Scan barcode
skellybelly8's reviews
17 reviews
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.75
Ok so reading this the second time round.
The first time I read never let me go I didn’t know anything about the story, which is pretty unusual for books I read
However when I read it the first time from the first mention of donation I kinda knew it was gonna be organ donation , I don’t know it just felt like it couldnt be anything else,
Second time through its cool seeing all the stuff she mentions and being like, oh I know what that’s for. I think the one thing I couldn’t have guessed was what the gallery was for, but even then when I found that it was to see if they have souls it felt too little of a revelation, I wish soemthing bigger would have happened
Maybe that’s just me. Also Im right so far, he’s always doing that reflective thinking sort of writing. Maybe that’s what won him the Nobel prize.
Ranking for the ones I’ve read would be (from best to worst)
When we were orphans
Klara and the sun
Never let me go
This one just wasn’t as good and it felt sooooo slow and she couldn’t just stick to one memory it had to drag on
Will read remains of the day and report back
The first time I read never let me go I didn’t know anything about the story, which is pretty unusual for books I read
However when I read it the first time from the first mention of donation I kinda knew it was gonna be
Second time through its cool seeing all the stuff she mentions and being like, oh I know what that’s for. I think the one thing I couldn’t have guessed was what the gallery was for, but even then when I found
Maybe that’s just me. Also Im right so far, he’s always doing that reflective thinking sort of writing. Maybe that’s what won him the Nobel prize.
Ranking for the ones I’ve read would be (from best to worst)
When we were orphans
Klara and the sun
Never let me go
This one just wasn’t as good and it felt sooooo slow and she couldn’t just stick to one memory it had to drag on
Will read remains of the day and report back
When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Actually loved it
The reveal at the end was a little shocking but then there’s like a full other chapter and in that it’s pretty tame so it’s ends with everything tied up and gives you a feeling of like ‘oh yeah, that happened, now I’m done’ instead of any proper emotion which is cool but maybe not if you’re looking for action
I cant really explain this but I think he’s great at writing sort of detective novels but only for very low level crimes because there’s somethign about the calmness of his writing that downplayed the whole situation for me
But then again the reveal really did get me and I finished it in a day so its definitely properly gripping so maybe I’m just saying stuff
Would recommend !
The reveal at the end was a little shocking but then there’s like a full other chapter and in that it’s pretty tame so it’s ends with everything tied up and gives you a feeling of like ‘oh yeah, that happened, now I’m done’ instead of any proper emotion which is cool but maybe not if you’re looking for action
I cant really explain this but I think he’s great at writing sort of detective novels but only for very low level crimes because there’s somethign about the calmness of his writing that downplayed the whole situation for me
But then again the reveal really did get me and I finished it in a day so its definitely properly gripping so maybe I’m just saying stuff
Would recommend !
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Reread because apparently reading it for a second time wouldn’t be the same due to the ‘nuance’ of the book. Really I read it again to prove that wrong but I was wrong, def better the first time. Still great. I liked when we were orphans better. Does Ishiguro always do this looking back in them thing? Idk I haven’t read all his stuff. I think I’ll read the noctures one next
No Longer Human by Junji Ito
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely incredible. The art style was so perfect for this story. It’s semi-autobiographical, which adds this just absurd layer of sadness and disgust to the novel because you know that most of this actually happened. Not light reading, he’s an awful man who’s entire life is centred around his fraudulent persona and the fact that he’s so great with women that he ends up being the cause of the death of 4 of them (+plus one young boy). When yozo oba (protagonist) meets shuji
tsushima (the author of no longer human), ito’s essentially just inserted shuji into the book for the second time, once as his fictional, personal representation and once as his outward persona - osamu dazai, shuji’s pen name. junji ito kinda deviated from the original story there but was a good addition. pretty meta. just crazy.
tsushima (the author of no longer human), ito’s essentially just inserted shuji into the book for the second time, once as his fictional, personal representation and once as his outward persona - osamu dazai, shuji’s pen name. junji ito kinda deviated from the original story there but was a good addition. pretty meta.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, and Murder
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
fun read, and by that I mean unnerving. makes me want to read the trial.
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
4.75
very good. very hard to read. short but some bits read slower. I hated the main character, I thought he was wasting his life, but at the same time I felt a strong feeling of pity for him (but also not really because he’s awful) for the character development, yes he changes but it’s just him getting worse and worse. Couldn’t stand the bit where his wife gets raped and he doesn’t say anything? and then he just gets more depressed?? and then later he’s like i’m cheating on her but she shouldn’t say anything because she had sex (again, it was rape) with that guy so it’s even and actually she should knew her place… tf?? you’ve done the double suicide trick with two women and just let your friend rape your wife and this is what you have to say for it?? basically I think osamu dazai (pen name) hates women because of his mother and his experience with women as an adolescent, but still, my god.
1Q84: Book Three by Haruki Murakami
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
AHHH THIS ONE WAS REALLY GOOD
Great ending. Ton of questions that I don’t think are ever resolved (purposefully). A mountain of them. So many that it raises the question : was this intentional? But I’m sure it was. Definitely left open ended for the readers imagination. That’s like half the book. One question that really bugged me though was the pregnancy, what the hell happeneed there? does she actually have a baby inside her? or is it the dohta - the shadow of tengo and aomames hearts??? don’t give me this garbage that she was impregnated through a 17 year old girl. not cool.
Fast paced and a gripping story. The series was long as hell but it didn’t feel like it, which is definitely a good sign. Absolutely amazing.
Great ending. Ton of questions that I don’t think are ever resolved (purposefully). A mountain of them. So many that it raises the question : was this intentional? But I’m sure it was. Definitely left open ended for the readers imagination. That’s like half the book. One question that really bugged me though was
Fast paced and a gripping story. The series was long as hell but it didn’t feel like it, which is definitely a good sign. Absolutely amazing.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence and Murder
1Q84: Book One and Book Two by Haruki Murakami
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? No
5.0
What a rollercoaster. At many times I absolutely hated the book and hated that I was reading it and just wanted to stop reading and never think about it or murakami again. Ton of rape, underage sex, paragraphs about womens breasts and pubic hair. He’s obsessed or soemthing. So awful. Other than that I loved it. Reads quickly and keeps you interested. But god, were there some pages I could’ve torn out of the book that wouldn’t have changed the story at all. I would’ve done that with pleasure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Rape, and Murder
Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
It was funny, sort of. Read this a while ago and re-read recently to see if my memory had failed me. I also read the others in the series, they get worse so quickly that by the third it’s practically unreadable. Other than that it was good. Nice break from the horrors I’ve been reading otherwise.
1984 by George Orwell
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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? No
4.5
very good still one of my favs