A review by koyali
All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

reflective sad medium-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? Yes

3.0

Was excited for this book, but it ended up just being deeply ok? I really enjoyed the writing style(translation was fantastic though there were some scenes where it was off) and the characters were interesting, but I couldn't find myself getting attached to them. I finished off the book saying "that's it?" because I felt like I'd missed the whole point of the novel.

3/5 :)

Edit: I forgot to mention, the author portrayed the feeling of loneliness very well. The main character Fuyuko is in her thirties and struggles with the fact that she is alone all the time. I just wish the author had made Fuyuko's character more interesting. Instead of feeling the character's emotions, I just felt like I was watching Mitsutsuka drink coffee through a foggy window. Her lack of self is a part of Fuyuko's character, yes, but I believe that more of her personality can be shown to the reader and not to Fuyuko. Because really, Fuyuko does have a personality! She just doesn't know it well enough.
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