Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Fowler Edition Man [Japanese Edition]

by Haruki Murakami

Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Fowler Edition Man [Japanese Edition] (Volume # 3) [Tankobon Hardcover] Haruki Murakami (Author)

Genres: Fiction

Tankobon Hardcover

Published January 1, 1995

About the author

Haruki Murakami (村上春樹) is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been best-sellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Gunzo Prize for New Writers, the World Fantasy Award, the Tanizaki Prize, Yomiuri Prize for Literature, the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, the Noma Literary Prize, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Kiriyama Prize for Fiction, the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction, the Jerusalem Prize, and the Princess of Asturias Awards.
Growing up in Ashiya, near Kobe before moving to Tokyo to attend Waseda University, he published his first novel Hear the Wind Sing (1979) after working as the owner of a small jazz bar for seven years. His notable works include the novels Norwegian Wood (1987), The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994–95), Kafka on the Shore (2002) and 1Q84 (2009–10); the last was ranked as the best work of Japan's Heisei era (1989–2019) by the national newspaper Asahi Shimbun's survey of literary experts. His work spans genres including science fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction, and has become known for his use of magical realist elements. His official website cites Raymond Chandler, Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Brautigan as key inspirations to his work, while Murakami himself has named Kazuo Ishiguro, Cormac McCarthy and Dag Solstad as his favourite currently active writers. Murakami has also published five short story collections, including First Person Singular (2020), and non-fiction works including Underground (1997), an oral history of the Tokyo subway sarin attack, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2007), a memoir about his experience as a long distance runner.
His fiction has polarized literary critics and the reading public. He has sometimes been criticised by Japan's literary establishment as un-Japanese, leading to Murakami's recalling that he was a "black sheep in the Japanese literary world". Meanwhile, Murakami has been described by Gary Fisketjon, the editor of Murakami's collection The Elephant Vanishes (1993), as a "truly extraordinary writer", while Steven Poole of The Guardian praised Murakami as "among the world's greatest living novelists" for his oeuvre.

Reviews

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wondered what is the point of your life, what is the meaning, why do we do the things we do, make the decisions we do? Why do we meet the people we meet? Don't expect too much and you will be richly rewarded. The Journey is the destination. I love this book.

[Plato Puthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I found this one somewhat likable, it didn’t quite resonate with me as much as the other two I’ve read of the same author. This book takes you in on a wild ride and gets into the nuances of different personalities and perspectives. It’s bit philosophical as well.

But the level of violence within this one I felt excessive and, to a large extent, unnecessary for the narrative. While I don’t typically mind violence in fiction, I wasn’t prepared for this much from this particular author. The fact that the there are so many shifts in the point of views, didn’t help at all. This made me get disconnected from the read every now and then as well.

[Malte Wagensommer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Very Very Slow but it kept me interested for 600 pages so cudos for that. dialog boring af tho. rating speaks for itself however, you are a different person after reading this

[Artsy Metobe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had Murakami on my list for some years now, but this is the first of his novels I've read. Just finished it today. It was recommended by a friend, and initially it had be bemused and frustrated, because I could see no direction to the story. However, it continued to fascinate me with its breadth and how thought-provoking it was, despite being unconventional, to say the least. I found continuing to read it richly rewarding. I could say much more about it, but also don't want to spoil the ride for others. Strongly recommended.

[Reading_Rainbro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read about half of Murakami’s novels and started out loving everything I could get my hands on. After finishing this I think I am officially over the mystique. The tropes are relentless and old….mysteries without resolutions, wife leaves wife comes back through an indiscernible series of events, wells, cats, uncomfortable sexualization…the reiteration is formulaic and borderline gimmicky. And the worst of all I do not think Murakami ever says anything clearly definable about his worldviews.

[Matty Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a difficult book that I’ve read so far, not because it’s a rubbish book but because it’s the first book I’ve read where it leaves a lot to my own interpretation. I felt lost at time’s and stuck thinking that there was going to be mystery or twist and turns rather than listening to the stories of each character and understanding them and how they related to Toru. Upon reflection there was a lot I had missed but I look forward to reading it again with a different perspective. I feel like it has taught me to read differently than what I’m usually accustomed to in regards to looking for parallel’s and understanding a character on a deeper level.

I love how well I was able to imagine the moments that he described. Some of it was simply terrifying and vivid:

“The rectangular room was too long and wide to see from end to end, and arranged in it in perfectly straight lines were five-hundred or more square tables. We sat at one of the tables in the middle, the only people there. Across the ceiling, as high as that of a Buddhist temple, stretched countless heavy beams, from all points of which there hung, like potted plants, objects that appeared to be toupees. A closer look showed me that they were human scalps.
I could tell from the black blood on their undersides. They were newly taken scalps that had been hung from the beams to dry. I was afraid that the still-fresh blood might drip into our tea. Blood was dripping all around us like raindrops, the sound reverberating through the cavernous room. Only the scalps hanging above our table seemed to have dried enough for there to be no sign of blood dripping from them”

I also love to read a book full of quotes that I write down and this definitely had a few such as:

"Why do you like jellyfish so much?" I asked “I don't know. I guess I think they're sweet," she said. "But one thing did occur to me when I was focusing on them. What we see before us is just one tiny part of the world. We get into the habit of thinking, This is the world, but that's not true at all. The real world is in a much darker and deeper place than this, and most of it is occupied by jellyfish and things. We just happen to forget all that. Don't you agree?Two-thirds of the earth's surface is ocean, and all we can see of it with the naked eye is the surface: the skin. We hardly know anything about what's underneath the skin."

[Krishna Teja · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was trying to get into regular habit of reading books. Not that yhis is my first book. I have read few books before. But I was trying to cultivate a habit and pickednup this shit reading so many good reviews. What the heck was that? Did anyone really understand what's going on in this? I have never seen a book with so many loose ends. I know it is Chronicles so it is supposed to have different stories. But where is the conclusion? Where is the closure? Where is the explanation for the questions that lead character MR. Okada had?

This book killed my interest in reading. After spending so much time you get a feeling of disgust. I could have finished 3 TV series in this time. Bloody idiots, just learn to give your honest review for once.

I have nothing more to say other this book is absolute bullshit and Murakami is the worst writer ever. Never reading his books again.

[Ankie Hui · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't get this book. I get most of the side stories but the one with the dreams and the bird I don't. All of the side stories are kinda disconnected in my point of view as I can't connect the dots together. I thought I would understand by the end of the book but perhaps I'm not sophisticated enough to understand. 2 stars only because I'm too ignorant. No hate.

[Lilli · Rating 4 out of 5]

apparently this was not the book when you want to start reading murakami. read too many pages about ww2 wondering how does this connect to anything

somehow still loved it

tldr: this is not a book about man trying to find his cat

[Karen Koppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange book that I read a few years ago and forgot to record on Goodreads. It was long and a book that keeps you reading just to find out what the author is trying to say. I really don't remember it leaving a specific message but just a kind of adventure of sorts into this man's mind.

[Pubudu Yasira · Rating 2 out of 5]

am I the only one who didn't get this book? I had very high hopes of this acknowledged masterpiece of Murakami. But I didn't like it at all

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read
It seem to be a little more complex possibly confusing but continuously interesting
It is amazing how the mind works

[Emmanuel Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE, LOVE , LOVED THIS. Probs one of my favorite books out there.

[Paige Soal · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Murakami read. Phenomenal really.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

another indescribable Murakami. i loved every minute of this 23 hour audible book. i dont know whether the true talent is the translator or the author but listening to this book is like a meditation. i loved the characters, the stories within the story and the language and yet i would be hard pressed to tell anyone what it was "about". i can tell you what happened, and some of the incredible war stories but what tied it all together was an ordinary guy who just didn't do much but be a foil for all this fantastic writing.

so don't blame me if you hate it, i loved it though.

[Peter Herrmann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'd have given it perhaps 2-stars, because it kept me interested for awhile just to know if it was really 'going anywhere.' And, I've read other things by Murakami and enjoyed them. But after 300 pages in (with 300+ pages remaining) I was fairly sure that I had been scammed long enough with a rambling, pointless, surreal con job - so I started skimming to the end (which confirmed my suspicion all along) - so it gets 1-star.