julesvcz's review against another edition
dark
reflective
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
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide
doodling's review against another edition
2.0
Vreemd en tegelijk menselijk boek. Dromerig, traag, filosofisch en veel seks. Ik weet niet zo goed wat ik ervan moet vinden. Het had wel wat (vooral sommige filosofische gesprekken) en toch ook weer niet. Een leeservaring ergens tussen de twee en drie sterren.
P.S. Dit boek is niet magisch-realistisch. Ik dacht dat al zijn boeken dat zijn, dus ik was er al een beetje naar op zoek: 'Zou dit zinnetje dan magisch-realistisch bedoeld zijn?' Niet dus. Wel handig voor toekomstige lezers om te weten :).
P.S. Dit boek is niet magisch-realistisch. Ik dacht dat al zijn boeken dat zijn, dus ik was er al een beetje naar op zoek: 'Zou dit zinnetje dan magisch-realistisch bedoeld zijn?' Niet dus. Wel handig voor toekomstige lezers om te weten :).
christar_123's review against another edition
3.0
I was disappointed in this book - maybe my expectations were too high because I had heard from friends that it was really good. But I found it completely unbelievable, and not in the mysterious, mystical way Murakami's work usually is but in a frustrating, question-raising way.
So, first, I didn't like the characters. I'm completely over books about a guy pining away for the perfect girl who is too shy/ too emotional/ too whatever to take part in the world. I did not find Naoko to be an interesting character. Locked up in an institution, for her fragile mental health, of course, our hero could only occasionally visit her. She felt manufactured. The situation made me think of what some overly romantic emo boy would imagine for the princess locked up in the castle.
And then Midori, who I really liked at first, until I was too frustrated with her just being another fantasy character. Presenting readers with Naoko's clear opposite, she's overtly sexual, loud, boisterous, off the walls but all because she's hiding from her depressing family past. Completely manic. Another stereotype. Reiko, the wise older woman who has been hurt by the world and is trying to find her own peace in a music and mentorship....seriously?
In some ways, it seems like a book written by a man who has never had a conversation with an actual woman and is just writing about hypothetical interactions with three different stereotypes (but we know that's not true because the women in Murakami's other books are less obnoxious). The characters are too set in their stereotypical roles to break out into three-dimensionality.
I realize it's supposed to be about coming of age, dealing with loss, questioning one's place in society, etc but because the characters were so tiresome I wasn't as interested in the book as I could have been. However, it was still written in Murakami's beautiful prose and his use of words and descriptions could be awesomely beautiful. I think it's a book people either love or toss aside with a "meh" sigh.
So, first, I didn't like the characters. I'm completely over books about a guy pining away for the perfect girl who is too shy/ too emotional/ too whatever to take part in the world. I did not find Naoko to be an interesting character. Locked up in an institution, for her fragile mental health, of course, our hero could only occasionally visit her. She felt manufactured. The situation made me think of what some overly romantic emo boy would imagine for the princess locked up in the castle.
And then Midori, who I really liked at first, until I was too frustrated with her just being another fantasy character. Presenting readers with Naoko's clear opposite, she's overtly sexual, loud, boisterous, off the walls but all because she's hiding from her depressing family past. Completely manic. Another stereotype. Reiko, the wise older woman who has been hurt by the world and is trying to find her own peace in a music and mentorship....seriously?
In some ways, it seems like a book written by a man who has never had a conversation with an actual woman and is just writing about hypothetical interactions with three different stereotypes (but we know that's not true because the women in Murakami's other books are less obnoxious). The characters are too set in their stereotypical roles to break out into three-dimensionality.
I realize it's supposed to be about coming of age, dealing with loss, questioning one's place in society, etc but because the characters were so tiresome I wasn't as interested in the book as I could have been. However, it was still written in Murakami's beautiful prose and his use of words and descriptions could be awesomely beautiful. I think it's a book people either love or toss aside with a "meh" sigh.
ichicysf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
this guy wrote down all his intrusive thoughts and called it a book
hunnylemon's review against another edition
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
0.25
those were three days i’ll never get back. i don’t know why everyone recommends this as a good starter to murakami novels it is shite and the only thing that kept me reading was knowing what will happen to the manic pixie dream girl and her side piece (the main character apparently). there are too many things wrong with this book it felt like i was reading a much more graphic version of “looking for alaska”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Suicide, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
nisha_23's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
hilgertzoe07's review against another edition
5.0
being able to identify with midori is the best and worse thing possible
zachezeb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
dhani07's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
serenasbooks's review against another edition
4.0
this book left me utterly confused.
I really liked it, I enjoyed the way murakami writes very much, the fact that somehow he talked about very important things in such a simple way. but I don't know, I feel like the story had to have a moral but I didn't get it and I understood nothing of the end but still... it was beautiful.
(also borderline pornographic)
I really liked it, I enjoyed the way murakami writes very much, the fact that somehow he talked about very important things in such a simple way. but I don't know, I feel like the story had to have a moral but I didn't get it and I understood nothing of the end but still... it was beautiful.
(also borderline pornographic)