Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Piercing by Ryū Murakami

54 reviews

mementowori's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

catadelrio's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Siento que tenía una muy buena premisa, pero la desperdició al final. Hubiera preferido que fuera un poco más largo y
alguno de los dos hubiera matado al otro. Eso habría sido más interesante, pero no, terminó en un final abierto sin sentido para mí.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

aboeh's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

toxicfangirl's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense fast-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

4.5

Reading Piercing by Ryū Murakami was an intense and deeply personal experience—one that I went into blindly, not fully prepared for how much it would resonate with me or touch on some of my triggers. The book’s exploration of abuse and trauma is so raw and visceral that, at times, it felt like it was showcasing the worst parts of me, dragging them into the light in a way that was both painfully relatable and deeply unsettling.

However, some parts of the narrative lingered too long on the explicit details of abuse, which I found difficult to stomach. This wasn’t necessarily the author’s fault, Murakami’s ability to convey the darkness of his characters’ psyches is undeniably effective, but these moments made me question whether the portrayal crossed into unnecessary territory. Similarly, certain acts of violence against women, though understandable within the context of the characters and their motivations, came across as almost misogynistic. While I don’t believe this was the author’s intent, it added another layer of discomfort to an already harrowing story.

The ending left me conflicted. It was ambiguous, and though I see how it fits the tone of the book, it left me wanting answers that, perhaps, didn’t truly need to be said. Still, I couldn’t help but feel unsatisfied, as though something essential was missing.

Piercing is a book that demands to be felt rather than enjoyed. It’s an unflinching exploration of pain, trauma, and the fragile line between victim and predator. While it wasn’t a perfect fit for me, and while it forced me to fully envision parts of myself I can’t deny the raw power of Murakami’s storytelling. Approach with caution but also with an open mind.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

dejw's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

suicidylan_epub's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Un agradecimiento especial al Metro de Quito porque en los seis viajes que hice en un dñia terminé de leer todo el libro (pd. no lean libros gore parafílicos en público).

Esperaba realmente un festival de sangre y gore a lo Playground wr. Aaron Beauregard o Cadáver Exquisito wr. Agustina Bazterrica, mas Piercing de Ryu Murakami ofrece una novela corta que por demás te deja sin poder despegar la mirada del libro el tiempo suficiente para descansar.
Sus primeros capítulos son el desencadenante del horror absoluto personificado en la perturbada y tétrica mente de Kawashima, aterrado por su propia mente trastornada en busca de despedazar a ana mujer cualquiera para alejar el horror de su hija ////¿una mujer cualquiera?/// no del todo, Chiaki es la autodestrucción absoluta, el horror perpetrado contra sí misma, la noción de la fragilidad propia extendida en cada milímetro de su ser. Esos son los persoanjes que más de la mitad del libro han de interactuar en una siniestra como tensa historia sobre el valor de la violencia tanto en el rol de víctima y victimarix.
Con una espantosa presentación del crimen como suceso progresivo, Murakami extiende un relato corto pero sagaz en su capacidad de vislumbrar lo innombrable en la tierra del sol naciente.

Hay varias temáticas que se repiten a lo largo del libro: la exploración del trauma infantil es una de las primordiales para entender el crimen, no solo en esta historia sino en la mayoría de las demás. La violencia que no aplaca el dolor sino que genera mucha más violencia. el horror de que el hogar, lugar supuestamente seguro para un niño, sea el sitio donde se perpetra nuestra primera noción de la maldad. Una madre que golpea sádicamente a su hijo, un padre que abusa sexualmente de su hija. Pronto esa infancia muerta desencadena; el horror es una cesión generacional. El trauma correponde el componente de aún más sufriemiento.
Chiaki pierde la capacidad del líbido a pesar de siempre buscar una relación sexual que nunca la satisface, Kawashima reprime el instinto de destrozar a otro ser humano más vulnerable. La ilustración de estos problemas en dos personas similares encontradas solo
desencadena en una espiral pesadillezca de locura que parece inagotable. La tensión es realmente insoportable en este libro. Puedo hilar varias reflexiones de este libro, de sus sucesos que difuminan la línea del amor con la violencia. ¿Qué es lo correcto y qué no? ¿Cuál es nuestra expectativa del bienestar? ¿Qué tan natural observamos el vicio hasta que vemos su horror? ¿Es nuestra vida circundante a la soledad com centro de nuestra naturaleza? Para una novela sobre amar y padecer el dolor, es preciso decir que esas son las preguntas que significaría la intención de apuñalar a alguien o cocinar su cena para que se quede.

Favorita inmediata. Me dio ganas de hacer un repaso a las obras más aclamadas de este autor. Con una prosa, un estilo y armado que enganchan inmediatamente pero además explora mucho de mis temas favoritos con el horror sin tapujos que adoro.

Acompañaron en la lectura:

空夜 coo:ya - 静焔
椎名林檎 - 加爾基 精液 栗ノ花
Geordie Greep - The New Sound
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

thatpansyboy's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

hyphanym's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

In love with this style. It felt aggressive and pointy like the look of an ice pick. Guy keeps wanting to stab his baby due to a past event so he plans to stab a prostitute instead but he chooses a prostitute that's loosing her shit on drugs and it's chaotic and frantic and I have aphantasia but I felt this book so easily that I might as well have been there to witness it all. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

gentle_garbage_baby's review

Go to review page

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

2.75

Very interesting concept but it got a little boring quite fast. I was also a bit confused by the ending. Loved the backstories of the characters. It's also short enough that it didn't outstay it's welcome.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ajabatz's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Expand filter menu Content Warnings