neverlandingonabook's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Grief
Moderate: Dementia, Suicide, and Sexual content
Minor: Domestic abuse
abookwormspov's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Self harm, Drug use, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Animal death, Chronic illness, Classism, and Sexual content
lovelylilelle's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
the misogyny was rife in this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Eating disorder, and Suicide
pseudolain's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Stalking, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Domestic abuse, Ableism, Alcohol, and Suicide
i_llumi's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
this is basically a bunch of stories written from the perspective of betas and sigmas who were either cheated on or cheaters ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'm,,, unsure on how to feel about this book. this was my first ever Murakami, and I definitely understand his fame now - his writing is truly unique and has that bizarre, weird vibe that I've frankly only ever seen from Japanese authors lmao
one of the things I enjoyed the most was the wording shifts from one character to the other. some wrote in formal, almost pretentious styles while others wrote as if this was their diary. it strangely connects the reader to the character, and it's lowkey fascinating.
given my extremely inconsistent reading schedule, I read these stories in a span of 3 long, long months and during that time, passages from them never really left my brain. there's something so uncanny about the writing, the world and the atmosphere that the author creates that although hard to pinpoint what is is, it just exists and permeates the entire 300 pages.
welp. I'd love to come back to this once I get older and have my share of ~relationships~ so I can understand some of the mysteries and questions I have leftover after reading this strange piece of literature.
here's my ranking and take/mini-review of each story (a bit spoilery):
1. kino
i feel like this is the only story I understood most of the metaphors, which by itself is already a feat for my pea sized brain. the ending scene is SO GOOD and I was intrigued throughout the entire thing.
2. scherazade
by far the most fun. mostly because a lot of the story was narrated by a woman (scherazade). her sudden "you know im convinced that i was an eel in my past life" talk lives rent-free in my head. once again, a plot only japanese men could come up with.
3. an independent organ
oof. this one was Sadge. mans was girlbossed
4. drive my car
probably one of the more wholesome ones. the whole thing with kafuku being an actor was quite interesting.
5. men without women
for the story that named the book, if was a bit too short no?
this was rather.. funny? to read? the character is like "omg do you think the woman i dated when i was 14 k*lled herself because of my pEniS???" like bro wake up
I do think this was the perfect closing to the collection though. basically saying that men dont know shit about women and that they spend all their time self-pitying and moping around instead of having you know. empathy.
6. yesterday
if it weren't for the BEATLES IN KANSAI DIALECT this would've been a 3/5 but tbh I think this is the most normal of the 6 stories and 100% the sanest mc of all. see, this is the thing about weird shit: who else would write an entire story about some dude who fakes his accent lmfao
I'm,,, unsure on how to feel about this book. this was my first ever Murakami, and I definitely understand his fame now - his writing is truly unique and has that bizarre, weird vibe that I've frankly only ever seen from Japanese authors lmao
one of the things I enjoyed the most was the wording shifts from one character to the other. some wrote in formal, almost pretentious styles while others wrote as if this was their diary. it strangely connects the reader to the character, and it's lowkey fascinating.
given my extremely inconsistent reading schedule, I read these stories in a span of 3 long, long months and during that time, passages from them never really left my brain. there's something so uncanny about the writing, the world and the atmosphere that the author creates that although hard to pinpoint what is is, it just exists and permeates the entire 300 pages.
welp. I'd love to come back to this once I get older and have my share of ~relationships~ so I can understand some of the mysteries and questions I have leftover after reading this strange piece of literature.
here's my ranking and take/mini-review of each story (a bit spoilery):
1. kino
i feel like this is the only story I understood most of the metaphors, which by itself is already a feat for my pea sized brain. the ending scene is SO GOOD and I was intrigued throughout the entire thing.
2. scherazade
by far the most fun. mostly because a lot of the story was narrated by a woman (scherazade). her sudden "you know im convinced that i was an eel in my past life" talk lives rent-free in my head. once again, a plot only japanese men could come up with.
3. an independent organ
oof. this one was Sadge. mans was girlbossed
4. drive my car
probably one of the more wholesome ones. the whole thing with kafuku being an actor was quite interesting.
5. men without women
for the story that named the book, if was a bit too short no?
this was rather.. funny? to read? the character is like "omg do you think the woman i dated when i was 14 k*lled herself because of my pEniS???" like bro wake up
I do think this was the perfect closing to the collection though. basically saying that men dont know shit about women and that they spend all their time self-pitying and moping around instead of having you know. empathy.
6. yesterday
if it weren't for the BEATLES IN KANSAI DIALECT this would've been a 3/5 but tbh I think this is the most normal of the 6 stories and 100% the sanest mc of all. see, this is the thing about weird shit: who else would write an entire story about some dude who fakes his accent lmfao
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
annaporteee's review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness and Grief
audc's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
A large portion of the story is men’s perspective (as expected). Halfway through the book, I just wanted to stop. I think you get a wrong perspective or implication of women lurking and waiting to cheat. Either it’s a thing in Japan or Murakami has some stuff to work through.
A lot of mention of songs (appreciated that).
There’s an amount of stuff written that I don’t understand what the author was trying to get across or whether they really are ignorant (;misogynistic).
“That really turned me on…Maybe it was because I was so turned on that my period started almost immediately after that.”
Unfortunately, the relationships that are explored between men and women is sexual (often with infidelity on the woman’s part) and the way women described often relates to whether they’re conventionally attractive or unattractive.
Very simple, nail-on-the-head descriptions. Perhaps, that’s possibly why many of the stories just blend together monotonously.
I had a lot of questions about what a book titled “Men Without Women” would be about.
At first; When would a man not have multiple women in his life? What sort of impact did these women have one these men’s lives?,
And later; Does a relationship with a woman/women only count through a consensual agreement? What about friendships?
“…losing one woman means losing all women.”
Favorites: (Drive My Car) , (An Independent Organ) , and (Samsa in Love) I just liked the premise of the story.
The last story (Men Without Women) was an okay ending.
A lot of mention of songs (appreciated that).
There’s an amount of stuff written that I don’t understand what the author was trying to get across or whether they really are ignorant (;misogynistic).
“That really turned me on…Maybe it was because I was so turned on that my period started almost immediately after that.”
Unfortunately, the relationships that are explored between men and women is sexual (often with infidelity on the woman’s part) and the way women described often relates to whether they’re conventionally attractive or unattractive.
Very simple, nail-on-the-head descriptions. Perhaps, that’s possibly why many of the stories just blend together monotonously.
I had a lot of questions about what a book titled “Men Without Women” would be about.
At first; When would a man not have multiple women in his life? What sort of impact did these women have one these men’s lives?,
And later; Does a relationship with a woman/women only count through a consensual agreement? What about friendships?
“…losing one woman means losing all women.”
Favorites: (Drive My Car) , (An Independent Organ) , and (Samsa in Love) I just liked the premise of the story.
The last story (Men Without Women) was an okay ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Child death, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Cancer, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Cursing, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse and Bullying
eve81's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Stalking, Abandonment, Infidelity, Death, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Cancer
samchase112's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.5
I need to start off this review by saying my opinions are 100% clouded by my love for the film adaptation, Drive My Car. I went into this collection knowing about the film's conception, read the main story before seeing the film, and finished the rest of the story after watching the film. That being said, I think my enjoyment here was definitely heightened by my experience with the film. Both are absolutely weird yet beautiful, with strange details and touching, relatable messages. I'm so glad I started my Murakami (fiction) journey with this collection of short stories!
Drive My Car: 5 stars
I just...really enjoyed this one. The premise is odd yet not mystical, and definitely explores grief and love through an interesting light. I can also see why someone read this and was like, "this would be a really intriguing film."
Yesterday: 3 stars
This one was more forgettable, definitely didn't stick with me. It did, however, get the song stuck in my head. Murakami's love of music (specifically Beatles music) is all over this collection, for sure.
An Independent Organ: 4.5 stars
"There are people in the world who — thanks to a lack of intellectual activity — live a life that is surprisingly artificial…In order for these so-called principled souls to survive in this warped world, these sort of people need to carefully adjust every day, though in most cases they're not consciously aware of the tiresome level of finesse necessary to do so. They're thoroughly convinced that they're perfectly guileless people who live honest lives devoid of ulterior motives or artifice." I mean.
Scheherazade: 4.5 stars
Now this one is the most clouded by my movie experience, but I have no problem with that. Although I think I prefer the ending Takatsuki gave to the break-in story in Drive My Car.
Kino: 2 stars
Huh? (Although I do love how inspired this was by Murakami's own experience running a bar.)
Samsa in Love: 3 stars
Also Huh? but in a more Okay way. Weird but weirdly fun.
Men Without Women: 4 stars
The titular tale. I will admit that I did, in fact fall asleep with only 3 pages left to read, although it was certainly more my fault than the story's. That being said, this one definitely tied the whole collection together, and I liked the ruminations on grief more than the actual "plot." I mean, this part just…hits.
"And once you've become Men Without Women, loneliness seeps deep down inside your body, like a red-wine stain on a pastel carpet. No matter how many home ec books you study, getting rid of that stain isn't easy. The stain might fade a bit over time, but it will still remain, as a stain, until the day you draw your final breath. It has the right to be a stain, the right to make the occaisonal, public, stain-like pronouncement. And you are let to live the rest of your life with the gradual spread of that color, with that ambiguous outline."
Drive My Car: 5 stars
I just...really enjoyed this one. The premise is odd yet not mystical, and definitely explores grief and love through an interesting light. I can also see why someone read this and was like, "this would be a really intriguing film."
Yesterday: 3 stars
This one was more forgettable, definitely didn't stick with me. It did, however, get the song stuck in my head. Murakami's love of music (specifically Beatles music) is all over this collection, for sure.
An Independent Organ: 4.5 stars
"There are people in the world who — thanks to a lack of intellectual activity — live a life that is surprisingly artificial…In order for these so-called principled souls to survive in this warped world, these sort of people need to carefully adjust every day, though in most cases they're not consciously aware of the tiresome level of finesse necessary to do so. They're thoroughly convinced that they're perfectly guileless people who live honest lives devoid of ulterior motives or artifice." I mean.
Scheherazade: 4.5 stars
Now this one is the most clouded by my movie experience, but I have no problem with that. Although I think I prefer the ending Takatsuki gave to the break-in story in Drive My Car.
Kino: 2 stars
Huh? (Although I do love how inspired this was by Murakami's own experience running a bar.)
Samsa in Love: 3 stars
Also Huh? but in a more Okay way. Weird but weirdly fun.
Men Without Women: 4 stars
The titular tale. I will admit that I did, in fact fall asleep with only 3 pages left to read, although it was certainly more my fault than the story's. That being said, this one definitely tied the whole collection together, and I liked the ruminations on grief more than the actual "plot." I mean, this part just…hits.
"And once you've become Men Without Women, loneliness seeps deep down inside your body, like a red-wine stain on a pastel carpet. No matter how many home ec books you study, getting rid of that stain isn't easy. The stain might fade a bit over time, but it will still remain, as a stain, until the day you draw your final breath. It has the right to be a stain, the right to make the occaisonal, public, stain-like pronouncement. And you are let to live the rest of your life with the gradual spread of that color, with that ambiguous outline."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Suicide, Sexual content, and Physical abuse
sarahna's review
emotional
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
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Eating disorder, Grief, Sexual content, and Suicide
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