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mhazz's review
2.0
As a Murakami fan, I feel this book disappointed in quite a big way. As it begins, it has huge promise and I was expecting something along the lines of 1Q84. Sadly, this never materialised and instead I felt like I spent the whole novel waiting for the plot to arrive. The climatic moment and resolution especially left me feeling particularly unexcited, with none of the book's many questions being answered. I was also very unsettled by the main character's relationship with - and Murakami's description of - a 13 year old girl.
The redeeming features of this novel are its reference to Japanese mythology, art, and history, as well as its clear inspiration from classical Japanese ghost stories ('weird fiction'); exemplified in the bell, the pit, the characters from the painting and the suggestion of other-worldliness. I did enjoy these elements of the novel, but overall was left wanting more.
The redeeming features of this novel are its reference to Japanese mythology, art, and history, as well as its clear inspiration from classical Japanese ghost stories ('weird fiction'); exemplified in the bell, the pit, the characters from the painting and the suggestion of other-worldliness. I did enjoy these elements of the novel, but overall was left wanting more.
lectora_nocturna's review against another edition
Lento, llarg, una pena perquè els temes que toca m'interessen
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Somewhere between a 4 and a 4.5....
Murakami is one of my favorite authors of all time and for the past couple of years, I've had the hardcover version of this book sitting on my shelf staring at me each night as I went to bed. At the start of 2020, I selected this book, along with 19 others as books from my shelf (i.e. books I already owned) as part of the Unread Shelf Challenge. My goal was to read (at least!) 20 books that I already owned. Well, this big book's turn finally arrived this week! Yippee!
So, this was a long one... But, it is totally in the vein of typical Murakami reads that I love to read so I enjoyed every minute of it. Our protagonist is a 30-something artist who has been making his living painting portraits in Tokyo. After his wife leaves him, he finds himself living in the mountainside home of a famous artist. There he finds a hidden painting in the attic and that's when a bunch of curious and fantastical events start.
I was thoroughly entertained by this. I love the oddness and the quirkiness that is Murakami. LOADS of references to music. Lots of philosophizing on art, love and loneliness. All good stuff as far as I am concerned.
What to listen to while reading...
Strong Enough by Sheryl Crow
Pyramid by The Modern Jazz Quartet
Don Giovanni by Mozart
Der Rosenkavelier by Strauss
The Fool on the Hill by The Beatles
'Round Midnight by Thelonious Monk
The Look of Love by ABC
Head over Heels by The Go-Go's
Hungry Heart by Bruce Springsteen
Murakami is one of my favorite authors of all time and for the past couple of years, I've had the hardcover version of this book sitting on my shelf staring at me each night as I went to bed. At the start of 2020, I selected this book, along with 19 others as books from my shelf (i.e. books I already owned) as part of the Unread Shelf Challenge. My goal was to read (at least!) 20 books that I already owned. Well, this big book's turn finally arrived this week! Yippee!
So, this was a long one... But, it is totally in the vein of typical Murakami reads that I love to read so I enjoyed every minute of it. Our protagonist is a 30-something artist who has been making his living painting portraits in Tokyo. After his wife leaves him, he finds himself living in the mountainside home of a famous artist. There he finds a hidden painting in the attic and that's when a bunch of curious and fantastical events start.
I was thoroughly entertained by this. I love the oddness and the quirkiness that is Murakami. LOADS of references to music. Lots of philosophizing on art, love and loneliness. All good stuff as far as I am concerned.
What to listen to while reading...
Strong Enough by Sheryl Crow
Pyramid by The Modern Jazz Quartet
Don Giovanni by Mozart
Der Rosenkavelier by Strauss
The Fool on the Hill by The Beatles
'Round Midnight by Thelonious Monk
The Look of Love by ABC
Head over Heels by The Go-Go's
Hungry Heart by Bruce Springsteen
halrg's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.0
christineponkey's review against another edition
3.0
more of a 7/10
If you were playing Murakami bingo while you were reading like me, you'd almost get bingo twice, because if includes almost all of Murakami's predictable writing. The characters aren't particularly unique, and the plot is an eerie amalgamation of a lot of his previous work. That being said, if you read Murakami because you enjoy his writing style and the realistic surrealism that he writes in, then this book is the book for you! Weird sex, things vanishing, parallel worlds, weird Freudian psychology that I'm not really gonna touch on - you know, all the good Murakami stuff.
If you were playing Murakami bingo while you were reading like me, you'd almost get bingo twice, because if includes almost all of Murakami's predictable writing. The characters aren't particularly unique, and the plot is an eerie amalgamation of a lot of his previous work. That being said, if you read Murakami because you enjoy his writing style and the realistic surrealism that he writes in, then this book is the book for you! Weird sex, things vanishing, parallel worlds, weird Freudian psychology that I'm not really gonna touch on - you know, all the good Murakami stuff.
chelseatm's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book and it felt like a return to Murakami's previous work like Kafka or Wind-Up Bird. It reminded me a lot of the Odyssey and the protagonist reacting to, rather than creating, his own life story. I highly recommend this for fans of Haruki Murakami.
nonetheless_she_read's review against another edition
4.0
Don't get me wrong, it was an amazing journey. But the just leaves you wanting. There's really no resolution. So many questions are unanswered.