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

emotional reflective sad 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

all the lovers in the night is the second novel that i have read by mieko kawakami but it is so far very much my favourite. the novel follows fuyuko irie, a freelance proofreader in her thirties who lacks many friends or meaningful connections other than with her boss. that is until a chance encounter with a man called mitsusuka. 

this novel ripped my heart out, held it in the palm of its hand, and then right at the last minute, stomped all over it. despite her ‘loner’ status, i found fuyuko to be a really easy character to relate to and i really felt for her throughout the novel, even when she was making decisions that i didn’t necessarily agree with. i found the novel to be very accessible and easy to digest, both in long sittings and in bitesized chunks, which is something that i think is quite rare!

i read this as an ebook but i now want to buy a physical copy to reread and appreciate fully. the reading experience has only made me appreciate kawakami’s writing more and i can’t wait to get my hands on her other novel heaven.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings