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soyboysimon's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I think Murakami might be my favorite author. I read Kafka on the Shore about a year ago and had conflicting emotions. The misogyny was shocking and horrifying, but I can't stop thinking about it. So i decided so give him another try.
This one is much less bad. The misogyny is still there, but it feels more like its on purpose because of the nature of the main character. And its not like every woman he meets is just a pair of breasts with legs this time. Because I was expecting it, it was less of a problem for me.
It sure doesn't sound like I'm describing a good book, does it? Let me tell you what this book got right! Unlike his other works, there is no magic in this book. The writing is whats magical about it. It has that japanese way of storytelling, much like a Studio Ghibli movie, where you're following a character through their daily life, living the slow moments with them.
The main character grapples with the dilemma of loving more than one person at a time and having to choose and wondering if he's making the right choice. And you really feel his love for both women and get to see such tender but different moments between them and could see him being happy either way. And its told from the perspective of him looking back on his life and wondering if theres anything he could have done differently.
Its reflective, its charming, its mundane. This books makes me want to live.
This one is much less bad. The misogyny is still there, but it feels more like its on purpose because of the nature of the main character. And its not like every woman he meets is just a pair of breasts with legs this time. Because I was expecting it, it was less of a problem for me.
It sure doesn't sound like I'm describing a good book, does it? Let me tell you what this book got right! Unlike his other works, there is no magic in this book. The writing is whats magical about it. It has that japanese way of storytelling, much like a Studio Ghibli movie, where you're following a character through their daily life, living the slow moments with them.
The main character grapples with the dilemma of loving more than one person at a time and having to choose and wondering if he's making the right choice. And you really feel his love for both women and get to see such tender but different moments between them and could see him being happy either way. And its told from the perspective of him looking back on his life and wondering if theres anything he could have done differently.
Its reflective, its charming, its mundane. This books makes me want to live.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
deathfulwitch's review against another edition
i really wanted to stick it out in the hopes that the book would take a turn and start dissecting and criticizing its own characters; their composition, their actions/motives, and their environment, but that moment never came and i lost hope so here we are. i get that some people will read this book and argue that it simply writes what is, and that it depicts people exactly as they are in life (and death). i don’t agree. if the goal here was to show authentic people and their struggles, we should not be seeing it through the lens of a misogynistic, self-serving and chauvinistic man, who so badly wants us to believe that he’s a nice guy. spoiler alert: he really isn’t.
i honestly didn’t mind the non existent plot as much as i minded the objectification of women and the endless sexualization of women’s trauma. added to that, the perversity of the sexual scenes in this book (and there are a LOT of those), where women and their adult bodies are compared to children, was alarmingly disturbing to me, as it should be for everyone. oh and, nothing in the book told us that naoko’s first time was consensual so mc is an offender. such a nice guy.
also, the perpetuation of harmful narratives e.g. that women are no longer beautiful when they turn 30 (because everyone knows that’s when their transformation into gollum is finalized), that “it is only natural” for a woman to satisfy a man even if she doesn’t really want to be intimate with him, etc. made my reading experience even more unbearable, to say the least.
in conclusion, the message in this book is terrible, i do not understand how it became so popular, and tonight i will be putting myself in rice so i can heal from it.
p.s: the only good point i can think about is that the writing was beautiful.
i honestly didn’t mind the non existent plot as much as i minded the objectification of women and the endless sexualization of women’s trauma. added to that, the perversity of the sexual scenes in this book (and there are a LOT of those), where women and their adult bodies are compared to children, was alarmingly disturbing to me, as it should be for everyone. oh and, nothing in the book told us that naoko’s first time was consensual so mc is an offender. such a nice guy.
also, the perpetuation of harmful narratives e.g. that women are no longer beautiful when they turn 30 (because everyone knows that’s when their transformation into gollum is finalized), that “it is only natural” for a woman to satisfy a man even if she doesn’t really want to be intimate with him, etc. made my reading experience even more unbearable, to say the least.
in conclusion, the message in this book is terrible, i do not understand how it became so popular, and tonight i will be putting myself in rice so i can heal from it.
p.s: the only good point i can think about is that the writing was beautiful.
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny and Sexual assault
ansolutisti's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
One star away bc of the misogyny and weird description of female characters and sex, otherwise a beautiful book that left me empty with a comforting sadness. Really relatable picturing of mental health of self and loved ones, loneliness and finding your path.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
arifairy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Minor: Misogyny
cephon's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
lagaialettrice's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Lesbophobia
froggoz13's review against another edition
dark
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I am very conflicted due to the themes of pedophilia and homophobia and the misogynistic undertones that aren't adressed anywhere in the book. I don't like the characters and don't see myself being drawn to them or worried for them. I experienced the story as very strange and uncomfortable.
The writing style is good and descriptive in a pleasant way but the dialogues are often quite direct. Overall I did want to continue reading the vook and find out what would happen next but I did not particularly enjoy reading it.
The writing style is good and descriptive in a pleasant way but the dialogues are often quite direct. Overall I did want to continue reading the vook and find out what would happen next but I did not particularly enjoy reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Lesbophobia
claukv's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Stalking, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Lesbophobia
lilydarcie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Hated this book and the depiction of women. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that it was written in a different time, but the descriptions were awful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
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