Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

126 reviews

skymcfadden6's review against another edition

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

beautiful writing but a very depressing read

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renaeanalise22's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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emamoretti03's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Devo dire che all'inizio non lo stavo apprezzando particolarmente. Ho letto prima altri libri di murakami a cui ho dato tutti 5 stelle, tra cui 1Q84, l'assassinio del commendatore e kafka sulla spiaggia. Ma questo non mi ha trasmesso le stesse sensazioni. Ho però apprezzato molto la retorica sulla morte e sul suicidio di questo romanzo e la specularità tra i rapporti tra Watanabe/Midori-Naoko/Kizuki.
Forse un po' troppo sesso, ogni 20/30 pagine c'è qualche scena di sesso o qualche discorso sul sesso, un po' too much, negli altri libri di Murakami non era ricorrente fino a questo punto

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shelbyrodger's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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stelllac's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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chickface's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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sinfell's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It’s extremely difficult to understate how well this book approaches topics of grief and death, as well as how well Murakami grounds each character to reality, so much so that I feel as though I have not connected so much with another main character as I have with Toru. While this book, much like Murakami, does have dated and problematic cultural views, I think the sheer quality alone is enough to excuse it, if only to keep reading until completion. 
I have read several of Murakami’s stories, but I feel his more realistic works have their own sort of surrealism to it that any fantastical plot points feels completely unnecessary. 
Plus Midori is in this book, so that should be reason enough to give it 5 stars.

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sophiamarkova04's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny reflective sad 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? No

3.5

I don't believe Murakami has ever had a meaningful interaction with a woman, or quite honestly even met one in person. That being said, the book has its profound moments, usually broken up by some kind of absurd sexual interaction. I'm unsure whether I'd ever read another book by this author, but surprisingly, I did not hate this one.

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erilcastro's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced
  • 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

4.0

⚠️ I tend to enjoy Japanese authors because of the writing style and directness, if you’ve found you don’t like Japanese authors typical it may not be for you. 
The beginning of the book was the hardest part of the read, it was a bump I had to get over then finally 20 pages in I was really enjoying myself. The book follows the main character as he develops friendships and relationships, which is my favorite parts of books because this drives growth. Nothing  in the writing is especially punchy, the wit and humor is subtle but delightful. If this book where an experience it would be like watching people at the park on a warm spring day with a soft wind when suddenly a large cloud rolls over and it gets cold, so it’s time to go or else you’ll stay cold. 

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pauroxas's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I would like to try to describe the hold this book had over me. The last time I had read it was more than 7 years ago, but every detail of it is still etched in my mind. I read my copy until it fell apart. I used to recommend this to people I have known. I may have gotten a couple of them to read it, and I don't know if they have gotten the same things as I did out of it. Probably not. And it's okay. 

I have first picked it up after having been kicked out of the university and I had gone back home in disgrace. I was 16, very sick, friendless and hopeless. 

Within the pages of this book, I have felt understood. It had spoken of things that other people were too afraid (or could not be bothered) to talk about with me. Death, loss, grief, unrequited love, depression, desolation, isolation, darkness; but also - growing up, learning about one's sexuality and sex, friendship, devotion, hope, little glimpses of light. But I hadn't known yet how much of this book I would get to experience for myself.

I have lived with this book, I have lived through it, I have lived by it. I have identified with every character in it, I kid you not. I had found myself in many of their situations. I had grieved their losses and experienced their pain. It felt very much like I was constantly drifting in and out of this book, my life having been woven in its pages before I have even lived it. In so many ways, I am still that 16-year-old.

It will be interesting to meet up with this old friend again someday. Maybe, if I find myself out of the woods.

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