Quick Book Reviews Blog

Haruki Murakami is a name needing little introduction, widely regarded as one of the more prominent authors in the realms of magical realism. His recent novel, Killing Commendatore , follows in the same tradition, following a young portrait painter from Tokyo who ends up in the mountain home of a famous artist. The discovery of an unseen painting in his attic unleashes forth a set of mysterious and inexplicable events, one which can only be closed through perhaps the strangest journey the young painter will ever have in his life.

Since the moment we were born the quest to find our place in this world has been thrust upon us, and for many it is one that haunts them from beginning to end, never really finding the crevice they fit in perfectly. Nevertheless, we keep on living through life in hope of answers, understanding and meaning, many coming to the conclusion that we ought to carve our own places in this world, rather than search for them. In Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World , Haruki Murakami presents us with two parallel stories centred on that idea in their own ways.

Haruki Murakami is the kind of author who, despite trying out different types of variations in his writing style, always succeeds in delivering stories that are rather surrealistic, mystical and dreamlike in their nature... as a matter of fact, some could argue that it is the staple of his style. In The Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage , Murakami's latest work of literature, the author returns to a more down-to-Earth style of writing, a prose that is somewhat poetic and philosophical in its nature.

Toru and Nakao form a rather simple and perhaps even run-of-the-mill couple; they are both college students, with Toru being quiet, serious and focused on his studies, and Nakao being the beautiful and introspective kind. Unfortunately, their relationship is soured by the demise of their mutual friend years ago, and the pressures of College life are starting to wear down on them. When faced with such difficulties, the two lovers react differently; Nakao becomes increasingly withdrawn from the outside into her own world, which in turn forces Toru to reach out to the external world to fight his isolation.

Haruki Murakami has made quite a name for himself with his unique and engrossing style of writing which at times can be cheerful, thought-provoking, morbid and fascinating. It can be argued that The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is one of the earlier works by Murakami which gained him some of the recognition he has now, and just like in the spirit of many of his other works, it is quite expansive in its scope, combining numerous elements which generally have nothing to do with each other to deliver a unique and compelling story like none other out there.

1Q84 is perhaps one of the better-known and more popular novels by Haruki Murakami , even though it certainly drew mixed reactions out of the public. For those who are not familiar with the author, Murakami has won a great number of awards for his many works of writing, making a name for himself as a humorous, original and philosophical author whose approach is unique in itself. What precisely is 1Q84 about? Well, giving you a brief summary really won’t do this book justice, but I’ll try anyways. We follow two narratives surrounding a young man and a young woman who spent a part of their childhoods together. Though separated by time and space, they both vividly remember each other, and very slowly their stories come together over the course of the book. Before that happens though, the young lady, Aomame, enters a bizarre parallel existence she refers to as 1Q84, and Tengo, the young man, sees his life unravel in unexpected ways after taking on a suspicious and mysterious ghostw...