akilaasad's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The Miso Soup is narrated by Kenji, an unlicensed sex/nightlife tour guide in Japan, who meets Frank, an American tourist curious about Japan's sex industry. Frank's behaviour quickly unnerves Kenji, who suspects Frank has negative intentions regarding his visit to Japan.
This is my second time reading this book; the first was four years ago. This time, I rated it lower because I realised how much Kenji rambles on and how anti-climatic the second half of the book is. The buildup in the first half of the novel is so good that it compensates for the pointless/sterile ending. There is some intriguing discussion about how the West has influenced Japan, the state of society, and its outsiders, but the majority of it felt forced to the point it felt like a drag to read.
However, Ryu Murakami is brilliant with his descriptions, setting the atmosphere, the characters - whatever the scene, it presents itself so vividly when reading it. I enjoyed reading the first half of the book as it establishes itself as a thriller, we sense Kenji's apprehension towards Frank, and we observe Frank's blatant lying, which only makes the reader curious to see where the plot leads. The second half of the book lacks the tense mood of the first half since it is largely oriented on dialogue and philosophical discussion (a complete 180 which felt a bit out of place in my opinion).
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Self harm, and Gore
jen_prouvaire'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
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Murder, and Self harm
Moderate: Medical content, Alcohol, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, Vomit, and Fatphobia
sirisolh'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
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Self harm, Mental illness, Gore, Animal death, Body horror, Vomit, Torture, Violence, Sexual violence, Murder, Death, and Confinement
Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, Self harm, and Suicide
scumbear'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
3.5
Graphic: Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Gore, Body horror, Stalking, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Murder, Animal death, and Vomit
kleine_elster_'s review against another edition
2.75
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Injury/injury detail, Sexual content, Misogyny, Death, and Body horror
luli_boy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gore, Sexual violence, Murder, Mental illness, Torture, Vomit, Sexual content, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Self harm, Sexual harassment, and Blood
sailorvicki'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? No
3.75
Graphic: Murder and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault
kaitmannix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Rape, and Sexual content
abdabbbbb'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
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Torture, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Injury/injury detail, Sexual content, Body horror, Gore, Murder, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, and Child death
Minor: Cannibalism
beefstick's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content