The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

I have read reviews that offer a variety of themes ranging from an analysis of modern Japanese life and especially the male role in society and in contemporary politics through to an attempt to come to grips with the sometimes self-denied aspects of Japan at war with emphasis on their behaviour in Manchuria and China and I was aware of these at times. This is purely a matter of personal taste but I find it intrusive like the US phenomenon of having dead characters come back and offer advice to the living. I had difficulty with the ‘down the well’ aspects of self-realisation that dominate the novel and very little with the metaphysical or magical aspects.

Some of the writing concerning more gruesome aspects of the invasion is the best in the book. This is certainly seen in the case of his use of the Manchuko episode in Japanese history in its broadest sense. The organization is episodic with diverse storylines often developed separately but which eventually coalesce and offer insights. After a lot of meandering, the cat and wife return – end of novel. In effect a somewhat ineffectual drifting married man (Toru Okada) loses his wife and his cat. Essentially there are not a lot of characters and they are developed but always somewhat mistily with plenty of question marks left over their motivations. My Svengali tells that ‘The Wind-up Bird Chronicle’ abounds in ‘magical realism’ which probably explains my main difficulty with it.Īll the usual colour that typifies his novels are present – Western clothing, music, food and drink. ‘Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his Years of Pilgrimage’ I enjoyed a lot more with a clear narrative and developmental line with good writing as well. I found ‘Norwegian Wood’ somewhat distant and not greatly engaging.

I do, however, have a good friend who is his advocate (he even has a Japanese boyfriend) and so have now acquiesced three times. I am not a great fan of Murakami though he seems to have acolytes in legions.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami