Writers: Haruki Murakami

  • Tee Vachiramon

    Must read for fans of Murakami

    If you like his other books, e.g. Norwegian Wood, then you should give this book a go - it is one of his best works in my opinion. Quite intense at times but worth the effort.

  • XX XX

    Dark

    Great book with a totally unexpected and surreal twist. I never read Japanese fiction before but I've now become a fan.

  • Kat Matfield

    Almost entirely successful postmodernist experiment

    As will probably always happen with books divided between two plot lines, I was much more taken with one than the other. "Hard boiled wonderland"'s narrator grabbed me immediately and the story had great cyberpunkish overtones. "End of the world" was less engaging, perhaps because of the intentional elusiveness. The two sections came together beautifully at the end, and there was great suspense. Ultimately, despite the somewhat cheerful philosophising, this novel left me very sad.

  • Nick Barsley

    Superb

    Haruki's writing is phenominal. Its no wonder he's regarded as amongst the best of Japanese writers. This novel takes the reader on a journey deep into the Japanese countryside, up into cold inhospitable mountains. The search which drives the central character forward is at first bizarre, but as the story develops you feel it makes complete sense - without realising you've made the transition. I can't wait to read every other book by him.

  • Visitor

    Kafka on the Shore

    Haruki Murakami

  • Visitor

    Currently reading: Kafka on the Shore

    I've only just started "Kafka on the Shore" - it's my first Murakami and one of those books that everyone has told me I HAVE to read. I'm giving it a chance, and am pleasantly surprised. So far, so good...

  • Jonathan Dalton

    Hm.

    For me this book is like a delicious looking meal that's actually made of cardboard. Sort of. Basically it looks good. Lots of nice quotes on the back; a tale of passion and love and lives ruined; an international bestseller by an author with a reputation for surreal literature - very appetising. But by the end I was unsatisfied. Sure, there are some classy sex scenes - and by that I mean sex scenes that don't make me want to clutch my face and stare at the sky wailing, 'why why why' - but beyond that there's not much that's memorable. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe the characters have more to them than people whose lives are defined by their status as an only child. Maybe the translation is partly to blame - the writing often feels sloppy, the sentence structure awkward, the paragraphs overly long and rambly. Whatever. The main point is the cardboard meal simile. And yet, I still plan to read more by Murakami. I'm sure there's a way to extend the simile to cover thi...For me this book is like a delicious looking meal that's actually made of cardboard. Sort of. Basically it looks good. Lots of nice quotes on the back; a tale of passion and love and lives ruined; an international bestseller by an author with a reputation for surreal literature - very appetising. But by the end I was unsatisfied. Sure, there are some classy sex scenes - and by that I mean sex scenes that don't make me want to clutch my face and stare at the sky wailing, 'why why why' - but beyond that there's not much that's memorable. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe the characters have more to them than people whose lives are defined by their status as an only child. Maybe the translation is partly to blame - the writing often feels sloppy, the sentence structure awkward, the paragraphs overly long and rambly. Whatever. The main point is the cardboard meal simile. And yet, I still plan to read more by Murakami. I'm sure there's a way to extend the simile to cover this but at the moment I'm struggling. (more)

  • John Marr

    An Imprefect Dream

    Though arguably more famous for his longer works, Haruki Murakami has produced a prolific number of short stories throughout his career, 25 of which are assembled in this collection. Murakami has stated he finds

  • Nick Barsley

    Short stories, cleverly woven, surprisingly linked.

    Again Murakami surprised me. Four pages in, and I was hooked again having been tricked and intrigued by the opening pages. The book consists of short stories of unconnected people around Japan after an Earthquake. They're unconnected, but the Earthquake connects them in a way that weaves the stories together. By the end you sit back satisfied and feel that you've just had another fantastic Murakami experience...

Average Book Rating

More on Wikipedia

These are the results that Wikipedia.com returns for a search on this author. These are intended for reference only and are not always accurate!

Haruki Murakami 1Q84 A Wild Sheep Chase Dance Dance Dance (novel) Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World Jay Rubin Kafka on the Shore Norwegian Wood (novel) The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche