Reviews with content warning for Car accident - All the Lovers in the Night

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All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

33 reviews

hello_lovely13'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

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sillycreature'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

4.0

Leave it to Mieko Kawakami to create the most beautiful visuals and lyrical descriptions of what listening to your favorite song feels like. I also enjoyed the brief lessons on how light and colors work.

I could relate quite a bit to Fuyuko, and to me, this story served as an important reminder on what it REALLY means to have a real, genuine connection to someone.
(To put it in a nutshell, take the time to get to know the other person in depth and, in turn, allow yourself to be known and seen and heard as well. It needs to go both ways.)

Did NOT see that ending coming, but I can't say I was disappoined.

In fact, I quite liked the subversion of expectations. It goes back to the previous idea of knowing someone & being known in return. Fuyuko barely shared anything about herself, and also never got to know Mitsutsuka on a deeper level, opting instead to daydream about him or stay mostly silent during their hangouts instead of asking those questions she had in her mind, to get to know him better. In turn, Mitsutsuka himself avoided to tell the truth about who he really was from the very beginning - perhaps out of shame, or simply because it was great to be somebody else for a little while. Maybe he felt lonely, too. Maybe he knew that, if they were to get closer, Fuyuko would eventually find out he wasn't at all what he said he was. Maybe he got scared and that's why he ran away. So they pretty much remained strangers to each other all throughout their "relationship".
Same thing with Hijiri's wish to know Fuyuko better - whether she wanted to get closer to and manipulate Fuyuko, or whether that actually was a genuine plea for connection: "I want to know you better. I want to know you, so I can be your friend, too." I like to think it's the latter reason, but it could be either one.

I only wish we'd gotten more of a glimpse on how Fuyuko's friendship with Hijiri developed after the end of chapter 12.

With that last paragraph, I like to believe that Fuyuko went on to write this very book that we're reading right now, and named it "All the Lovers in the Night". I like to believe that, with these six words, with this book, she finally found her voice.

All in all, every character had its flaws, but Kawakami wrote them in such a way that their personalities & motivations were believable and, most of all, very human - which is why I found all the characters likeable in some way and worthy of consideration.

Except for Mizuno, he can die in the hole he crawled out of for doing what he did and for having the absolute NERVE to blame it all on Fuyuko - and on TOP of that, to say that SHE pisses HIM off. While I can understand his frustrations with a stagnant, pre-determined life in a small town, and wanting to leave somewhere far away, to create his own identity & make a different, better life for himself, NOTHING could EVER justify what he did.

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lizetteratura's review against another edition

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dark 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

All the Lovers in the Night is a frigid yet powerful novel that delves into loneliness, connection, and self-discovery, but it also describes work and the close connection of friendship and love, as well as a thought-provoking perspective on social and gendered expectations. The main character, Fuyuko Irie, is easily relatable, and Kawakami does an excellent job at conveying her emotions through the story. The novel moves at a bit slow-ish to medium pace, which may not appeal to everyone, but it allows you to really immerse yourself in the plot. If you appreciate stories that focus on characters and emotions, this one is absolutely worth reading. I wish Kawakami had developed and examined the characters further, but I enjoyed her writing approach of contrasting them, as with Fuyuko and Hijiri. It's a story that sticks with you and makes you wonder long after you've finished reading (endings tend to do this to me).

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adoola's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

a beautiful story about a woman realizing that she's become "no one", probably my favorite book :)

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hue's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

There's just something so remarkable in the way Mieko Kawakami writes. I'm so enveloped in her world at first word. To think none of these people are real. I can't wrap my head around it.

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charlereads's review against another edition

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3.0

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torismazarine'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? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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waterlilyonmyheart's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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soyboysimon's review against another edition

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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

2.0

Didn't love this, I feel truly neutral about it. Its like i was reading only to get to the end of it. i didn't connect with any of the characters or their problems, the main characters troubles seemed self-inflicted, and I absolutely hate the way it talks about—or rather doesn't talk about—mental health.

The main character is dealing with a number of things,

anxiety, depression, alcoholism, an eating disorder, recovery from rape

, but they are presented as being normal parts of life that she has to conquer on her own, without help, before she can let herself be loved. Its sick and twisted to me, it wasn't good for me, I don't recommend it if you deal with any of these problems.

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pikkumarja's review against another edition

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challenging emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

At first I loved this book but then there was a long period of words and pages I did not love - it was just okay. All the drinking and alcohol was a bit of a jumpscare and all the beautiful words about loneliness and the chaotic, yet so quiet world, were buried deep behind the drunk thoughts.

When the book came closer to the end I fell in love with it again. Ending was really a beautifully written piece of modern literature.

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