4.5 stars

Now that I've had the luxury of time to catch my breath and get some sleep after finishing this book, I find that I've somewhat recovered from the mind-bending experience (and I mean that in a positive sense) it bestowed upon me. Still, I can't help but wonder if my review will come across as nothing more than strange ramblings. I'm not making any guarantees, mind you.

The truly wonderful aspect is that, on the surface, Murakami commences this novel as if it were a family drama, where one individual realizes far too late that they've taken their partner for granted and, consequently, lost them. But that just wouldn't be Murakami, would it?

Of course, there's a cat - or rather, the disappearance of one - which sets off the entire spiral of events that cause Toru Okada, the main character, to drift further and further from what most people would consider the real world. Moreover, there's a whole host of psychically gifted individuals of various forms, a psychic prostitute, a teenager working for a wig company, a cursed soldier, a young man who has been rendered mute since witnessing his father bury a heart in their garden with a stranger, a power-hungry and sinister brother-in-law, a haunted house, and a bird that winds the spring of the world and also serves as an omen of undefined allegiance. And they all form part of the same intricate web that has somehow managed to position itself as a tangent to Toru's reality and existence. This world doesn't necessarily adhere to common notions of space-time or the laws of cause and consequence. Its inhabitants are strange and powerful, and for the most part, not exactly benevolent.

Just as any proper knight in shining armor would, Toru, or Mr Wind-up Bird, embarks on a quest to rescue his wife from this captivating yet terrifying mess.

As I previously mentioned, this novel did something to my brain, perhaps tying a few knots in its circuitry that didn't need to be there. I actually felt as drained as Toru after clubbing whatever creature it precisely was in the hotel room that may or may not have existed and then returning to the well that might have been filled by the tears of a distraught teenager miles and miles away. (Do you see what I mean when I say this novel twisted some wires in my brain?)

Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who has an inclination towards Murakami's unique brand of weirdness, surrealism, and who is brave enough to endure a bit of (potentially reversible) mind-bending.

February 22, 2011

**Songs of Fascination**

Murakami has this unique charm that sings to me of fascination. I find myself constantly pondering the reason behind it. I could dissect this sensation, analyze it to death, until it loses all its mystery on the metaphorical operating table. Or, I could simply choose to focus on keeping this captivating feeling alive, not bothering with the whys and wherefores. Or perhaps, somewhere in between these two extremes, I could speculate that it's because Murakami is like a thin gossamer web spread over modern culture. He intersects with and touches everything ever so lightly, subtly appropriating what he needs. He then brings these elements back to his writer's desk or table and weaves them into beautiful, haunting tales. These stories may fail to stir some, but for others, they are like literary heroin, causing an obsession.

**Sins of Fascination**

Pending a more formal review, here is a song I put together as a dedication to the book and Paul Bryant's parody. The song draws inspiration from the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" and "Paperback Writer", so I probably owe them and you an apology. But at the time, it seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate Murakami. As often happens with such things, it emerged in a thread on a review of this novel. In the cold hard light of retrospect, I wonder what I was thinking. Nor can I remember what I was drinking when I came up with this idea. However, if anyone ever creates or releases a soundtrack to Murakami's novels, I'll play it every day of my life. Or, as Paul jokingly suggested, there might even be a musical in there somewhere, for someone else, maybe even Murakami himself, to create.

**"Sister Feelings Call" (or "Wind-Up Bird and Black Cat") (A Sonic Chronicle)**

I once had a bird or should I say she once had me.
She had a passing resemblance to Halle Berry.
She showed me her room, and said
"Isn't it good, this neighbourhood?"
She asked me to stay and said she'd written a book.
It took her years to write, would I take a look.
I read a few pages of parody and started to laugh.
It was then that she told me she was only one half.
She had a twin sister called Sally she'd like me to meet.
She lived in an alley at the end of the street.
She told me she worked in the morning and went off to bed.
I left her room, a brand new idea in my head.
When I got there, that alley was dead at both ends,
Just me, a black cat and a few of its friends.

**Paul Bryant's Review**

Paul Bryant has written an excellent parody of Murakami in his review of "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle". It absolutely nails Haruki Murakami's writing style in this book. You can find it here:

**"The History of Love"**

While reading Nicole Krauss' "The History of Love", I came across a passage that seemed to cry out for the Paul Bryant approach and lent itself to a retort to Paul's parody. This often happens once you've been touched by the magic hand of Paul Bryant. His reviews set the bar high, but they also invite you to take the leap and try to match his level of creativity. I urge you to read "The History of Love" if you haven't already. You can find my review here:

**A Parody in the Style of Paul Bryant's Review of "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle"**

I fell into bed wearing my clothes minus my underwear. It was past midnight when the telephone rang. I awoke from a dream in which I was teaching Haruki Murakami how to write satire. Sometimes I have nightmares. But this wasn't one. We were in my club, Dusty Springfield was playing, live. Later no one could remember having seen her, and because it was impossible to understand how Dusty Springfield would have been playing at my club, no one believed me. But I saw her. A siren sounded in the distance. Just as Dusty opened her mouth to sing, the dream broke off and I woke up in the darkness of my bedroom, the rain pitter-pattering on the glass. The telephone continued to ring. Haruki, no doubt. I would have ignored it if I hadn't been afraid he'd call the police. I threw off the sheets and stumbled across the floor, banging into a table leg. "Hello?" I shouted into the phone, but the line was dead. A moment later the phone rang again. "OK, OK," I said, picking up the receiver. "No need to wake up the whole building." There was a silence on the other end. I said, "Haruki?" "Is this Mr. Ian Graveski?" I assumed it was someone trying to sell me something. He sounded English. Like one of those guys with a microphone trying to get you to come into their 50p shop, only it's a recording. But the man said he wasn't trying to sell me anything. "My name is Paul Bryant." His cat was stuck on his roof. He'd called Information for the number of a roof and guttering specialist. I told him I was retired. Paul paused. He seemed unable to believe his bad luck. He'd already called three other people and no one had answered. "It's pouring out here," he said. "OK, OK," I said, even though I didn't want to say it. "I'll have to dig up my tools." When I arrived, it wasn't only a cat that was on his roof. When I looked up, I noticed that a completely naked woman was sitting on the roof, eating a slice of thinly buttered toast. I asked her who she was and she said she was not able to divulge this information. She wouldn't even divulge her name to Paul, who did not seem to be surprised that she was on his roof, sitting next to his cat. She asked if she could come home with me in my car. I explained that she would have to get off the roof first. I noticed that her body was almost the same as that of my ex-wife. She had firm but smallish breasts, and although the ladder obscured her body as she descended, I was confident that the rest of her would soon look familiar. When we got home, I offered her my ex-wife's silk pyjamas. But she shook her head as she slid into my bed, saying she wouldn't need them. It was past 3am when the telephone rang again. I recognised the voice. It was Paul Bryant. "My cat," he said. "It's still on the bloody roof." It was still raining, but I did not care. "Sorry, Mr Bryant, I'm doing another house call. Besides, I'm retired." I returned to the warmth in my bed.

Murakami can't write big books and I'm no longer in denial about it.

Haruki Murakami is a renowned author, yet there seems to be a limitation in his ability to pen truly large-scale works. His novels often possess a certain charm and a unique narrative style, but when it comes to the scope and magnitude of a "big book," he falls short.

I have long been a fan of Murakami's writing, but as I have read more of his works, this fact has become increasingly evident. It's not that his books are bad; rather, they lack the depth and breadth that one might expect from a truly great and expansive literary work.

Perhaps this is due to his writing style, which focuses on the individual experiences and emotions of his characters. While this can make for engaging and thought-provoking reading, it may not be conducive to creating a large and complex fictional world.

In conclusion, although Murakami is a talented writer, I must face the reality that he may not be capable of writing the kind of big books that I have come to admire and respect.

This is "LOST" created by the Japanese.

This book is truly remarkable. It has the power to astonish you, perhaps even metaphorically "blow your face off" or "skin it off" if you're as unfortunate as some of the characters. You'll find yourself loving it for its unique qualities. Murakami has crafted a novel that is a real page-turner. It begins seemingly innocently enough, with a man searching for his cat after having a rather unusual phone call while boiling spaghetti. But then, it quickly plunges you into a crazy world filled with crazed politicians, dream women, dream worlds, WWII horror stories, and rich secret corporations. It's truly amazing that this hasn't been made into an anime yet.

Although this book is quite plot-heavy, it still manages to delight with its subtleties and interesting shifts in form and perspective. So, literature seekers, don't be afraid! And it does come together very well at the end, which is reassuring when you're halfway through and wondering "how on earth is this going to wrap up?!" It may not directly provide you with all the answers, but there's enough to uncover with a bit of thought. And the parts that are left unanswered are deliberately so for a reason. This book is for those with a creative imagination, challenging you to push it to the limits.

This is one wild and exciting ride that you simply should not miss. However, if you're the type who is easily put off by quirky Asian stereotypes, this book might not be for you. It contains all the typical elements, such as weird sex (like women with mutating cat tails?) and an over-sexualized teenage girl hanging out with a mid-30's male, which might seem creepy to some. But if that's the case, try to look beyond those aspects because this book is a pure delight.

Y'know what? I give up.

I'm never going to finish this. I don't think Murakami's a hack, and I know that everybody except me thinks he's a genius.

And I also understand - or, more specifically, have had it angrily explained to me - that my dislike for Murakami has to do with me being an American asshole who can't see through her own cultural imperialism enough to appreciate the way Japanese people like Murakami write novels.

I acknowledge all these things.

But at the same time, nothing about this works for me. I'm not excited about a bland everyman.

I'm not interested in an atmosphere where literally anything could happen, but mostly what does is that people say vague things to him.

I'm not sucked in by the occasionally exposited backstory.

I know! I should be able to go along with the vague sense of unease, but it just doesn't do anything for me.

I mean, probably it's a very culturally Japanese sort of unease that doesn't speak to me, but 200 pages in, I'm just like, whatever.

So whatever. I give up.

[Edited 3/24/23]

Review contains spoilers

If you're a 30-ish married man in Japan with a dead-end job as a law clerk, looking back, it was likely not a prudent decision to have your wife concur that you need to take a year off to 'find yourself.' During this sabbatical, your cat might vanish, and you could start spending time with a neighborhood high school girl who sunbathes in a minuscule bikini. Then, your wife may request you to have lunch with the peculiar psychic sisters in an attempt to locate the cat. Additionally, a strange package could arrive from an old man fortune teller who was once a good friend of you and your wife.

You might discover that your politician brother-in-law, whom you loathe due to his eccentricity and perversion, is even more so than you had envisioned. These qualities might potentially assist him in winning the national political office he is vying for. After all of this, you may develop a penchant for sitting for days at the bottom of deep wells. Even though your wife is unaware of all these happenings (the well incident, the package, the bikini girl, etc.), she might still leave you.

However, some positive things could occur. You might learn some war stories regarding the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. You could engage in highly magical realism sex with one of the psychic sisters. And perhaps the cat will return.

It is challenging to summarize the strange twists and turns of this Murakami novel, yet it is original, and I believe it is significantly better than some of his other works that I have read, such as IQ84. Murakami has evolved into an industry on his own, and some of the critiques leveled at his recent work include that it has become formulaic and that “it’s not Japanese.” Nevertheless, I highly recommend Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, written in 1998, before those criticisms were applicable.

I observe that this is his highest-rated work among GR readers. I suggest this book to those who have not read any of his work or to those who were dissatisfied with his more recent output and desire to give him a second chance.

Top image by imgur.com/Zzo4LG6 from kalgaonkarsnehal.medium.com
The author from thegreatcat.org

I don't even know what to say about this book. It was truly, truly weird. However, I found myself strangely drawn to it. There were several moments when I simply couldn't put the book down. The story was extremely surreal, taking me on a journey that I never expected. The language used was very simple, yet there was a hidden complexity within the words. It was as if there was a deeper meaning lurking beneath the surface. There were also some gruesome points that added an element of shock and horror. But despite all of this, I have to say that this is probably the best Murakami novel I've read to date. It has left a lasting impression on me and I will definitely be thinking about it for a long time to come.

Library Overdrive Audiobook….read by Rupert Degas

…..26 hours and 11 minutes

It’s HOPELESS….

I can never do proper justice to this novel. I’ve spent countless hours immersed in it, with pages of detailed notes. If anyone were to ask, I could share those notes and provide more insights. But right now, I’m completely drained from the experience, yet I SOOOOO loved it. I’m just too tired to write a full review at the moment. However, for anyone who hasn’t tried this book, I highly recommend it. The audiobook worked great for me. While some readers might not have been thrilled with the voice narrator, it was no problem for me. I actually liked him. But I have to admit, I’d love to own a physical copy and read certain parts again.

“The Wind-Up Chronicle” has now firmly established itself as one of my all-time favorite books. It belongs in the same category as “East of Eden”, “Cutting For Stone”, “Angle of Repose”, “Crossing to Safety”, “The Hearts Invisible Furries” and many others. This Japanese story is outrageously out of the box and truly one-of-a-kind.

“The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” is not just a book, it’s ‘an experience’!!! Haruki Murakami is a genius, at least when it comes to this book.

A few basic details: a cat goes missing, a wife goes missing, and it all takes place in Tokyo. Toru Okada, a 30-year-old unemployed, married, humble and awfully kind man, is one of the most memorable male protagonists I’ve ever encountered. There are wigs, funny chatter about being bald and wigs. Strangers come and go, there’s laundry, cooking (the spaghetti sauce smells delicious), cleaning, and hosting odd people. The descriptions of the most ordinary things are comprehensive and finite, yet fascinating. Characters drift in and out of Toru’s life. There are wet dreams (both funny and erotic), a prostitute of the mind, lots of laughter and inquisitive moments. And there is also a torturous tale between Manchuria and the Soviet Union war.

TERRIFIC STORYTELLING!!! I loved, loved, loved it!!! Here’s an out-of-context sample of a small dialogue between a young girl yelling down to Toru (who is sitting alone at the bottom of a well).

“Hey down there, Mr. Wind-Up Bird…..

….I know you’re down there”.

“Come on, Mr. Windup Bird, answer me?”

“I’m here, Thinking”.

“What on earth are you doing down there?”

“I don’t get it. Why do you need to go to the bottom of the well to think”.

“It would be so uncomfortable”.

“This way I can sit alone and think. It’s dark and comfortable”.

“Is it helping you think?”

“I don’t know yet, I’m still thinking”.

“You know what Mr. Wind-Up Bird, I hate to bring this up now, but you’re pretty weird”.

The direction of the rest of the conversation continues on and on, covering topics of hunger and death. This entire novel is one of the most ‘bizarre-wonderful’ books I’ve ever read. It’s an odd but gripping, interesting, breathtaking journey. I’m left with a feeling that it is impossible to change myself or the world. We can try and make a little difference, but we are kidding ourselves if we don’t think there are ‘limits’. This is THE BOOK I’m glad I didn’t miss out on discovering.

Note to myself.

Someday, if you find yourself in a state of confusion and chaos, if your mind becomes discombobulated and deranged, do not despair. Instead, try this book again.

This book holds within its pages a wealth of knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration that may just be the key to unlocking your clarity and restoring your sanity.

It has the power to transport you to different worlds, to introduce you to new ideas and perspectives, and to offer you a much-needed escape from the turmoil that may be surrounding you.

So, whenever you feel lost and adrift, remember this note and reach for this book. It may just be the salvation you've been seeking.

When you're supposed to ascend, seek out the tallest tower and make your way to its summit. When you're meant to descend, locate the deepest well and descend to its very bottom.

However, in this context, there are no towers to be found. Instead, this book has its focus on wells.

Well, to be more specific, it is concerned with this particular fellow who spends approximately 500 pages in a fruitless search for his cat. But, interestingly enough, it also delves into the theme of wells.

The combination of the man's quest for his missing feline and the exploration of the concept of wells creates a unique and perhaps somewhat unexpected narrative.

It makes one wonder how these two seemingly disparate elements will ultimately come together and what kind of insights or revelations will emerge from this literary journey.

As we continue to read, we can anticipate that the story will unfold in ways that will keep us engaged and eager to discover more about both the man and the wells that play such a significant role in this book.

English (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle) / Italiano

A truly remarkable experience awaits within the pages of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. It's not just about reading a novel; it feels as if one has stepped into the life of another. It's like waking up from a dream where you've played the role of a fearless hero, performing actions that seemed impossible in reality.

Toru Okada, a thirty-year-old man, leads an ordinary life with his wife Kumiko. But a strange phone call marks the start of a series of extraordinary events that completely transform the young protagonist's existence. The ordinary meets the inexplicable, and the plot becomes secondary, obscured by thick clouds of mystery. Only the bizarre characters of Haruki Murakami stand out. We find ourselves in a dreamlike state, which both the readers and the protagonist perceive:

«I listened to the evening news on the radio for the first time in ages, but nothing special had been happening in the world. Some teenagers had been killed in an accident on the expressway when the driver of their car had failed in his attempt to pass another car and crashed into a wall. The branch manager and staff of a major bank were under police investigation in connection with an illegal loan they had made. A thirty-six-year-old housewife from Machida had been beaten to death with a hammer by a young man on the street. But these were all events from some other, distant world. The only thing happening in my world was the rain falling in the yard.»

The dream state of Toru Okada will remind many readers of the surrealism of David Lynch. The American director loves to communicate through his films with scenes that disturb due to their visual impact rather than the linearity of easily understandable plots.

Side note: With this novel, Murakami won the "Yomiuri", a Japanese literary prize, conferred to him by the Nobel Prize Kenzaburō Ōe, previously one of his most ardent critics. What a satisfying achievement!

Vote: 9

Una gran bella esperienza.

Più che aver letto un romanzo, mi sento come se avessi vissuto la vita di un altro, come quando ti svegli da un sogno nel quale hai vestito i panni di un impavido eroe, compiendo azioni che non ritenevi di poter compiere nemmeno di striscio.

Toru Okada ha trent'anni e conduce una vita ordinaria con la moglie Kumiko. Tuttavia una strana telefonata segna l'inizio di una serie di eventi fuori dal comune che cambiano di sana pianta l'esistenza del giovane protagonista. La vita di tutti giorni e l'ordinario si mescolano con l'inspiegabile. La trama in sè perde importanza, annebbiata da dense nuvole di mistero, dalle quali emergono distinti solamente i bizzarri personaggi di Haruki Murakami. Siamo in un sogno, lo percepiamo noi lettori e lo percepisce lo stesso protagonista del romanzo:

«Per la prima volta dopo tanto tempo ascoltai il giornale radio della sera. Nel mondo non era successo nulla di insolito. Su un'autostrada, in un sorpasso una macchina era andata a sbattere contro un muro, e i passeggeri, dei ragazzi, erano morti tutti. Il direttore e alcuni impiegati di una succursale di una grande banca erano stati messi sotto inchiesta dalla polizia per una faccenda di prestiti illegali. A Machida una casalinga di trentasei anni era stata ammazzata a martellate da un giovane che passava di lì. Ma tutto questo succedeva in un mondo diverso. Nel mondo in cui vivevo io c'era solo la pioggia che cadeva nel giardino.»

Lo stato onirico di Toru Okada ricorderà a molti lettori il surrealismo spinto di David Lynch, il regista americano che ama comunicare attraverso le sue pellicole con immagini che inquietano per il loro impatto visivo, piuttosto che con la linearità di trame ben comprensibili.

Piccola nota a margine: Con questo romanzo Murakami ha vinto il premio letterario giapponese Yomiuri, conferitogli dal premio nobel Kenzaburō Ōe, uno dei suoi più accaniti critici precedenti. Sò soddisfazioni.

Voto: 9

Bald men, war, and the objectification of women