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bella613's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
I didn't love this book the way I loved Killing Commendatore. It was not quite what I expected, especially after hearing it was this book that exploded Murakami into fame. But I did connect with it. As it is with Murakami, there are some uncomfortable sections of the book. But there are some uncomfortable moments in life, so... it's sort of beautiful that he captures it so intensely?
I found myself most drawn to Naoko in this story. Midori as a character is someone I would probably not enjoy spending time with in real life, but added to the story in a mostly positive way. I didn't like Toru much in the same way that one might not like oneself. Listening from his pov felt like looking back on one's own life and seeing all the flaws and mistakes and self-centered choices that were made. But he was very real. That's one thing I also love about Murakami: his main characters feel undeniably real. He's not great at writing women, but since he usually writes from a male ego perspective, this doesn't bother me nearly as much as it seems to bother others. Read any contemporary romance and you'll see that most women are terrible at writing men, too.
My favorite part of the book was probably the long letter describing the sanatorium and the following visit to the sanatorium.
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
cinzia_2509's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury
sammm_888's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
vermiglio's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury
nelsonlala's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
bexdot's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, Sexism, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
dugfromthedirt's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness and Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Outing, and Abandonment
2hermione4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
*Check trigger warnings*
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
alex2023's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
greatu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Fire/Fire injury