Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

99 reviews

pryingblackbird's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.75

Unhinged and dark, cynical and surreal, and yet much too real. Some people said it's "hilarous" or "funny", to me it read more like a horror novel about the terrors of being a child, of being forced into society, of being a woman, of being different. It never made me laugh, it just filled me with unease. I enjoyed it immensely, but I am hesitant about recommending it. This one comes with a lot of content warnings and will leave you unsettled.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Rape, Cannibalism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

Moderate: Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting

Minor: Incest

minamouse's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Body horror, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Pedophilia, Murder, Incest, and Mental illness

strange_abalone's review

challenging dark reflective tense fast-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

5.0

Initial reaction:
I have no idea what to rate this…. I have no idea what I just read… a brilliant depiction of society and trauma…. But also, what did I just read?????

Reaction after sitting with it for a day:
I think the initial reaction is to be stunned, and that makes a lot of sense, it’s a very diabolical read. But a lot of the reviews here seem to be shocked by the nature of the book without exploring more into what ideas are being presented. It’s deranged to make a point, and in that way it is exceptional. The “factory” and popinpobopians are concepts that will sit with me forever. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Child abuse, Death, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, and Suicidal thoughts

spooky_coochie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Pedophilia, Incest, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, and Acephobia/Arophobia

Minor: Vomit, Suicide, and Eating disorder

majorchachi's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Blood, Gore, Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Body horror

pulleamurmeli's review

challenging dark funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Incest

tanjakirckhoff's review against another edition

dark 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Incest, Child abuse, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Sexism

vinicoelho's review

dark reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

Earthlings is incredibly fascinating. Sayaka Murata takes a highly relatable concept and extracts it to an absurd conclusion. The book centers around the main character Natsuki believing she is an alien with magic powers from the planet Popinpobopia. it is through this lens that we see the main character tackle difficult issues in her life and attempt to make sense of society. 

Murata navigates feelings of alienation and the irrationality of some aspects of society (referred to as 'the factory' by the main characters) by framing them from the perspective of an outsider looking in. In doing so, Murata shines a light on different facets of sexism (division of household labor, cheating, gender roles), sexual assault, and the compulsion to have children. Her ability to shift scope in criticizing society through this point of view is incredible. We see the minutiae - people balking at the even distribution of household chores between Natsuki and her husband Tomoya, as well as zoomed out looks at the predetermined path set out before everyone to becoming a cog in the machine of society. 

The ending takes these feelings and observations to their extreme ends and shows what a lifetime of alienation could result in.

The three main characters Natsuki, Yuu, and Tomoya end up squatting in Natsuki's grandmother's house in Akishina. They fled there to escape 'the factory' and lived naked and alien in the house, rebuilding their view of the world from scratch. Their actions mirror their shared traumas by creating the only place they ever feel they can be truly themselves. They even shirk societal taboos by walking around naked, sleeping in the same pile of clothes, and eventually even murder and cannibalism. The irony is that only in doing this can they begin to heal, Natsuki finally regains her sense of taste and hearing in her right ear which she has  not had since she was sexually abused as a child

Overall, this is a masterclass in examining society and feelings of alienation and was easy to tear through. I just wish the sexual scenes were not so graphic, especially the one detailing sexual abuse. Maybe this comes from the author's own experiences, but still definitely read content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Sexual assault, Incest, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Sexual violence

mog261's review

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

this was the most demented book i've read for ages. i feel like i lowkey need therapy after reading it. it needs many, many trigger warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Cannibalism, Misogyny, Death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Rape, Bullying, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Blood, Eating disorder, and Suicidal thoughts

maissi's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Bullying, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide