Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

“When you tap into your subconscious, you might not leave.”

The novel is divided into alternating chapters, with two distinct storylines. The first, "Hard-Boiled Wonderland," is a gritty cybercrime and infowar adventure set in a dystopian urban setting, where characters are programmed to encrypt and manipulate data. The second, "The End of the World," is set in a utopian town surrounded by a wall, where unicorns are allowed in and out daily, and the narrator is a newcomer tasked with being a "Dreamreader."

At first, the stories appear unrelated, with vastly different settings and tones. However, as the novel progresses, elements from both storylines begin to overlap, creating an intriguing and mysterious puzzle for the reader to unravel. The novel expertly balances being a page-turner with providing enough clues for the reader to anticipate connections, without offering a definitive solution.

The book explores one of my favorite subjects, the human mind, with its powers, mysteries, and drawbacks. Murakami masterfully uses metaphors to convey the joys of deep thought, the dangers of a narrow-minded perspective, and the connection between the mind and emotions, making for an engaging and thrilling journey.

Overall, I found the story to be intriguing, but the characters lacked depth and emotion. They felt like cardboard cutouts, which detracted from the story. Although the plot was imaginative and inventive, it felt like the author did not fully explore the potential of certain themes, such as the narrator's shadow, which held promise but ultimately led to no resolution.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

“Don’t marry girls with powerful, shady, and politically-motivated brothers”

Overview: In a Tokyo suburb a young man named Toru Okada searches for his wife's missing cat. Soon he finds himself looking for his wife as well in a netherworld that lies beneath the placid surface of Tokyo. As these searches intersect, Okada encounters a bizarre group of allies and antagonists: a psychic prostitute; a malevolent yet mediagenic politician; a cheerfully morbid sixteen-year-old girl; and an aging war veteran who has been permanently changed by the hideous things he witnessed during Japan's forgotten campaign in Manchuria.

It is quite difficult for me to describe what this book was like. It is surreal and psychedelic. It is mysterious, something out of this world. You just need to stop questioning things and let yourself get carried away. But getting to the end of the book was also like being rudely woken up from the most wonderful dream. And I didn't want this dream-like experience to be over.

I forced myself to continue reading Wind-Up Bird by telling myself that a highly respected author like Murakami would eventually tie up all the loose ends. When it became obvious that these ends would remain loose, I still finished it but wasn’t happy with the ending.

Try as I might, I couldn’t find a message Murakami was trying to express through The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Murakami did include a character that thoughtfully reflects on war crimes in World War II, but even this subplot was unfocused, and by the end of the novel this story within the story fizzles and suddenly ends without reaching a climax.

Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami

“If you paint a portrait, shit might hit the fan”

Overview: A portrait painter's marriage dissolves leading to him wandering Japan aimlessly until he happens across the home of a famous artist who's dying in hospital.

I love Murakami, so I’ll read anything by him. Compared to his other works, this novel seemed to drag on a bit, with a lot of situations seemingly hyped up, when in my opinion, they didn’t need to go on for as long as they did.

I feel pretty conflicted about this one. On the one hand, I enjoyed reading it until the final 100 pages or so turned into a slog. On the other hand, it's repetitive and minimalistic in a way that feels generationally out of touch.

The unnamed main character is in one of these classic Murakami in-between periods in his life, where everything has fallen apart but he's somehow fairly financially comfortable and has time to re-evaluate things. He gets involved with a questionably shady guy, and they start investigating some slowly unfolding mysteries. That should be great, but the edgy parts simply don't work.

I do appreciate the writing puzzle here. Murakami took five or six moving pieces and recombined them over in over, drawing out subtle progress. It was a mixed result. Some of the pieces are fantastic images (a mysterious hole in the ground, possibly connected to ancient monks who chose to be buried alive in search of enlightenment). Similarly, sometimes the combinations and slow developments were compelling, and the muted writing style came through strongly there. All of which made a good point that good writing isn't necessarily about adding more and more, but can instead be more about how the pieces fit. But at other times, the moving pieces just kind of fizzle. There are the usual consumerism turned weird elements of mystery that Murakami is known for, but unlike in Kafka on the Shore, this time they don't add up to anything at all. That's a theme in general: the ending is, in particular, a real dud, so much so that it erases most of the inner progress that the narrator made.

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

“If you see a photo of sheep, turn and run”

Overview: This quasi-detective tale follows an unnamed narrator and his adventures in Tokyo and Hokkaido in 1978. The narrator and his girlfriend, who possesses magically seductive and supernaturally perceptive ears, travel to the north of Japan to find a sheep and his vagabond friend. As he discovers that he is chasing an unknowable power that has been exerting its influence for decades, he encounters figures from his own past, unusual characters, and individuals who have encountered the sheep before.

Though the plot is strange, more than the plot, it is the little things about Murakami's writing which make this book memorable. What I am going to remember the most is how Murakami captures the mood of a place or a moment of time. It is as if a room or a rock or wind are really alive and that time, darkness, silence have several characteristics of their own. There is marvelous imagery, astounding descriptions of natural landscape and beautiful metaphors.

This book is incredibly imaginative and has vibrant, colorful characters I enjoyed. However, I feel like Murakami added many layers of meaning to this book and if so, they elude me. If there is an underlying meaning to this book, I can't tell you what the heck it is. Or maybe there is no underlying meaning. Maybe it's just a magical story and my brain always wants there to be something more.

Overall, while I can't say I "really liked it" in the "will re-read one day" sense, I appreciated the richness of the ideas and language offered. If you're a reader looking for a book that will take you more than one read to truly grasp, then this is the book for you. It had my brain churning and my fingers tapping with nervous energy.

Kafka On The Shore by Haruki Murakami

“Finding yourself in this world is difficult, yet entirely possible”

Kafka On The Shore is a beautifully told story about needing to let go and step out of your own reality in order to find out that life is meant to be lived. It’s a profoundly spiritual exploration of life, who we love, and the choices we make in life. Murakami introduces us to Zen and Buddhist philosophies, with a little Hinduism thrown in for good measure.

One of things I really enjoyed about this book was that metaphysics played a central concept in the novel as many of the character's dialogues and soliloquy are motivated by their inquiry about the nature of the world around them and their relation to it. Among other prominent ideas are: the virtues of self-sufficiency, the relation of dreams and reality, the threat of fate, the uncertain grip of prophecy, and the influence of the subconscious.

This was one of the most engaging and magical pieces of literature I've read. Reality is unclear. The book presses the boundaries of what exists around the characters versus what exists in their minds. Powerful forces guide the characters--some known, some unknown. I was drawn to this book for the mood that it presented. It opened my imagination and set my spirit spinning with possibilities and ideas. It's rare to find a story with this effect. The prose, as always by Murakami, grabs you from the get-go--it's charming, smooth, and intelligent without being pretentious.

Surreal. Poignant. Magical. Weird. And a classic Murakami from beginning to end.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

“If your friends abandon you, confront that shit right away“

Overview: The story is about a young man haunted by a great loss; of dreams and nightmares that have unintended consequences for the world around us; and of a journey into the past that is necessary to mend the present. 

I really like reading Murakami's books. He is a fantastic writer, who's books are just enjoyable to read.

The good thing about this book is that on the surface it seems a simplistic story, about five teenagers with deep friendship, who mysteriously discard one of the fiends, but as you read you realize it's a complicated book with deep lessons about life and friendship. 

In general, I hate vague endings, but this didn't even feel like an ending. I can't deny that I was hooked on this one, and the writing was good too. Murakami is certainly a master at what he does. I'm just not sure this ending was to my personal taste.

I loved this book because it made me think afterwards and left me feeling hollow, yet fulfilled. If you are a fan of Murakami, then definitely give this a try.

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

“One shouldn’t ghostwrite in a world that has two moons”

Coming in at 1,100+ pages and technically 3-books-in-1, this was a beast to read. However, despite the fact that the story only centered around two major characters, it was extraordinarily well written and entertaining. This is one of those books where if you try to ask me what it’s about, I’d have a difficult time giving you an elevator pitch. It’s magical and full of romance, self-discovery, growth, and mysticism. It has spy elements, assassins, and gets a little meta.

Despite finishing this book in just a few weeks, I still couldn’t tell you exactly what it’s about. I’d be hard-pressed to say anything except “it’s fucking amazing, and I recommend you read it immediately.” The story itself was original, and by that, I mean, I doubt anyone reading this thought, “oh, I had a similar idea like this once…”

One of my gripes is that some of the things in the story aren’t fully explained, and the reader is left thinking, “So what about ____?” but in the end, it didn’t make a difference. 1Q84 feels like a dream that has us questioning reality. Some of the “strangeness” ends up not feeling that abstract or unreal relative to everything else that’s happening in the story.

I also think the story has a soul to it, which is impressive considering the overall sci-fi genre.

Overall, it’s a weird storyline, and it’s very subtle in the way that it slowly exposes the weirdness. 1Q84 never dragged on, but it persisted.

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

“There is never a right time to fall in love”

The novel is a nostalgic story of loss and burgeoning sexuality. It is told from the first-person perspective of Toru Watanabe, who looks back on his days as a college student living in Tokyo.

This was the second Murakami book I read this year and similar to the first one, there’s an ease with his style of writing that puts you right in the middle of every scene he’s describing.

The story is about the life of a Japanese university student in the late 60s and his relationships with different women as a student. At some points, I thought, “Why am I so invested in the characters of an angsty romance novel?” But having thought about it, Norwegian Wood is so much more than that. It’s about life, loss, love, and everything in between. The ending caught me off guard, but I felt complete with it - sort of thinking to myself, “well of course that’s how it had to end.”

Reading Murakami, as an aspiring writer, is challenging. Part of me loves his works, and the other part of me thinks, “Well, this Japanese author is as good as it gets, there’s no topping it.” Despite the internal jealousy and unrelenting fascination with how he uses his words, I look forward to reading more Murakami in the future.

South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami

“Hope, regret, what if, and probably - is love really ‘real’?”

The novel tells the story of Hajime, starting from his childhood in a small town in Japan until the age of 36. Hajime now the father of two children and owner of two successful jazz bars in Tokyo must choose between his wife and family or attempting to recapture the magic of the past.

This was the first book that I’d say I really identified with. It’s about a Japanese guy and his relationships throughout his life and how they shape who he is and the way he sees the world. In the book, a lot of the bad things that happen are due to the main character’s choices, which I liked rather than something happening to him. The end of the book is weird. You feel like you’re going down one path, and understanding what’s happening, and then all of the sudden you start to question if one of the biggest parts of the book is even real. Someone said Murakami likes to drift in and out of reality and the spirit world, which I would say was an accurate description for this book. That said, I really liked it and I connected with the main character on an emotional level, having thought a lot about my relationships and the person I want to become as I grow older.