Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - All the Lovers in the Night

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

12 reviews

maecaitlin's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

Interesting exploration of trauma and recovery. I found Fuyoka’s late-bloomer development to be a great depiction of life after a traumatic event.

As a result, her finding a gentle love in Mitsutsuka feels tender and sweet.

Kawakami’s writing is blunt and sometimes misses the mark for my taste. I particularly enjoyed the motif of a solo walk every Christmas Eve/Fuyoka’s Birthday, yet I wish there was more of a fleshed-out exploration of what this means to the character. However, I am mindful of and unsure if some meaning is lost in translation.

I feel Kawakami’s characters will live in my head for a long while as they feel very close to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider.

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notlee'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
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A study on interiority, Kawakami’s All the Lovers in the Night is at times a slow (but never boring) reflection on the ways that societal expectations affect people. If you are expecting a romance, you may be disappointed — there is virtually no romance until halfway through the story, and even when it is there it is understated — but if you keep your mind open you are in for a delightful story about womanhood, friendship, and anxiety.

Though this story didn’t always hit the mark with me, I found myself engaged with the characters throughout. The last fifty pages or so were a real standout. A beautiful read.

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srhdnshj's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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

3.75

I DON‘T KNOW AHHH, I don’t know if I like or dislike the book. It definitely did cause strong (mixed) emotions and I do have the wish to discuss every sentence of this book with someone. But at the same time most of the book was just the main character existing (not even living, her main flaw). (You do have to like these kind of books.)
I personally read the book quite fast since in my opinion the German version is well written/translated. It had a nice flow.

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stwriter92's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

I read this book because I got sick of Murakami’s description of women in his books. I used to really like them, but now I can’t get back into them because the way he writes women is just so icky. I had heard that Mieko Kawakami was much better and I do agree!

All the Lovers in the Night centers on a mid-thirties woman named Fuyuko Irie who works as a freelance copy editor. She lives a lonely life and does not seem to mind this solitary existence. However, this changes when she finally takes a long look at her reflection and decides she need to change. She wants to feel alive again. However, as past traumas resurface, she turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism and forms a friendship with an older man.

The bittersweet story of Fuyuko Irie is the story of all of us. We are all aching to connect with the people around us and each of us feels, at times, like we are alone at sea. This book reminds us that, no matter how alone we are, we can always form connections and reach out. We are not alone.

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poisoned_icecream's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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5aru's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoy Kawakami's writing style — I find there is something very unique to novels by Japanese authors and how they convey a sense of absolute isolation, of emotional stagnation. Kawakami particularly nails this in Fuyuko's character through her matter-of-fact, almost emotionless narration. In spite of this style, it is easy to understand that Fuyuko is actually going through intense emotional turmoil. She goes through depressive as well as dissociative episodes, and as her past trauma notably resurfaces as soon as she comes close to achieving Mitsutsuka's affection, she is rendered unable to surrender to that connection. The novel is tragic in a sense, yet powerfully liberating in others.

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edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.25

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thewoodlandbookshelf's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.0

Content Warnings

robinks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.0

My first Kawakami! The story reminded me a bit of Murakami: beautiful descriptions of scenes, interesting philosophical questions, and a protagonist who is very passive. It was refreshing to have a female protagonist though, and I liked the commentary on feminism presented through Fuyuko’s interactions with and about Hijiri.

Fuyuko and Hijiri initially had a bit of a romantic connection, and I would’ve loved to see that fleshed out. I was a little disturbed by the final argument between Fuyuko and Hijiri and how they became friends from that, and the age gap between Fuyuko and Matsutsuka creeped me out. I was also pleased to see Fuyuko’s growth at the end, but it felt rushed, especially with the time skip that we didn’t get to see.

Content Warnings

kyuriiiiiii's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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