Haruki Murakami | Book Chatter

It’s only January but already, everyone seems to have read-alongs on the brain. They can be a lot of fun but they can also be a lot of work and for me, that takes the fun out of them. For this read-along, I want to keep it as simple as possible. What I love most about read-alongs are the conversations, reactions and endless comments so that is what we’ll focus on.

Now for the book! So many of you have expressed an interest in Haruki Murakami but don’t know where to start. Many have also admitted to feeling a bit intimidated by his writing since his writing can be on the surreal/cerebral side.

BUT…

As a reader, I feel that his work is so important and his writing is just amazing to me. I’ve read many of his books. Absolutely adored some, liked plenty but respected all of them. For this read-along we’ll be reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and I’ll be experiencing it for the first time with you!

Plus, it’s not until April so you have plenty of time to wrap your brain around it and get it on your calendar.

The Details:

The read-along will run from April 1, 2013 to May 12, 2013 (6 weeks).
The paperback (Vintage Books Edition) is 607 pages.
The novel is split into three books, I will post here and on Twitter after I finish each book. I may ask you a question or just post a favorite quote. No need to even respond!
For impromptu Twitter conversations and reactions, use the hashtag #winditup2013 on Twitter. I will be tweeting as I am reading it so it should be interesting. This hashtag is different than the one I first mentioned. I don’t want our tweets to get mixed up with the Gwen Stefani song so I changed it up a bit. If you use #winditup2013 in your tweets and then search for that hashtag, you’ll be able to see all posts related to the read-along.
If you don’t use Twitter and want to talk about the book, email me or catch me on Facebook. My contact info is under the About tab and Facebook info is posted on the left sidebar.

The Simple No-Fuss Reading Schedule:

April 1 – April 14: Book One (Approximately 172 pages)

April 15 – April 28: Book Two (Approximately 165 pages)

April 29 – May 12: Book Three (Approximately 266 pages)

Final Wrap-Up:

I will do a final wrap-up post on May 20, 2013. At that time, you’ll be able to add the link to your review should you choose to write one.

No Guilt:

There are no requirements for this read-along. I just want readers to experience Murakami’s writing so there is no pressure to post anything and you can read at your own pace. You don’t have to be a blogger either. Anyone can join in.

To Sign-Up:

Complete this form.
If you’d like to say “Hi” to the others, post a comment to this post.

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
By Haruki Murakami
(Vintage, Paperback, 9780679743460, 1993, 416pp.)

The Short of It:

Mesmerizing and magical.

The Rest of It:

Talk about cutting it close! I had planned to finish my last book of the year a few days ago, but as usual, my vision of what I felt could be done, didn’t quite mesh with the reality laid out before me. Funny, because that’s sort of what this book is about. Reality versus what we think reality to be.

Those of you familiar with this blog know that I have a thing for Murakami’s writing. His writing is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Much of what he writes is surreal and strange but a lot of what he writes is just so normal. Normal in that he has a way of making simple things sound marvelous. The simple act of brewing coffee becomes something special in Murakami’s hands. I love that about his writing.

This novel is no exception and might be my favorite of his yet. A data processor finds himself in a strange situation. Hired by an eccentric professor who happens to be secreted away under the subway system in Japan, he realizes quickly that the job he’s been hired to do is anything but standard. The work that he’s been given is important enough for the government, known as The System, to become involved and although the professor’s intentions were good initially, his little experiment has gone very wrong.

In a parallel story, a man finds himself trapped behind a great wall surrounded by beasts which can only be unicorns. As he tries to make sense of this world and the importance of the unicorns themselves, he begins to question his existence and purpose.

Sounds bizarre, right?

As bizarre as these stories are, Murakami manages to pull both stories together, creating what I feel is his most profound work yet. As an end-of-the-year read, I don’t think I coud have picked a better book. Its largeness is felt on every page yet it’s totally readable and not hoity-toity in the way that books like this can sometimes be.

It’s fantasy and literary fiction all wrapped up together and I absolutely loved it. It left me with big thoughts and yet somehow, I feel rejuvenated too.

Even after all my gushing, if you’re still not sure about Murakami, this April I am hosting a read-along for The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. I promise it will be fun and easy with very little to do but enjoy the book. After the New Year, I’ll post more about it so look for that post if you are interested. I’ve not read the book yet myself so we’ll be experiencing it together. For now, write down this hashtag #winditup2013!

Source: Purchased
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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