A review by tycutler
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Having never read Murakami, I feel that this book touches every critique I’ve heard from others that have read Murakami’s books. Sexism, excessive gore and violence, and overwrought excess scenes. For the good, anyone interested in surrealist, dreamlike mysteries this is a deep dive into these themes. Murakami weaves Twin Peaks-esque mystical surrealism and his complex, flawed, and confused narrator to create a novel that feels meaningful and profound yet superficial and easy to consume, much in the same way a dream feels just after you wake up. Ultimately, I have never read a book quite like this and am happy to have finished it but would not recommend it to a reader unless they’re interested in the specific qualities I’ve mentioned here.
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