Judge Holden has to be the scariest fictional character of all time

3/5

Compulsively readable for two of its three chapters, and then it grinds to a halt, which isn't helped by the s***ty, abrupt ending.

Kenji is a 'sex-tour' guide, whose job is to show tourists all the good clubs in nighttime Japan. He meets an American client who goes by the name Frank, and from there on, s*** gets weird.

So Kenji is 20 and is dating this 16 year old high schooler (yikes) and she's pretty much the only other character of importance in this.

The story peaks way too early with a gruesome scene that had no build up, and after that comes banal philosophy on morals and the kind of stuff that won't be new to those who've dabbled in some Nietzsche works.

The only reason this isn't 2.5/5 is because I enjoyed how well paced it was (initially) and there were also interesting bits about Japan vs American culture + a look into Japan's s***work industry.

This started out as Less than Zero and finished as an LA version of American Psycho. S*** became grimier by the page, the short story format is what set it apart from his first three books. Not as good as those I think, but it was definitely still interesting and a fun read tbh.

Lunar Park was one of fav from BEE, might have to reread that one

It’s not strictly necessary to have read the Odyssey before reading Ulysses BUT you should read
the Odyssey (and the Iliad!) regardless

That’s the next thing I’m going to read from him. Tried starting Glamorama before the Informers but gave up after 60 pages or so cus it didn’t really grab me.

Seeing Red by Lina Meruane

Blind buy at my local bookstore. Read it with my girl and enjoyed it. Basically it's about a woman who is going blind and she is about undergo this operation to try to save her eyesight. The narrative is pretty loose and we spend much of our time as the reader inside of the narrator's head. Also I believe this novel is semi-autobiographical?? gotta read more about the author.

She has also been cosigned by Roberto Bolaño so y'all Bolaño fans should def peep.

here we are
4/5, good read. Worthwhile to consider the ideas inside of the book

Finished Nightwood. Still a little sketched by the constant racial emphasis, but the last third of the book is just line after line of magic, and the ending itself is fantastic. I can see why people say to read it over. The momentum at the end makes you want to.

Finishing up an 1800s western dime novel and cracked open Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler which is the basis for Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. More timeless relationship stuff, but this is a little more salient and less whimsical. Already made me laugh.

The Destroyer of Worlds: A Return to Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff

sequel to Lovecraft Country, which I read a few years ago and really liked (much better than the show too). this one didn't work as well for me, and a lot of the story felt rushed, with little tension or time for the characters to show growth

6/10

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

excellent novel showing the horrors of WWI and trench warfare. can see why it gets so much hype as an iconic war novel. so much of what was written about that specific war can be related to wars today as well. the recent movie adaptation was good, but wish it was a bit more faithful to the book

9/10

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

one of the most highly praised novels of the year and this was a fun read. it's about environmental activists in New Zealand getting caught up in a conspiracy and turns into an entertaining thriller. the story wasn't amazing but Catton did an impressive job expressing the psychology and POV of different characters. I needed a page turner and this one delivered. should probably check out her other praised work The Luminaries

8/10

gonna give this a try in español next

It’s a short read, give it a go

Bolano fan reporting in, will check out. Thanks!

My dude I beg you just stop sticking your d*** in crazy women

Classic

Need some time to sit on it and digest but I didn't really get on with it.

First Murakami I've read and I loved his storytelling, thought the prose was super evocative and I couldn't put the book down. BUT I didn't like the story, I didn't find any of the female characters remotely believable - and they all really only seemed to exist for Toru to have s***with - and I found Toru's head quite a boring place to be for a whole novel.

Maybe this one just isn't for me, but still looking forward to reading more Murakami cause I thought it was beautifully written

In all honesty, after reading 7ish Murakami books(this one being my first fiction), I do find it kind of underwhelming compared to his other stuff.

I came across my review for this book today where I mentioned that it might be my fav book oat, which at the time it definitely was.

Murakami is easily my favourite author, super digestable and has me always contemplating life, even though his books are fairly 'simple' in terms of topics.
Also I'm one of those people who don't really see the issue in the way he writes women.
Sometimes they are underdeveloped as characters, and usually they are there to 'serve' the male counterpart, but I don't see anything wrong with it, considering its his shtick and the manic pixie girls fit really nicely into his fantasy realism stuff.

I can see honestly how this can be off putting for a lot of people, tho I hate how the degenrates over on reddit/booktok have dramatically blown it out of proportion.

Maybe pick up Sputnik Sweetheart(pretty short and sweet) or Wind Up Bird(really big book) next since you enjoy his storytelling and prose, especially Wind Up Bird.

yeah maybe it was a bad one to start with. haven’t heard much good about Norwegian Wood lmao, saving that one for later. try Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki, that one was my first Murakami and it hooked me like crazy

This book went crazy with the suicides. Took me off guard

My first Murakami, devoured this one.

this one was very interesting. long winded, repetitive, painstakingly descriptive, and surprisingly subversive. extremely subtle, with universal themes. also very spiritual, which seems to be a reoccurring theme in Murakami’s work.

so funny how over ~700 pages we never learn the protagonist’s name

3.5/5

Just finished my first book in a long time. H****Deus!

I'm reading a dutch book on the CCP now, but am interested in robot by adam wiśniewski-snerg

what book

Just found out it's a translation. The english one is called Hidden Hand by Clive Hamilton

That’s why I stopped with Murakami too. Guy can’t write about women for s***

As trance-like as his prose can be, what good is it if it’s all woven together by hypersexual women who exist solely to fulfil his obsession with infidelity and distrust