So after finishing this Haruki Murakami novel published in 1994 I searched around to read what others have written about it, and honestly I don't think many of the reviews get it quite right. But this line on it Amazon page comes close to the mark.
"If Kafka were to find himself imprisoned in a novel that had been written by Raymond Chandler and was then forced to develop a sense of humor, the resultant voice might likely resemble that of the protagonist in this latest delight from one of Japan's leading contemporary writers."
If you like Murakami you'll like this - and I do so I did. It's got yet another alienated protagonist, disconnected from the world he's supposed to live in, still somewhat hurt by past losses. And eventually that leads to him going to look for something. And it's got a lot of the usual touches - a knowing teenage girl, worlds that aren't here, ominous and threatening surroundings, the powerful imprint of the past. Basically it's Murakami through and through. And to me, that's praise.
That said, I still think The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is the best of his works that I've read.
Posted by armand at August 17, 2006 10:22 AM | TrackBack | Posted to Books