Goodreads | Ben's review

Ben's review

[close]

blog this review

Copy/paste the text below into your blog.

<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17800.Dance_Dance_Dance?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Dance, Dance, Dance" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1166853981m/17800.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17800.Dance_Dance_Dance?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Dance, Dance, Dance</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3354.Haruki_Murakami">Haruki Murakami</a><br/><br/>
  <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8417879?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
  rating: 5 of 5 stars<br/>This book is a beautifully written social commentary, mystery novel, and of course fantasy.  Set in Japan in the 1980s, at the height of the country's economic rise, it tells of a solitary magazine writer who suddenly has a strong urge to search for his old girlfriend.  The only lead he has is a hotel he stayed in with her once, the Dolphin Hotel.  As he tracks her down, he first finds that the hotel has changed from a tiny dump into a luxury high-rise, and yet there is a mystery within it.  He gains allies in one of the desk clerks, a mysterious teenage girl, and an old school mate who is now a movie star.  As he continues to search for his girlfriend, he becomes part of a murder investigation.  Unlike a traditional mystery, though, the threads of the story become more and more unwound as you continue to read, and that is Murakami's strength as a writer.  The strange story elements begin to conflict and trying to understand how they fit ceases to be possible after a time.  Eventually you are forced to give up on solving anything and simply must go for the ride that Murakami has written for you.  In the end, the story reaches a conclusion that is ultimately satisfying, but in true Murakami style, you never do understand the how or why of anything.  It just is.
  <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/587368?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Ben's review
rating:

This book is a beautifully written social commentary, mystery novel, and of course fantasy. Set in Japan in the 1980s, at the height of the country's economic rise, it tells of a solitary magazine writer who suddenly has a strong urge to search for his old girlfriend. The only lead he has is a hotel he stayed in with her once, the Dolphin Hotel. As he tracks her down, he first finds that the hotel has changed from a tiny dump into a luxury high-rise, and yet there is a mystery within it. He gains allies in one of the desk clerks, a mysterious teenage girl, and an old school mate who is now a movie star. As he continues to search for his girlfriend, he becomes part of a murder investigation. Unlike a traditional mystery, though, the threads of the story become more and more unwound as you continue to read, and that is Murakami's strength as a writer. The strange story elements begin to conflict and trying to understand how they fit ceases to be possible after a time. Eventually ...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it) flag

comments (showing 1-1 of 1)

newest »

date

message 1: by Sid

03/05/2008 04:51PM

Dance, Dance, Dance was my first Murakami book, and I really really liked it. Since I've bought and read everything written by this author. I've always search for an exclamation of Murakami's books to friend. Have always told them that they are mind stories, as in that most of the story takes place in the main characters mind, but found that lacking. Finally you have found the right words. "It just is..." Very Zen, and very correct.
Thank you for your review.
Lotus49au