I hated this book, all five stars of it.

Any additional comments?

A book about feeling lonely, unrequited love. What a bunch of crap. I hated every minute of it and of course could not put it down. Damn that Murakami.

10 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Satellites of Love

A disappearing woman. Classical music. Cats. Dreams. Yup, I just finished another Murakami novel. I'm going to sleep and dream on this one tonight and write the review tomorrow. No really. I fully intend to write a real review, I'm just uncertain how I feel. Half of me wants to write a review, but the other half just wants to look longingly out the window, go to the beach, or sit in a restaurant and eat some nice Greek food. That should pass after a good night's sleep and I should be able to decide where Sputnik Sweetheart belongs in my catalog of Murakami. Until then, I will go outside check out the stars and look for lonely satellites of love.

24 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Lonely?

This is a delicious book, wonderfully read and performed. Why do we think and feel we are lonely? If you ever wonder, read or listen. You won't regret it.

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Any Other Author

Haruki Murakami is one of my favorite authors and I jumped for excitement when Audible had new titles from his extensive catalog. "Sputnik Sweetheart" is not as good as some of his other books like "Hard-boiled Wonderland" or "After the Quake", but it's definitely worth the read if you like this author. While reading this book, I started asking myself if I am bias to Murakami's work, just because I'm a super fan of his and almost obsessed at reading everything that he writes.

If "Sputnik Sweetheart" was by any other author, would I still like this book as much as I do? Would I even bother at writing this review? Would I even give this book 3 stars because it seems like Haruki Murakami writes the same genre over and over, about an love affair with some abstract symbolism.

I'm a reader that doesn't really like to follow a particular author. I read whatever that interest me at the time with a wide range of subjects. If I like a series, I will keep on getting those books or drop it because of having no interest. I'm not a fan of Grisham's or Nora Roberts' novels. I have a few of there popular books, but they are all one word writers, where they can't write more than they know.

As for my thoughts on Murakami, each of his books are so different from each other that you don't know what to expect until you get deep into the story. Maybe he is a typical stereotype author and his keys are stuck at typing out the same thing over and over, but he does it right with illusions with his words.

5 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Existential Angst...

as usual, but not as good as Norwegian Wood. Senseless lulls (life is monotonous--we get it) and sometimes he tells rather than shows, an amateur error. That said, it's still pretty good

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Not Murakami's best, but I still enjoyed it

If you have not read any of Murakami's books, I would suggest that you start with "Kafka on the shore" or "The wind-up bird chronicle". This book does have some of the ingredients common in Murakami's books (unrequited love, alienation, metaphors, etc.), but it's not as haunting as "Kafka on the shore" or as intense as "The wind-up bird chronicle". The story could be longer to resolve some important mysteries that I expected to be explained. It left me with somewhat "unfinished" feeling. But I still enjoyed this book because of the interesting balance of characters and some memorable scenes I could visualize.

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

A novel on love

Some books you like and do not even know why. They are the ones who play with some feelings at the botton of yourself, and give voice to things that alone you could not describe. While being recognized in the history is when the reader is conquered. I think that's why I like Haruki Murakami's books, and especially this one. Sputnik Sweetheart comes with impossible loves. Those who are so sweeping and impossible that you can only resign and live them. The narrator and co main protagonist is so lost in your love, that he loses his own name. His love for his long lasting friend Sumire (Violet in Japanese) that is in love with another woman leads to the many adventures that are described in the book. The book's name keeps a good translation for this kind of love: Sputnik means traveling companion in Russian, and what a platonic love is but a beloved companion on the journey of life. The book still holds other features typical of Murakami's novel: as the reference to classical works, a little fantasy and the traditional distress It is another good example of the excelent work of this author. A must-read for anyone who is already a fan, and a good start for those who are not yet.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

so so story

It's not as good as Murakami's other books. While it's thought-provoking, it's just so so.

Better experienced than explained

As with most Murakami novels, and jazz music, they are better experienced than explained. Sputnik Sweetheart plays it fast and loose with reality perhaps a little less than the likes of Kafka on the Shore or Killing Commendatore. It’s a tactile, poignant, but seemingly simple yet mysterious story with a few unexpected turns, even for Murakami. If you are a Murakami fan, I recommend giving it a read. If not, this is a somewhat more accessible book than some of his more mysterious books with magical realism elements, so it wouldn’t be a bad place to start. Though, I’d still recommend starting with the Rat Trilogy or a short story collection like The Elephant Vanishes. Things feel a little unfinished at the end of this book, but, the journey is the important part, and subjectively it doesn’t feel as strong as some of Murakami’s other works. All the same, if you want a Murakami fix and like his style, you should enjoy this.

sputnik sweetheart

loved the story but the narrator lacked character understanding in terms of sarcasm and breaks