Christian Swanson

A Triumph for both Degas and Murakami

Revisado: 08-21-18

Dear Mr. Wind-Up Bird...

A married man going off to search for his missing cat in 1980s Japan begins this crazy story that combines elements of romance, transcendental philosophy, fatalism, fantasy, surrealism, sexual relations, comedy, the horrific realities of the human condition, and a whole lot else that I don't want to spoil, but suffice to say, if you are thinking about experiencing a Haruki Murakami novel, BUY THIS BOOK!

I know a lot of people are mentioning how they disliked Rupert Degas's choice of voices for all the characters, but I found them incredibly engaging. he lends a completely different voice to each character, to the point where you can tell who is speaking without him having to say the characters name. The performance is very theatrical, and combined with Murakami's writing style, it almost at times comes across more as a radio play than as an audio book.

This is my first experience with Murakami's writing, and I'm hooked. I know that ultimately this is a translation, and maybe it's because my last book that I read was a Thomas Pynchon novel, (who, while clearly a brilliant mind, has a wandering mind and a complex sentence structure that demands rigid, uninterrupted attention when experiencing) but it was such a relief to experience such a complex, thought-provoking story told in such unpretentious language. I never felt lost, never lost track of the story, never forgot what exactly was happening.

I think one thing that people might have slight difficulties with when reading this book is its long-term arc, because lemme tell you, of a 26 hour book, I was 15 hours though it at one point and when a friend asked me how it was, I said "Well, it's really good, but I don't know where the hell the story is going or what exactly the book is ultimately ABOUT yet." As the book got to it's final hours, I remembered how I had heard Murakami compared to David Lynch (whom I also adore) pretty often, and was worried that the book was going to end in one of the styles Lynch loves- something harrowing and ambiguous, that leaves you feeling empty, or like you've had your guts ripped from your stomach. But in the final hour, the myriad of tributaries and offshoots of the story all coalesce into one form theme, like (to slightly crib the words of novel a bit) a 3D jigsaw puzzle that you didn't realize was actually a puzzle until the final piece locked into place.

Haruki Murakami is on my list now. I've already recommended this particular novel to a few people, and I plan to move into another Murakami audiobook in the months to come. I'm so glad he has such a catalogue set up to experience.

This review has gone on long enough, but as a closer, I'd just like to point out that, as someone who writes a lot myself, it's always so REFRESHING to experience a storyteller that comes along and shows you a new way of experiencing truth, of relating emotion. Murakami made me WANT TO WRITE, experiencing this novel. I haven't felt that way since reading William Gibson invent a new genre with Neuromancer. (not to compare the two in content, just in creativity) To repeat my earlier sentiment, if you are considering getting this book, GET IT! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

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Peter Kinney does an amazing job.

Revisado: 06-08-18

Killin it, sapkowski. Killin it, sapkowski.Killin it, sapkowski.Killin it, sapkowski.Killin it, sapkowski.Killin it, sapkowski.Killin it, sapkowski. You did good.

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excellent end to an excellent trilogy

Revisado: 01-05-18

narrator does a great job, excellent at doing different accents without sounding corny (or racist). Gibson is a legend, and this is another great example as to why.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

excellent prelude to the novel series

Revisado: 12-04-17

do not skip this one before diving into the novels! it's a must listen. great geralt voice fine by Peter Kenny

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Even better than neuromancer

Revisado: 11-22-17

Gibson shows why he's a legend. A multi-viewpoint narrative that goes in three vastly different directions and wraps up in a delightful little bow at the end. Gibson has a gift for coming up with terrific endings.

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