by Haruki Murakami
The first book of Murakami I read (South of the Border, West of the Sun) caused such a hunger for more. And this book did not disappoint me neither.I regard him really as a great writer about the urban challenges we face as human race in our modern times. How we live and interact with each other, that is all changing so drastically. But our basic needs, reactions and behaviour remains unchanged. This tension causes a huge uncertainty for many people since the traditional patterns and measures do not work anymore.
This book must be located in its context. A man stopped working in his boring job and tries to orientate himself in life. On his way he has to find out what went wrong with his marriage. Several weird people will appear and disappear along his quest: a teenager he seems sometimes in an neighbouring garden, two sisters which resolve cases with supernatural forces, a Japanese WWII veteran and a detested brother n law who has unusual obsessions and becomes a celebrity and finally a member of parliament. One connection between all theses pieces is a well, a dark and dry well, where he sits in, where he contemplates, where he experiments his transformation. Reduced to himself and only to himself he starts from zero again.
It is a long book but worth reading. I am looking forward to the next one I will hold in my hands.
This book must be located in its context. A man stopped working in his boring job and tries to orientate himself in life. On his way he has to find out what went wrong with his marriage. Several weird people will appear and disappear along his quest: a teenager he seems sometimes in an neighbouring garden, two sisters which resolve cases with supernatural forces, a Japanese WWII veteran and a detested brother n law who has unusual obsessions and becomes a celebrity and finally a member of parliament. One connection between all theses pieces is a well, a dark and dry well, where he sits in, where he contemplates, where he experiments his transformation. Reduced to himself and only to himself he starts from zero again.
It is a long book but worth reading. I am looking forward to the next one I will hold in my hands.
Facts:
English title: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Original title: Nejimaki-dori Kuronikuru
Published: 1995
