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The City and Its Uncertain Walls
By Haruki Murakami
Knopf, 9780593801970, November 19, 2024, 464pp.

The Short of It:

Dreamlike. Ethereal.

The Rest of It:

Murakami’s books are always thought-provoking and often serve as a palate cleanser for me because they are so different from most books. The City and Its Uncertain Walls is no different in that regard.

This is a story involving two worlds. One is seemingly reality, the other a simpler existence behind a large wall. In this other world people must give up their shadows to exist there, unicorns roam free only to die from the harsh elements. Dreams are read by a Dream Reader.

This is an odd story. There is a quest to find truth, and also a love story split between two worlds. Lovers of libraries will find comfort in these pages because this town, enclosed by a wall centers around a library, a very special one.

Murakami fans might recognize this story as it began as a short story but there are many references to previous books. Mentions of a “well” a la The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, and The Strange Library. Murakami is known to include these essentials in his stories:

Cats (there are a few mentions of cats, none talking though)
Ears (Murakami has a thing for ears. He describes them just so)
Women’s fashion. Attention to what women wear.
Lonely, everyman type of character
Mysterious worlds

The one thing that stood out to me is the mention of the pandemic. Many of my favorite novelists, Stephen King included have included the pandemic in their storytelling. I mean, it was such a critical point in our lives, how can you not? But this mention of it was interesting because the wall that surrounds this town, forces them into isolation, much the same way that the pandemic did. It DID seem very surreal, those pandemic years.

I was talking to another blogger about this book. Nadia, and I love Murakami but at 16 chapters in, I reached out to her. This one seemed a little different and it was taking me a while to get into it. Initially, the alternating chapters were challenging because I wasn’t able to discern who was speaking. The two main characters are nameless and since the story bounces between two worlds, I felt that it was a little hard to get to know them. Eventually, I did but it wasn’t until about chapter 36 or so.

Murakami fans wait so long for new books because the translation process usually takes two plus years, so when a book drops, we jump on it! I was lucky enough to snag a review copy but this book releases on November 19th.

My fave Murakami book to date is Kafka on the Shore but by the time I got to the last page of this one, I was smitten and already missing that strange world.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Sunday Matters

I don’t know what it is but I go through these moments where I am super motivated and fired-up to do something BIG and then poof, that motivation leaves me. What a wild roller coaster of a ride that is. Write a book? YES!!! Three days later, nope. Some of it has to do with my health. I feel pretty darn good these days. That’s a good thing. All that good energy just pours out of me and then I am a depleted little slug on the couch.

Right Now:

Student ministry this morning. We start a new message series today . Should be good.

This Week:

I have book club this Wednesday. We will be discussing The Catcher in the Rye. It was a re-read for me. As I mentioned in a previous post, my first time reading it was when I was sixteen. That was a long time ago! I know many readers do not care for it. Holden Caulfield is rather self-centered and whiny at times but I absolutely love him and that book will always hold a special place in my heart. I unfortunately had to miss book club last month due to a previously scheduled engagement so I am looking forward to going this week.

This Saturday we may hit this restaurant I’ve been wanting to try in Pasadena, Pie ‘N Burger. A good burger and a slice of pie sounds like the perfect meal to me.

Reading:

I am deep into The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami, which comes out in November. It was taking me awhile to get into the two main characters but I am there now, and fully in. That is the effect Murakami has on me. His writing sort of seeps into my brain, slowly. I read, then I ponder. The other fun thing is during my hospital recovery, I bought (among many things) a very cool book light so I’ve been reading a few chapters in bed too. This light is cool because it has three brightness settings and three different tone settings and the charge lasts a really long time. Not sponsored at all but I highly recommend it.

My next read will be All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. I am really eager to start it but I am still working through a marathon audio book. I gotta finish that one up.

Watching:

Sadly, I’ve been watching Cops a lot. It’s entertaining and can be watched while I read a book. Unfortunately, my daughter’s college town of Springfield, Missouri is featured regularly!

Grateful for:

Mornings on the patio with my coffee. Yes! Coffee! I can drink it again without it making me hurl! After surgery it tasted like copper pennies. Oh, and it’s sweet that the pup joins me on the patio as well. She is a lot older and struggling in some ways but she is always up for mornings on the patio.

Enjoy the last bit of your weekend. Get outside, drink some lemonade.

Chatting with friends about books and life…