Pinball, 1973
by Haruki Murakami, Alfred Birnbaum, trans.
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 177)
Read in June, 2008
Hurray! Finally, I have the Holy Grail of Murakami reads, available to you for $5000 in print form, or free online. I'm so excited to read this. Or should I temper my expectations, lest they mar the experience? Okay, I promise to calm down.
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Aha, here are the true first sprouts of the Murakami we know and love, the thoughtful, shy musings on routine, emptiness and evil, the very beginning of his interest in cats, the occasion...more
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Aha, here are the true first sprouts of the Murakami we know and love, the thoughtful, shy musings on routine, emptiness and evil, the very beginning of his interest in cats, the occasion...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
Murakami fans who have access to it
While still a little 'thin' compared to everything Murakami put out afterwards, this short novel is a fun read and well worth a shot if you ever find yourself with a copy. (Good luck with that one -- it had a very small English print run exclusive to Japan, and used copies start in the $ low-hundreds; thankfully, a co-worker of mine was gracious enough to lend me his copy.) It's a nice, short meditation on life, existence, and pinball.
And no, it's not Murakami's best work -- and yes, it is qui...more
And no, it's not Murakami's best work -- and yes, it is qui...more
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Read in August, 2007
This odd little out-of-print Murakami novella fits into a four-part cycle of 5-or-so-year intervals between Hear the Wind Sing and A Wild Sheep Chase. As such, it's a somewhat aimless meditation on aimlessness, via both its nameless narator and "The Rat". The recurring themes here seem to have congealed a little more soundly by Sheep, but its sad surreality and the poetry of Murakami's words provide plenty of reason to seek it out. If you can find a copy: I rea...more
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A very early and maybe hard to find little novel by Murakami. The book came out in a series that is sold only in Japan for English students or those who are studying translations. The editions are usually only $7 or $8 and you may find some copies in Japanese language bookstores. I found my copy in Tokyo and it's worth tracking down if you are a Murakami fan. It's interesting that Murakami never put this little novel out in a regular American or British edition.
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Read in January, 2006
The first "book" in the Rat Trilogy (followed by A Wild Sheep Chase and Dance Dance Dance. It's worth reading merely because it's part of this trilogy, though it's not nearly as strong nor as readable (even if you can find a copy of it).
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Read in July, 2008
My second Murakami novel and being a recovering pinball addict (and a big fan of Rubber Soul) I loved it. Waiting for a copy of A Wild Sheep Chase to arrive.
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Read in October, 2007
downloaded as a PDF online. spare as always, great scene in a cold metal warehouse filled with pinball machines
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Read in June, 2007
Readability's not acceptability, though the absence of style has a certain faded interest. Like bad Bolano.
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Read in August, 1999
After all I had heard, after I finally got a copy of this I was, well, disappointed. But still....
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recommends it for:
Newbies who want to taste the Murakamian world
This is my first Murakami. I fell in love instantly, and it's still one of my favourite Mirakami.
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Read in January, 2002
recommends it for:
Sean
This was my first and still favorite Murakami. Can be difficult to find, but worth searching out.
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recommended to Laura by:
Liz
Apparently this book can no longer be purchased in English. Luckily, we have the internet. :)
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Read in July, 2008
Unthinkable! Unspeakable! Having an unbearable headache since finishing.
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Read in March, 2006
The second of the "boku" tetralogy by written Murakami.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.84 (125 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.82 (122 ratings) number of reviews: 15popular shelves
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quote
"On any given day, something claims our attention [literally "grabs our hearts": kokoro o toraeru] Anything at all, inconsequential things. A rosebud, a misplaced hat, that sweater we liked as a child, an old Gene Pitney record. A parade of trivia with no place to go. Things that bump around in our consciousness for two or three days then go back to whereever they came from... to darkness. We've got all these wells dug in our hearts. While above the wells, birds flit back and forth."
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