Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

33 reviews

henriettaenam's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Infertility, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Dysphoria

ellalucys's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Infertility, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

tayaingrid's review against another edition

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

egmamaril's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual violence

anh_read's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

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

4.75

Definitely, a “no plot, just vibes” book. However, I enjoyed the themes that are discussed in this book. In general, the book reflects the struggles of being woman in modern times. 

The first part “Breasts” centers around poverty and changes in your body. The second part of the book, “Eggs” focuses on motherhood and being a single parent. This part often got me reflecting on the struggles on becoming and being a parent. It also made me question to have children. This part is much longer, even more slow-paced. Some points were kind of repetitive. Nonetheless, it was still a wonderful and very informative read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Infertility, Misogyny, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness

Minor: Body shaming, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

lillypowell's review

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Pedophilia

cgdppl's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

This is probably one of the best Japanese books I have read so far. It defiently showcases some of the challenges women face in Japanese society (and probably to some extent in other western countries as well). The plot consists of what can be essentially divided into two stories - Breasts ,and Eggs. 
The first one focusses on the relationships between mothers and their daughters in the main characters family. The main motives in this one are the struggles of low class women in Japan, relationships between mother and daughters, as well as reflections about the female body.
The second one is centered around the carrier of the main character and her struggles with pregnancy, having children and sustaining relationships with men in her life. The second story goes mainly into antinatalist motives and the morality of having children. 

The ending did leave me quite bitter and wondering if the main character has made the right choice about having the child by herself. We do sympathize with her through her story, but in the end it felt a bit odd and unease when reading the final chapter. It definetly left me with something to think about through some time

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility and Misogyny

Minor: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

padancer's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence

lenin_lover_69's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

readingwithasha's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• 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

4.0

I think this book had a lot of potential, but unfortunately by the time I reached the end, I found myself asking "huh?"

I found the first book interesting, albeit a bit heavy-handed when it came to the discussion of women's bodies. I don't want to be too harsh on it because I read the translated version, and it is entirely possible that the Japanese version is much more poetic. I thought the relationship between

Makiko and Midoriko was extremely interesting and I would have loved to see more about how Midoriko's silence and Makiko's breast augmentation surgery manifested in Book Two. But it never came back! I was at page 420 hoping that this would be addressed but it never was. I'm not even sure we ever find out if Makiko had her surgery (which is fine, a little mystery is good).

I agree with other reviews that say it's too long. It did drag a lot, and I think we could have done without

numerous scenes of Natsu collapsing on her futon in the summer heat.

 

Overall, I feel like there were a lot of interesting threads that just never get picked up, and by the end it all just falls kind of flat. That being said, it's an interesting read!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Xenophobia

Definitely some transphobia, don't think this is the most enlightened way to talk about women's bodies...