Rafael L’s Reviews > South of the Border, West of the Sun > Status Update

So far, 70% Telling, mostly in the form of never-ending monologues, 20% narcissistic thoughts, 5% Pornhub-like sex scenes, 5% dialogue and showing. It's obvious that Hajime suffers of Narcissistic personality disorder. He 'tells' us this, through his insufferable soliloquies. Shimamoto seems to be another narcissist but at least she is interesting given that we are not 'told'.

Hajime feels monodimensional.

The book reads as if N. K. Jemisin had gone erotica, at least the first person narration with Haruki doesn't feel affected and artificial. And just like Jemisins Haruki's prose quality fits more within YA literature.