Japanese author Haruki Murakami is known worldwide for his of magical realist fiction. His characters move between the conscious and subconscious realm of the world often traveling to dreamscape and the land of the dead as they try to examine their memories of people and objects they have lost.
The collision of different worlds is a common occurrence in Haruki Murakami’s works. He forms a link between personal experiences of his characters, supernatural possibilities and Japanese history as he tries to understand the inner core of the human identity. Murakami’s love for jazz also shows in his works.
His popularity among the bibliophiles worldwide is such that once his books are released in Japanese; they are immediately translated and made available to global market. Here a list of some of his top books to add to your to be read list
Kafka on the Shore (2002)
Kafka on the shore has a dual narrative and the story surrounds two protagonists living different life however still sharing their destiny. The first character is a 15 year old boy who is trying to outrun a dark prophesy and his tyrannical father. In an attempt to do so he renames himself Kafka after his favourite author and runs away from his home. Kafka narrates every second chapter of the book while the rest are centering on the life of an old man named Nakata, who lost his ability to read and write because of an incident during World War 2 but gained an uncanny ability to talk to cats. As the life and fates of both the characters intertwine prophesies come true, portals to different dimensions open and fish and leeches rain from the sky.
Upon first reading the dual narrative may confuse you a bit. But as you go further into the story the duality will start to make sense, so do stick with it! It’s meant to be thought-provoking — Murakami himself said that the book is full of riddles, the answers to which are unique to you and your reading experience.
Norwegian Wood (1987)
No list of Murakami’s best works can be completed without mentioning the book which made him worldwide popular. Even though very different from Haruki’s rest of the works this tear-jerker is a true testament to the author’s shimmering eloquence. Unlike his other books it’s not surrealist. Instead, it’s a nostalgic story of a 30-something man Toru Watanabe reminiscing about his college life, his first love, and his grief for lost loved ones. The story explores Toru’s tragic relationship with a mentally disturbed young woman Naoko who hears the voice of “Kizuki”—her dead lover and Toru’s best friend. Toru spends part of the story trying to help his first love Naoko and another part of it struggling with his desire for “Midori,” the vibrant “other woman” in the novel.
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1995)
Published in Japan as a trilogy and translated to English as a single book this is another of Murakami’s work featuring the “other world”
What starts out as an urban couple’s attempt to find their missing cat (Murakami loves cats) turns into something other-worldly in this story. The book is at once a detective story, an account of a disintegrating marriage, and an excavation of the buried secrets of World War II. From quirky characters to alternative realities, the plot of this Murakami book will surely leave you reeling.
1Q84 (2009-2010)
The title of the book is a play on Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. Comprising of 3 parts it is a dystopian novel following two protagonists. A young woman named Aomame who follows a taxi driver’s suggestion and begins noticing puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She feels like she has entered, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled. In a strange intertwining of fates, they are together drawn to a strange world face to face with a religious organization.
The unlikely events, the collision of parallel worlds, and an impressive cast of unconventional characters will pull you along, letting you discover Japan’s religious sects and shifting social reality in the modern age.
A Wild Sheep Chase (1982)
‘A Wild Sheep Chase’ is a trippy tale with a mix of detective story, myth, fantasy and philosophy. It is as much a spiritual journey as a physical one. There are several references to Japan’s history, its cultural and spiritual beliefs, which fit very smoothly with the western influence and pop-culture allusions. This book is the perfect read for the readers who are still not used to Murakami’s eccentric style of writing as it is comparatively less complicated than the others.
The book features an anonymous protagonist who is asked to locate a powerful sheep that bears a weird birthmark. All he is given is a picture of the life form that is physically unable to exist. But he takes up the quest because he knows he is in for something fantastical. A woman, possessing enchantingly beautiful ears, also accompanies him in his hunt.
