Daniel
asked:
I have a Murakami question in general. I read an article suggesting the read the books in a particular order which was: 1. Hard Boiled 2. Kafka on the shore 3. 1Q83 4. Wind up Bird 5. After dark. The article suggested that these were the 5 main books. I have already read the following books in the following order: Norwegian Woods After the Quake Dance... Hear the wind sing Pinball Wild Sheep Any suggestions?
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Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)
The first three books he wrote were, in order, Hear the Wind Sing, Pinball, and Dance, Dance, Dance, followed by Wild Sheep. After that, they're pretty much stand alones.
Eric Stodolnik
If I understand your question right, in that you haven't read the first 5 books cited by the article... that you've read only the list you've stated below, I'd definitely recommend Hard Boiled Wonderland and Kafka on the Shore, but After Dark is a very very short book in comparison to his others, and can be read very very quickly. I just read it yesterday in one sitting, it it was a fun read, and IMO super dark, even for Murakami.
Ahmad
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Ant
I made the decision to read them all in order of publish date which works fine for me in terms of tracking the evolution of his style, however I re-read the Rat Trilogy + Dance in order but in fact there was no real need as there is little conceptual continuity.
I have heard that Kafka is a prequel to Hardboiled but I have never read it anywhere else so not sure about following that line.
But to answer your question, I don't think there is any detriment in reading them in any order you wish, but as others have pointed out you could divide them stylistically but then where does one start and the other end?
I have heard that Kafka is a prequel to Hardboiled but I have never read it anywhere else so not sure about following that line.
But to answer your question, I don't think there is any detriment in reading them in any order you wish, but as others have pointed out you could divide them stylistically but then where does one start and the other end?
Naimul Mihad
I have read in this order:
Men Without Women, Norwegian Wood, Pinball, Hear The Wind sing, Strange Library, Sputnik Sweetheart, After Dark.
I am going to read Dance Dance Dance next, and then Kafka on The Shore.
Men Without Women, Norwegian Wood, Pinball, Hear The Wind sing, Strange Library, Sputnik Sweetheart, After Dark.
I am going to read Dance Dance Dance next, and then Kafka on The Shore.
Nistha Shrestha
The first order is more of that dreamy like novel, a typical Haruki Murakami Novel; Magical Realism. However, the latter one is a contemporary read still has that only minimal of dreamy feel (I hope you get it, I don't know how to explain that Haruki style other than this way) and has track of time and a direction to it. Just to add there is something called the Rat series; Hear the Wind Sing (The Rat, #1), Pinball, 1973 (The Rat, #2), A Wild Sheep Chase (The Rat, #3), Dance Dance Dance (The Rat, #4). So yeah.
Cristian Ligüeño
My favourite books by Haruki Murami are Sputnik Sweetheart and A Wild Ship Chase.
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