The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel by Haruki Murakami Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel
Book Review: Startling discovery
Summary: 5 Stars
How bizarre, to end up subsumed in the world of this book during my first trip to Japan. A random airport selection I became completely mesmerised by it, and have spent the rest of my trip working my way through Murakami's other books. Truly unique and rather wonderful.Book Review: A beautiful, complex and enlightening read
Summary: 5 Stars
Having heard good things about Haruki Murakami's most highly-acclaimed work to date, I decided it was about time I gave it a read. The story follows a thirty year old Japanese man named Toru Okada as his life spirals out of control, becoming more and more bizzare with each new mysterious stranger that enters his world. The events unfold as Toru searches for his missing cat - strangely absent from its usual territory - and copes with the traumatic fact that his wife has disappeared without so much as a goodbye.The book oftens reads like a series of interwoven short stories. Coupled with the fact that the novel often focuses on specific aspects of Japanese culture, I was greatly reminded of the enchanting 'Ghostwritten' by David Mitchell, which I would reccommend whole-heartedly.
I frequently found it difficult to relate to the character of Toru Okada, largely because his character was never fully developed. He rarely expressed an opinion, and we learn next to nothing about his personal history. Saying that however, this could well have been the author's intention, as Toru is such a magnet for eccentric characters, it was inevitable that he would fade into the background whilst in their presence. Such personalities include those of the Kano sisters - often called upon for their psychic abilities, and frequently able to project themselves into Toru's dreams. The mysterious 'Nutmeg' too, along with her mute son 'Cinnamon' play a significant role in Toru's ever-changing circumstances.
I think it would be fair to say that the author was keen on employing many philosophical and spiritual ideas within his story: aspects of Zen, cause and effect, and even Feng Shui make an appearance. There is a certain amount of paranormal activity too, with phenomena such as the previously mentioned psychic ability, astral projection, lucid dreaming and spiritual healing. Although these ideas are prominent throughout the book, it is essentially a psychological detective story, beautifully written with an intelligent and sensitive narrative.
I found the book to be reminiscant of 'The Magus' (by John Fowles), which is similar in terms of its unusual take on psychological aspects of the personality. The Wind-up Bird Chronicle is a stunning novel, and is written with such warmth and wit that I was literally unable to put it down, and whizzed through the six hundred pages in no time at all. Haunting and many-layered, it is a truly magnificant book, which I can't recommend highly enough.
Book Review: Wind Up Bird Chronicle - Murakami
Summary: 5 Stars
I read Norweigan Wood first - and completely adored it. This however is a work of utter genius; completely unputdownable and without a shadow of a doubt, absolutely mind-bendingly weird. In truth, it is as close to mind-altering as literature gets. I'm almost too nervous to read anything else of his in case I lose the plot completely. Anyone with any kind of intellectual and literary curiosity HAS to read this book.Book Review: Ace
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a massive fan of Murakami, starting with the more accessible Norwegian Wood and working towards this the Wind Up Bird Chronicle, surely one of the most original and truly amazing books ever written. It is so completly engrossing, the bit in the desert was almost life changing. The one thing I have to mention is the difference in the quality of interpretation. Jay Rubin, who translated this book, is in my mind far superior to any of the other authors who have translated Murakami. Alfred Birnbaum is good but uses words that are too obvious, too unecessary. I much prefer Rubin's subtlety and believe it reflects Murakami as a writer much better than anyone else. So if you want a true taste of Murakami, read this book. READ THIS BOOK!!Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 3 Stars
I couldn't wait to get into this book having read the great reviews both from the press and the average reader but as the pages ticked away and the story became more and more baffling I had a sense of foreboding that after 609 pages I was going to be left without any answers.True, the writing itself is superb, creating great atmosphere (some of the darker scenes are truly terrifying) but several characters remain unexplored or disappear without explanation and the nature of any of the strange psychic powers displayed by various characters never becomes clear.
Too many good ideas which never seem to completely gel.