Reviews

This was just .... mid. It stalled my desire to read because I had to keep returning to this lethargic, lurching story; there were glimmers of inspiration that made me want to keep going, but as soon as I picked up another book that sucked me in, I realized how deep Murakami had me in stockholm syndrome.

Also, he's OBSESSED with women being small. Tiny, delicate, small (or "underdeveloped," in the case of a young teen girl with whom he develops a concerning relationship that I kept hoping would become something .... else).

hannxm's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

4.0

This a weird book... to put it lightly. If someone asked me what this book was about, I honestly wouldn't know where I'd start.

Although the book is weird, and possibly unnecessarily long in places (even the characters themselves said a few times their story is a long one), it managed to capture my attention throughout all 600 pages. This is because there's an air of mystery and (my own, mostly) confusion, with the odd tidbit of information here and there that *seemed* to bring the puzzle together, that keeps you reading in the hopes of understanding what the hell is happening. I don't tend to like a book that goes into too much detail about things but I found I was ready and eager for any and all information.

I think Murakami is definitely a gifted writer. Some scenes came alive so vividly in my mind, other scenes almost set you on edge and the characters all come alive and have their own weird quirks. The accounts from the lieutenant were gut wrenching and near the end of the book, the talk of Boris and how dangrous of a man he is, made me feel that was definitely true - I could feel the tension in the characters. But in relation to Lt. Mamiya's stories, I have a hard time figuring out how some of his story related to the main plot, especially his last account about Boris. His previous stories seemed to unknowningly guide Okado to what he needed to do, as well as drew some links between what he was experiencing and Mamiya's experiences, but his last accounts seemed to be not that useful. Same for May's letters, they seemed sort of irrelevant but at the same time, she was an interesting character that you kind of wanted to know what was happening for her.

Some have said this book isn't Murakami's best work but I'm surprisingly not put off and will continue to check out more of his books.

latko's review against another edition

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4.0

not like any other book i have read recently - it has a bit of everything (philosophy, drama, war, poetry, a little bit funny, a little bit sexy, a gory scene and all extremely well written). it reeeeally makes you think.

the way the book is written (i dont know if this is common to all of murakami's books as i haven't read any others but i imagine it is the japanese style rather than just this book) is very slow-moving and detailed down to the last second of his day. i can definitely see that it would annoy many readers as it can be quite boring and overly lengthy - the book could have been cut down by so much. i know it took me at least a few chapters to get used to the slooooowness, but i guess it is part of it's uniqueness.

i think the most memorable part of the book is the characters. as there is no discernible direction or predictability to the book for the majority of it, the characters are what makes you want to continue, due to their off-the-wall commentary and conversation.

it seems to me a very random plot, just a guy living his life and just happening to have good conversations with good story tellers. however the ending of the book is one of the best i have ever read - i hate endings which are overly happy and suddenly perfect, or endings that seem sudden or hurried. in the wind up bird chronicle, loose ends are slowly being tied up in the last 3-4 chapters, and leaves just enough questioning to leave the reader thinking. themes like fate, superstition, perception vs reality, suffering, the flow of life, psychic powers all make it a relatable and thoughtful read.

all in all, i am really glad i read it, as it is a good change from my usual reads. i want to re-read to get the most out of it, but not for a while as it is so long and at times boring that i don't know if i could re-read it just yet. i would recommend it to anyone open-minded and interested in japanese culture/literature

charlietuna92's review against another edition

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5.0

I don’t know what it is about Murakami’s writing that just sucks me in completely. This story, like many of his others, is filled with magical realism. You never quite know what is real and what is merely in someone’s head. A fabulous read that’s hard to describe

rorireadsgarbarge's review against another edition

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DNF at page 175.

Might come back and finish this one but unfortunately I think it was just not for me!

smokeandmirr0rs's review against another edition

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4.0

Like every other Murakami novel I’ve read, I get to the end having no clue really what’s happened but I’ve enjoyed it anyway?

simcha13's review against another edition

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4.0

One of the weirdest books I have ever read (Firefly by Piers Anthony still holds the title though). Very all over the place. I enjoyed parts of it but felt ultimately very unfulfilled because there was so little follow through and conclusion of any storyline.

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