A review by sacin
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

5.0

It's been about a minute since I read the last sentence of this book. A very simple sentence, not one that inspires or depresses all that much and yet I'm left with this sense of awe, over the course of this masterwork I've experienced so much. Just looking back on it is so divine and otherworldly, it's true unlike any piece of art I've ever experienced. It's a sprawling epic, and yet it's such a simple story. If this wasn't a novel and someone were to just observe Toru Okada's life play out — all they'd see a sad and peculiar man looking for a place in this world. But from his perspective, this story is the biggest one ever written. Give this one a read! It contains none of Murakami's failings as an author and perfectly displays what his abilities are and it also captures what you can do with "magical realism". First book that I think I could confidently give 5 stars and I'm glad it's this one.