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ragingpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Grief, Cancer, Suicide, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, and Rape
julia_library's review against another edition
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Pedophilia
ichthusangel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Suicide, Lesbophobia, Child death, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Minor: Police brutality
leabharlady's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Ableism, and Sexism
ficteon's review against another edition
2.5
This book would've been amazing! If Murakami kept his weird fetishes, opinions about women and periods and weird view points to himself.
I went from crying to cringing and thats very bizar. I've given other books by Murakami such great ratings (as there he kept his dumb outdated ideas to himself.) Very ironic is that one sentence in the book is on how another book is outdated... which made me laugh, as look at yourself
One thing I loved about this book is how Murakami writes death. He made me sob about characters I've only known for 1 or two sentences. He is a great writer! Just this book has pages after pages with just misinformation and cringeworthy sex.
Can this man stop talking about periods and talk to his wife about them to learn how they work???? Its just embarrassing.
'Im not like other girls'? plenty
Rape fetish? included.
Victim blaming? Yup.
Unconsentual sex? Yesss
No we women don't scream at strangers or friends and become uncontrollable monsters on our periods. Thanks murakami for seeing your wife this way.
The last pages I went from absolutely sad and loving the words to cringing as the mc cums in a women without consent. Not that the women minded ofc, they never do as women are sexdolls in this book.
Some quotes to show the problematic writing:
"Know what I did the other day?" Midori asked. "I got all naked in front of my father's picture. Took off every stitch of clothing and let him have a good long look. Kind of in a yoga position. Like, "here, daddy, these are my tits, and this is my cunt."
"Ok, I'll wear a hat for a couple of days after my period starts. A red one. That should work," she said with a laugh. "If you see me on the street and I'm wearing a red hat, don't talk to me, just run away."
"Great. I wish all girls would do that."
The mc and a girl are going to a porn movie in an adult cinema (its the 70s) and they are watching a s&m rape kidnap fantasy movie where two sisters get kidnapped and raped and ofc like it as porn.
"If I were the younger sister, I wouldn't get worked up so easily" said midori. "I'd keep watching"
Oh people are looking up my skirt??? Mmmmmh I love to be seen as a sex object anyway so idc. Well one thing is right though! The women in this book are not like other girls!! As no real women would react like the women do in this book.
I think from page 100 to 200 it was only bad page after bad page. And then after it kept returning as well again and again but those 100 pages were cruel.
And don't get me started on the pedophilia!!! As the age of consent was (since recently was) 13 Its not seen as pedophilia to mr Murakami that one character had sex with a 13 year old. Yes!! The character was raped by this child. Thats bad! But if you read that part the woman thats raped by the girl is not upset about it being a child, she was actually into it!!! She only rejected having sex WITH A CHILD because it was cheating on her husband. Was she raped - yes! Was she attracted to this 13 year old - Also yes!!! It was absolutely gross.
Again the writing is absolutely stunnningggg. He is just an outdated male writer which is a flaw. It's not all his books and ill keep reading them as they do have a lot to them. Just this one wasn't it at allll. Still it has amazing moments it in it as well so I'm not completely hating it either. See complex relationships with the book.
The emotional writing is stunning. Murakami can make you feel big emotions (even if he ruins that with cringe shit after but ok) His words and way of writing is amazing and in his other two books I read he really does it soooo well.
When it wasn't about the cringeworthy stuff the mc really had some good things to say. It just always got ruined by him saying something bad a second after.
Tw for suicide.. as lots of people kill themselves in this book. You could say its almost the whole plot.
I look forward to reading his other work. But again.. this was not it for me. Even if there is a reason for the grossness (which I don't think so. He is just an old guy born in a conservative society.) The reading experience really got ruined.
Graphic: Grief, Death, Child death, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
madamenovelist'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Sexual content
kittkat'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
Naoko und Toru verlieren einen Kindheitsfreund als sie alle gerade mal 17 Jahre alt sind und versuchen ihre Leben danach einzeln weiterzuleben. Irgendwann finden sie sich wieder, aber zu dem Zeitpunkt kämpft Naoko schon mit vielen anderen Dingen und ist tief in ihrer Trauer versunken. Toru gibt ihr jeden Beistand, den er ihr anbieten kann und versucht aber gleichzeitig ein normales Jugendleben an der Uni zu führen, während er Naoko schon völlig verfallen ist.
Toru trifft viele Menschen und die ganzen Menschen machen den Roman letztendlich zu dem, was er ist.
Das Buch war auf englisch noch viel viel schöner geschrieben und ich habe es sehr genossen und dabei noch ein paar Tränen gegossen (= geschluchzt und gerotzt). Leider kann ich aber mit den letzen ca. 5% vom Buch immer noch nichts anfangen… Warum musste ich das lesen? Ich habe gehofft, dass es nicht so schlimm ist, wie ich es in Erinnerung hatte, aber doch doch :)
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, and Suicide
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual harassment
matiisanchez's review against another edition
1.0
Graphic: Rape, Mental illness, Suicide, Sexism, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Grief, Alcohol, Violence, Sexual content, and Pedophilia
jazsever'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
2.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Adult/minor relationship
fbarros's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book only has death and sex in it, but death is not explored as it should be, and sex is explored too much.
The main character has nothing going for him, and every time a woman appears in his life, it's only to give him sexual pleasure of some kind. The characters aren't lovable or relatable and are vague even though they seem to talk a lot.
The two stars are only given because I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of places as well as the flow of the plot and the way the author writes.
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts