From the Bookshelf of Reading with Namjoon…

Almost Transparent Blue

Ryū Murakami,

Nancy Andrew (Translator)

Start date: October 1, 2022

Finish date: December 1, 2022

Discussion: Novels

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By E L K Y · 3 posts · 75 views

last updated Jul 18, 2023 09:29AM

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By E L K Y · 6 posts · 83 views

last updated Oct 08, 2022 03:07AM

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Jan 07, 2023 Ami 乁⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠o⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠ㄏ (written by Jane Austen) rated it really liked it

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5 stars rounded up to 4)

Something about Japanese authors with the last name Murakami and writing novels with a dream-like/hallucinatory quality. Though, of course, where Haruki Murakami's books are more of a weird dream, Ryū Murakami's are like a strange nightmare.

This book is really hard to write a review about because not only is it completely disgusting and depraved, it's also quite plotless. Reading it was like reading someone's diary, with all the nitty-gritty details of th Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5 stars rounded up to 4)

Something about Japanese authors with the last name Murakami and writing novels with a dream-like/hallucinatory quality. Though, of course, where Haruki Murakami's books are more of a weird dream, Ryū Murakami's are like a strange nightmare.

This book is really hard to write a review about because not only is it completely disgusting and depraved, it's also quite plotless. Reading it was like reading someone's diary, with all the nitty-gritty details of their life, which you wish you could forget but also can't stop reading.

I've read my fair share of degenerative fiction, from Lolita to The Quilt (though the latter wasn't so much degenerative but rather perverted) to very questionable hentai. But this book definitely distinguishes itself in the way it's at once not the worst I've seen but also quite gross.

But if I hated it so much, why would I rate it so high? Well, the thing is, I didn't hate it. I didn't like it either. I think my feelings towards this book was similar to what I have towards Lolita. It gave me a look into the other side that I, and hopefully no one sane, would ever dare to venture. The debauchery scattered throughout the book in the form of really detailed orgies and constant drug use was something I've never quite experienced before. And that's what this book gave me, an experience I'm quite unlikely to forget.

Of course, this book wasn't all debauchery. In fact, there were just as many moments where the kids (I call them that but they were like 19, which is like two years younger than me) were lost and disoriented, something that really struck with me. It appeared especially in the second half and I found myself not being able to put the book down during the entirety of it. I wouldn't go so far as to say that this book is deeply profound but I do think there's some merit in this book, especially in Ryu's character, who's constantly confused as to why he's engaging in such things to pass his time. I especially liked the ending, though it might feel anticlimactic to some, it was very cathartic for me.

Before I end this review (is it one?) I'd like to address one thing that I referenced to when I started this book. RM got a lot of hate for saying that he had read this book and liked it in around 2015 (but it's still brought up now and then). He was called names, among which was 'misogynistic' but after having read this book, I don't see how it's perpetuating misogyny at all? In fact, to me, the girls in the book had more character and more agency than the boys. I would say there was that one scene on the train that rubbed me the wrong way, but after all, the author has painted a picture of lost youth. He's never really justified the actions of his characters (male or female) so yeah, whoever thinks this book is 'misogynistic' has clearly not read it properly. Anyway, with that, I'll end my review.

Bottom line: Don't read it if you don't like detailed descriptions of debauched stuff. ...more

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Nov 17, 2022 Léa rated it really liked it

Je suis partagée entre « j’ai aimé » et « je n’ai pas aimé ». Après réflexion, je me demande si on peut réellement dire « j’ai aimé Bleu Presque Transparent ». C’est un livre que je nommerai « coup de poing » qui est assez difficile à lire.
Je tiens à dire qu’il est assez cru, consultez les TW avant de le lire si vous voulez vous lancer dedans.
C’est réellement un des livres, les plus durs que j’ai lu dans ma vie de lectrice. Il est pas seulement dur pour les thèmes abordés tel que la drogue, le s ...more

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