Wind-Up Bird Chronicles - SPOILERS

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami is our New School Classic Group read for July 2021.

This is the SPOILER thread.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

We are over a third through the month, has anyone started this one?

[Janelle]

I’ve finished it. I didn’t like it as much as the other novels of Murakami I’ve read. The war sections aren’t for the faint hearted but the strongest parts, I thought.
My review is short because it’s hard to put into words! I think I’m still a bit confused.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

The first chapter is certainly off-putting.

[Natalie]

Since this wasn’t coming in on time I decided to read another Murakami book. I decided to go with Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki because I heard it didn’t have magical realism (which I don’t like) and that there was something of a mystery. It was also (semi) shorter at 400 pages. 😂

Overall I liked it. There was some really gorgeous writing in there and some very touching moments. But there was also some weird sex scenes and the end was quite dull because the mystery was solved but there were still pages and pages of the MC just going through his daily average life.

This was my first Murakami and I don’t really feel inclined to read more, except for maybe his short stories. I don’t know. His books just seem really long and apparently there’s a lot of that stream of consciousness writing and a lot of magical realism - two things I really don’t like.

[Fee]

I’m 11% in and not yet sure what I’m feeling about it. I enjoy reading the parts where he talks to the strange girl in the garden and I like to learn more about his wife and their relationship, which seems to be good and problematic at the same time. But I have absolutely no idea where this story is going. We’ll see...

[Erin]

I was enjoying the book and felt like it was building up to some things coming together but instead to me it started to feel like it was dragging a bit around the halfway point or so. I’m not disliking it, just slowed down a bit in my reading of it as versus other things, but I’m sure I’ll still finish this month. I’ll post more specific thoughts then.

[Darren]

hmmm 36 votes and v.few participating...

I read this a few years ago and it went straight onto my favourites list (near the top!)
I would've re-read it now with the group, but it's quite long and I'm choc-a with other reads atm
happy that it's on our shelf though, so will use this thread when I do re-read...

[Sam]

I had finished up this late June and was waiting for the discussion to start before contributing. My thoughts were expressed by Janelle and Natalie. I enjoyed the book but not as much as Kafka on the Shore or Killing Commendtore. Although a later novel, the novel seemed to have flaws of a less experienced writer and could have been edited down a couple hundred pages. The biggest flaw is the adolescent sex fantasies which are often distasteful and leave one uncomfortable. But Murakami creates strong memorable images (e.g. the wind-up bird), uses interesting recurring motifs though his novels, and usually leaves me with something that keeps me thinking after I have finished the book. In this book, I was struck by the character of May Kasahara and fascinated in the ways Murakami used her in this novel.

[Robin P]

If anyone didn't care for this, you probably won't like other Murakami books either. They almost all have the surreal quality. It seems to be even past magical realism. They are often violent and have sex scenes. He also has recurring themes, such as wells, music, and cats. I generally don't like any of that but I do like Murakami over all, I can't explain why. My favorite is Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood is his most "normal" book.

[Brian E]

Darren wrote: "hmmm 36 votes and v.few participating..."

Maybe because its a long book and, like me, some are hesitant to look at the Spoilers thread until they finish the book. I just risked it and peaked in here because the Non-spoiler thread doesn't really talk about the book events and I felt a need to see what other readers are saying about the book.

I am 2/3 finished (page 400) and while I have found the story very imaginative and the writing efficiently expositive, unlike others, I haven't found the writing beautiful.
The story truly is imaginative and, until recently, kept my interest, However, I do feel disengaged from the characters and events which seem too surreal to relate to. It is an interesting story with no heart. I realize that others seem to find meaning in Murakami's novels but I think some of it may be going over my head or just beyond my level of interest.
I'm at the point where the property has been purchased and developed and Nutmeg is starting her story. While this may turn out to be another interesting aspect of the story, I find myself feeling that the story is really full enough already and I don't need any more aspects. I guess I'm tiring of the number of imaginative events and would prefer to wrap it up now.
But I am interested in how it ultimately all wraps up and have not been turned off trying another Murakami in the near future, likely the shorter more "normal" Norwegian Wood

[Pamela]

I’m just starting this - it’s my fourth book by Murakami so I have a pretty good idea of the themes I’m going to encounter, cats, ears, etc. I generally find his books fascinating (apart from the sex, which I always skip through as quickly as possible!)

[Brian E]

I stated earlier that I didn't find Murakami's writing beautiful, that doesn't appear to be considered one of his strengths anyway. An article by a self-proclaimed fan mentioned that:
"Murakami has never been known for being a brilliant prose writer" ..."More than being known for, say, his prose style or his richly plotted narratives, Murakami is beloved for the genre he has created, his own particular take on magical realism, recognizable by tropes like pasta, cats, an oppressive sense of loneliness, and secret worlds that coexist in or beside our own."

This article also had a link to a Bingo board to use when reading a Murakami book and, as Bingo games seem popular in this group:
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytim...

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Thank you for your thoughts, Brian and Pamela. I read the first chapter, started the second one, and just haven't picked it up again. I'll try reading again, but I do have so many other books ready to read that this one just keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the stack.

[Robin P]

Brian wrote: "Darren wrote: "hmmm 36 votes and v.few participating..."

Maybe because its a long book and, like me, some are hesitant to look at the Spoilers thread until they finish the book. I just risked it a..."

I think you are right, Brian, the characters in Murakami books, just like everything else, aren't exactly real. And with the randomness of his world, they don't always behave in rational or psychologically predictable ways. I still don't understand why I like his books, since all these things usually are a turnoff for me. Somehow, inside his universe, I feel like these things work. But none of the usual rules apply.

[Brian E]

Robin P wrote: ". I still don't understand why I like his books, since all these things usually are a turnoff for me. ."

Since you said something similar in an earlier post, I've had the song:
"I don't know why I love you like I do, I don't know why, I just do"
running through my head.
I can see liking his work BECAUSE its not what you usually read and like. It is imaginative enough to be entertaining or, as Pamela calls it, 'fascinating.' For me, the war parts in the last part of the book adds to his similarity to Vonnegut, cited as one of Murakami's influences. Also, with the tropes, images and weird people inhabiting the story, at times it feels like I'm in a David Lynch movie.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Brian wrote: "...I can see liking his work BECAUSE its not what you usually read and like. .."

That is why I like the group voting for New School Classics, oftentimes, as in this book, it gets me to at least pick up and try reading new authors and styles.

[Brian E]

I have finished and am glad that at least one of the threads was tied up. This novel, much like a Lynch movie, does leave a lot unexplained. While I don't need explanations for everything, and can enjoy the odd stuff just because it's creative rather than integral to a plot, I have mixed feelings about the overall effect here.
It's true that untied threads can have value merely as red herrings in the convoluted mystery/detective story presented here. I also feel that Murakami wants the reader to feel confused to show that the world is a mysterious place where the lines between reality and fantasy are not clearly defined.
While Murakami is successful in evoking that feeling, I guess I like to finish a story with something more tangible - maybe more knowledge or insight, whether about facts or people. I'm not sure that after 600 pages of various side trips, unexplained dream worlds and characters, that 'feeling' is enough of a revelatory payoff here. I have to think about that a bit more when deciding how to rate this book. Maybe the ride itself is good enough to be sufficient payoff.

[Natalie]

Brain - I felt very similar to when I finished “Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki.” I needed more of a wrap up and actually would’ve probably given that book five stars if I’d felt that closure in the end.

This book wasn’t going to come in for another few weeks so I just took it off hold. I don’t really feel inspired to read more of his works.

[Robin P]

I really like this comment Brian:

the world is a mysterious place where the lines between reality and fantasy are not clearly defined.

It does seem like this is how he experiences life. (I wonder if drugs are sometimes involved!)

[Brian E]

This is my first Murakami and, after looking at the Bingo board and reading more about Murakami, I think that this novel is a very good entry into Murakami. My previous planned candidates for my first Murakami, Norwegian Wood or Wild Sheep Chase, are good examples of Murakami but do not appear to be as extensive as the Wind-up Bird Chronicle, which exposes the reader to more of the tropes one will encounter in other Murakami novels. I now feel prepared to meet any rabbit Murakami will pull out of the hat in any future reads of his books.

While I have this rated as a 3.5 star novel, I have decided to round down to a 3 star rather than 4 star rating for this novel, for reasons I stated earlier. One additional factor is that, as I will read other Murakami novels, it gives me more room to rate them higher. I can always change this rating to 4 stars later if I choose. I have previously changed ratings based on how I feel about a book months after finishing it.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Brian wrote: "...I have previously changed ratings based on how I feel about a book months after finishing it. ..."

Me too, and I have also found that my idea of what constitutes a star has changed over time. Unfortunately, I am not always consistent.

[ShazM]

I have just finished the book and I’m quite confused. The intermingled dreams and alternate realities left me feeling behind a lot of the time. There are things that either aren’t explained or I missed it altogether. For example, assuming Creta Kano was real in the first place, why did she end up with Lieutenant Mamiya?
I’m pleased that I managed to read the whole book and was interested enough to keep going.

[Sam]

ShazM wrote: "I have just finished the book and I’m quite confused. The intermingled dreams and alternate realities left me feeling behind a lot of the time. There are things that either aren’t explained or I mi..."

I find that when reading Murakami, I do not expect things to make sense. Instead I prefer to attend to the feeling evoked in either the character or myself by the situation or in relation to the whole of what has come before compared to the specific situation. Even that does not fully help understanding. I think we have to accept it as a given that some things may remain unresolved or not make sense in the way we would wish. The novels seem like journeys meant to entertain and be experienced where the destination is not the goal. Compare them to an amusement park ride.

[ShazM]

Sam wrote: "I find that when reading Murakami, I do not expect things to make sense. Instead I prefer to attend to the feeling..."

I think that's what I struggled with. I do like things to make sense and I like loose ends to be neatly tied up, even when I'm reading magical realism. Clearly I need to read more Murakami and perhaps it will help me with other "difficult" books like If on a Winter's Night!

[Pamela]

I’ve read several Murakami novels now, and this one was the best so far. I was happy that most of the loose ends were tied up, with just a few bits left to keep the reader wondering, but I can appreciate that not everyone enjoys that ambiguity (especially after investing yourself for 600+ pages!)

I also enjoy Murakami’s use of language - it appears straightforward and is very easy to read, but the recurring themes and images add the complexity.

[Erin]

I finished the book yesterday and have been trying to determine what I think about it… Or just thinking about the story and it’s many threads…

I had expected something from the war stories to be revealed to be somehow causative in the present events of the story, but May Kasahara would no doubt not above of looking at the story that way, looking for causes and effects…

I enjoyed the surreal dreamlike feel of the book and the book as a whole. I will definitely read more by Murakami. :)

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

A little goes a long way for me with this book. Can't say that I am enjoying the read - but the strangeness is intriguing.

[Robin P]

It's common in Murakami that things aren't explained, or the explanation makes no sense in the "real" world. Surreal is a good description.