A review by soupstix
The Ten Loves of Mr Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami

mysterious reflective 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

2.5

this was lovely and atmospheric just like hiromi kawakami’s other novel that i’ve read—strange weather in tokyo—yet it lacked a certain charm due to its central character, nishino yukihiko. i found his motivations for being the way he was unconvincing and lame, but i appreciated the depth and strength kawakami lends to her female narrators in their approaches to their relationships with him. what i love about kawakami’s writing style is that it is both straightforward and mystifying, even when the content itself is not necessarily the most engaging. while i can’t say i disliked this novel—in fact, i even enjoyed it—i feel that it would be a disservice to other novels i’ve read if i bumped the rating any higher.