yesss
No we women don't scream at strangers or friends and become uncontrollable monsters on our periods. Thanks murakami for seeing your wife this way.
The last pages I went from absolutely sad and loving the words to cringing as the mc cums in a women without consent. Not that the women minded ofc, they never do as women are sexdolls in this book.
Some quotes to show the problematic writing:
"Know what I did the other day?" Midori asked. "I got all naked in front of my father's picture. Took off every stitch of clothing and let him have a good long look. Kind of in a yoga position. Like, "here, daddy, these are my tits, and this is my cunt."
"Ok, I'll wear a hat for a couple of days after my period starts. A red one. That should work," she said with a laugh. "If you see me on the street and I'm wearing a red hat, don't talk to me, just run away."
"Great. I wish all girls would do that."
The mc and a girl are going to a porn movie in an adult cinema (its the 70s) and they are watching a s&m rape kidnap fantasy movie where two sisters get kidnapped and raped and ofc like it as porn.
"If I were the younger sister, I wouldn't get worked up so easily" said midori. "I'd keep watching"
Oh people are looking up my skirt??? Mmmmmh I love to be seen as a sex object anyway so idc. Well one thing is right though! The women in this book are not like other girls!! As no real women would react like the women do in this book.
I think from page 100 to 200 it was only bad page after bad page. And then after it kept returning as well again and again but those 100 pages were cruel.
And don't get me started on the pedophilia!!! As the age of consent was (since recently was) 13 Its not seen as pedophilia to mr Murakami that one character had sex with a 13 year old. Yes!! The character was raped by this child. Thats bad! But if you read that part the woman thats raped by the girl is not upset about it being a child, she was actually into it!!! She only rejected having sex WITH A CHILD because it was cheating on her husband. Was she raped - yes! Was she attracted to this 13 year old - Also yes!!! It was absolutely gross.
Again the writing is absolutely stunnningggg. He is just an outdated male writer which is a flaw. It's not all his books and ill keep reading them as they do have a lot to them. Just this one wasn't it at allll. Still it has amazing moments it in it as well so I'm not completely hating it either. See complex relationships with the book.
The emotional writing is stunning. Murakami can make you feel big emotions (even if he ruins that with cringe shit after but ok) His words and way of writing is amazing and in his other two books I read he really does it soooo well.
When it wasn't about the cringeworthy stuff the mc really had some good things to say. It just always got ruined by him saying something bad a second after.
Tw for suicide.. as lots of people kill themselves in this book. You could say its almost the whole plot.
I look forward to reading his other work. But again.. this was not it for me. Even if there is a reason for the grossness (which I don't think so. He is just an old guy born in a conservative society.) The reading experience really got ruined.
This book would've been amazing! If Murakami kept his weird fetishes, opinions about women and periods and weird view points to himself.
I went from crying to cringing and thats very bizar. I've given other books by Murakami such great ratings (as there he kept his dumb outdated ideas to himself.) Very ironic is that one sentence in the book is on how another book is outdated... which made me laugh, as look at yourself
One thing I loved about this book is how Murakami writes death. He made me sob about characters I've only known for 1 or two sentences. He is a great writer! Just this book has pages after pages with just misinformation and cringeworthy sex.
Can this man stop talking about periods and talk to his wife about them to learn how they work???? Its just embarrassing.
'Im not like other girls'? plenty
Rape fetish? included.
Victim blaming? Yup.
Unconsentual sex? Yesss
No we women don't scream at strangers or friends and become uncontrollable monsters on our periods. Thanks murakami for seeing your wife this way.
The last pages I went from absolutely sad and loving the words to cringing as the mc cums in a women without consent. Not that the women minded ofc, they never do as women are sexdolls in this book.
Some quotes to show the problematic writing:
"Know what I did the other day?" Midori asked. "I got all naked in front of my father's picture. Took off every stitch of clothing and let him have a good long look. Kind of in a yoga position. Like, "here, daddy, these are my tits, and this is my cunt."
"Ok, I'll wear a hat for a couple of days after my period starts. A red one. That should work," she said with a laugh. "If you see me on the street and I'm wearing a red hat, don't talk to me, just run away."
"Great. I wish all girls would do that."
The mc and a girl are going to a porn movie in an adult cinema (its the 70s) and they are watching a s&m rape kidnap fantasy movie where two sisters get kidnapped and raped and ofc like it as porn.
"If I were the younger sister, I wouldn't get worked up so easily" said midori. "I'd keep watching"
Oh people are looking up my skirt??? Mmmmmh I love to be seen as a sex object anyway so idc. Well one thing is right though! The women in this book are not like other girls!! As no real women would react like the women do in this book.
I think from page 100 to 200 it was only bad page after bad page. And then after it kept returning as well again and again but those 100 pages were cruel.
And don't get me started on the pedophilia!!! As the age of consent was (since recently was) 13 Its not seen as pedophilia to mr Murakami that one character had sex with a 13 year old. Yes!! The character was raped by this child. Thats bad! But if you read that part the woman thats raped by the girl is not upset about it being a child, she was actually into it!!! She only rejected having sex WITH A CHILD because it was cheating on her husband. Was she raped - yes! Was she attracted to this 13 year old - Also yes!!! It was absolutely gross.
Again the writing is absolutely stunnningggg. He is just an outdated male writer which is a flaw. It's not all his books and ill keep reading them as they do have a lot to them. Just this one wasn't it at allll. Still it has amazing moments it in it as well so I'm not completely hating it either. See complex relationships with the book.
The emotional writing is stunning. Murakami can make you feel big emotions (even if he ruins that with cringe shit after but ok) His words and way of writing is amazing and in his other two books I read he really does it soooo well.
When it wasn't about the cringeworthy stuff the mc really had some good things to say. It just always got ruined by him saying something bad a second after.
Tw for suicide.. as lots of people kill themselves in this book. You could say its almost the whole plot.
I look forward to reading his other work. But again.. this was not it for me. Even if there is a reason for the grossness (which I don't think so. He is just an old guy born in a conservative society.) The reading experience really got ruined.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment