Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Sputnik Sweetheart

I probably would love this book if not for the voyeuristic way Murakami tends to write about women. Part of me does love it, I've read it multiple times and it has left me a wreck, it is very melancholic and emotional, but I always come out of it unsatisfied. I have a complicated relationship with it as it did help me get through a lonely time but I would have a hard time recommending it to other women, especially other queer women as the representation of Sumire and Miu can be so uncomfortable and upsetting.

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spookily's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective 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? No

2.0

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lisawesterberg's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Älskade! Alltså verkligen så vackert språk och miljöer och karaktärer. En sak som stör är hur imponerande ofta Murakami lyckas nämna könshår och bröst… ganska dålig beskrivning av kvinnor och representation av lgbtq+ men frånsett det var det en bra bok med en massa bisarra och reflektiva inslag som grep mig direkt.

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skeptista's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad 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

4.25

i read this during a vacation in greece so that was a nice coincidence! this was my first murakami novel (started reading kafka but haven't finished yet) and even though i knew to expect weird descriptions of nipples and strange cats i did not expect this to throw me into an existential crisis. i spent a few days in a complete daze after finishing this book so it's safe to say i really liked it!

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cheesepuppy's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

This book was a weird one to read. The whole first half of the book is just character building and no plot. I did not enjoy it until over halfway through the book. And even then, it wasn’t super exciting.

I feel like the woman in the story only exists to make the man have feels. It’s weird how the main character feels like a side character.

This author writes with so so so many metaphors. It’s like he just learned what a metaphor is and wanted to use them to practice. I feel like I almost forget what I was reading by time I get done reading the metaphor.

Also, the sex/turned on scenes felt so weird and out of place. So weird. They would pop up without warning.

Then at the very end of the book, the plot is resolved with almost no rhyme nor reason. I still have no clue what happened.

In many parts, I felt like there were a lot of words to say basically nothing and others felt rushed

best lines in the book 😂

I asked her straight out. That’s me — never beat around the Bush. How much of your hair is white?

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