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Loading... Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (1985)by Haruki Murakami
  
Magic Realism (15) Top Five Books of 2014 (132) » 15 more Favourite Books (659) Japanese Literature (93) Reiny (2) Books Read in 2018 (3,038) 20th Century Literature (613) Rereading Hard-boiled Wonderland, as part of this year's (2020) goal of rereading books in my collection, I found myself wanting more out of a story that really captured my imagination the first time around. I appreciated the mystery, however, the journey, particularly in the "hard-boiled wonderland" felt two-dimensional and the characters were weird and unlikeable. Therefore the choice at the end of the novel didn't feel powerful as much as incidental, which left me annoyed at the whole experience where the first time I felt thrilled.  b.masonjudy | May 24, 2020 |  I came to Hard-Boild after reading: 1Q84, Wind Up Bird Chronicles and Kafka at the Shore. This book is truly out there -- our hero wanders into a scene that is as absurd and silly as a comic book, and some of the wacky science is a little too much. But it's all just the vehicle for expressing a truly thoughtful and unexpected view of ones consciousness, and what has meaning, or even perhaps what -is- meaning. It has been a while since I read Sartre, Kafka, Camus and others but it recall thinking each had a surreal vision of daily reality -- characters were just foils for their ideas. This is similar in some ways. Murakami, so far has impressed me with his ability to bring wit, humor, immediacy and his own personality and loves into his writing. This makes it approachable, fun, and a little less self-important than these other great authors. This book is not one I would recommend if you're interested in starting with Murakami -- Kafka at the Shore or 1Q84 both fit that bill well. But if you are a fan, and properly prepared for the bizarre, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is a stunning and beautiful work of literature. (  ) modioperandi | May 12, 2020 | I adored this book, the first of Murakami's I've read. It was full of wholly unexpected twists, absurd humor, and palpable wistfulness and longing. Creating a cohesive book out of two different stories, particularly when the halves each have a radically different style and tone, is not an easy trick to pull off, but it was handled impressively well here, and when the connection between the plots was eventually revealed it felt natural. I occasionally had a bit of difficulty following what exactly was going on when there was a bunch of stuff being explained at once, but that's perhaps attributable to the fact that I was reading while laid up in bed with intense stomach pain and thus not at my sharpest mentally. ( ) selfcallednowhere | Jan 8, 2020 | My 3rd Haruki Murakami book. Cant say its my favourite (that would still be Kafka on the shore) but wow what a read. 2 parallel stories, of which one was sometimes a struggle. The way Murakami manages to unfold the connection between the two at the end is amazing. The reason why I favor Kafka on the Shore is that the whole Calcutec/Semiotec storyline was a bit too much sometimes. Mainly the way he delved into how the brain and consciousness works. But I guess this was a perfect build up for the End of the World parts. I still do not understand why one of the characters (the granddaughter of the Professor) was given such prominence in the story. Have to find out why. But overall an impressive read. (  ) mariquon | Jan 7, 2020 | This was an incredible book rife with characters worth knowing, cataclysmic imagery that abounds with symbolism and meaning, a nuanced plot that twists and turns itself (like a snake) at every corner, and a great overall product. I was thoroughly impressed by this one and I do believe that it is among Murakami's best. Very impressive and a must-read for those interested in his work, world literature, or Japanese literature. 4.5 stars. (  ) DanielSTJ | Nov 14, 2019 |
He has become the foremost representatives of a new style of Japanese writing: hip, cynical and highly stylized, set at the juncture of cyberpunk, postmodernism, and hard-boiled detective fiction.... Murakami [is] adept at deadpan wit, outrageous style. Murakami's bold willingness to go straight over the top [is] a signal indication of his genius... a world-class writer who has both eyes open and takes big risks.
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