The Wind-up bird chronicle by Haruki Murakami. First Published 1994. Translated into English by Jay Rubin 1997.
Murakami gently drops us into the world of Toru Okada, an average man living in modern Japan. Having left his job he spends his time at home being house-husband to his wife and cat. His mundane existence consists of not much more than cooking, reading and listening to jazz. Murakami fans will know that this even tempered narrative will not be so for long, without knowing how, we know it will be imaginative and unexpected.
Gradually we are introduced to the bizarre and unbelievable, however, the trusting and relaxed state Murakami has hypnotized us into with his humble and easy manner enables us to believe and follow unquestioningly - this is aided by Murakami's use of first person which helps us to live and feel with Toru Okada as he meets with unusual people and events: his cat disappears, he spends time with a young neighbour, he hangs out timelessly in a dry well, he moves into other worlds, his wife becomes distant then disappears altogether, he receives strange unexplained phone calls and he meets up with a family friend of his wife's for spiritual guidance and receives long war stories.
The wind up bird chronicle becomes jarring when it moves from modern Japan to these 1933 stories which we read as part of this novel. This work is over 600 pages and according to Yoshiko Yokochi Samuel (World Literature Today, Vol. 73, No.2, Spring 1999) has been subject to extensive cutting. Perhaps this contributes to the disconnected sense of some characters and the clunkiness of switching between modern Japan and 1933 Manchuria, perhaps not.
Murakami fans will not be disappointed. It is imaginative, clever and dream-like and Murakami's reliably smooth and hypnotizing manner makes for a truly blissful read.
Four Stars!
Julie
