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A review by michael_taylor
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Nataša Tomić, Haruki Murakami
4.0
I believe that I read this book in exactly the right conditions to really absorb it. I was on holidays to a new city and picked this book on a whim for something to read on the go. Murakami has always been an author with a particular knack for capturing a feeling. In this case, the narrator of the book builds train stations. He marvels at the miracle of an efficiently running public transportation system. I was experiencing the exact same sensation of being in a foreign place. Everything seemed so alien to me. Watching people move seamlessly onto trains. Each person on their own journey.
When I was about halfway through the book, I was on a train heading towards downtown Vancouver when the most surreal thing happened to me. In the glass of the window was the colorful reflection of this book. The woman behind me on the train was reading the exact same book. What are the odds of that? A guy from Saskatoon travels across the country while reading a book about a man going through a his own odyssey only to encounter it being read by a complete stranger behind him on a train in Vancouver. It sounds like the kind of coincidence that Mr.Murakami would approve of.
Murakami has his story arcs that he likes and sticks to them. This book isn't much of an exception. A young man moves through his life trying to find his way in the world. There are elements of surrealism and finding oneself.
It's the way he writes that I find so compelling. Individual characters aren't necessarily memorable, but the feelings his books instill in me are. I love the "Colorless" aspects of Tsukuru. It works as a metaphor for how he feels about himself. The names are a fun touch. The dreams Tsukuru has are well drawn. They could mean nothing in relation to the plot, but I'm not sure if they do. It's also surprisingly moving towards the end. There's a wonderfully ambitious ending, and several storylines remain unresolved. I'd recommend reading this to any wayward travelers.
When I was about halfway through the book, I was on a train heading towards downtown Vancouver when the most surreal thing happened to me. In the glass of the window was the colorful reflection of this book. The woman behind me on the train was reading the exact same book. What are the odds of that? A guy from Saskatoon travels across the country while reading a book about a man going through a his own odyssey only to encounter it being read by a complete stranger behind him on a train in Vancouver. It sounds like the kind of coincidence that Mr.Murakami would approve of.
Murakami has his story arcs that he likes and sticks to them. This book isn't much of an exception. A young man moves through his life trying to find his way in the world. There are elements of surrealism and finding oneself.
It's the way he writes that I find so compelling. Individual characters aren't necessarily memorable, but the feelings his books instill in me are. I love the "Colorless" aspects of Tsukuru. It works as a metaphor for how he feels about himself. The names are a fun touch. The dreams Tsukuru has are well drawn. They could mean nothing in relation to the plot, but I'm not sure if they do. It's also surprisingly moving towards the end. There's a wonderfully ambitious ending, and several storylines remain unresolved. I'd recommend reading this to any wayward travelers.