Haruki Murakami can be difficult to pigeonhole at the best of times but nothing can quite prepare the uninitiated for the ethereal themes that bubble beneath the surface of ¡°Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.¡±
Murakami¡¯s fourth novel, published in 1985, alternates between parallel universes. Occupying the odd-numbered chapters of the book, ¡°Hard-Boiled Wonderland¡± is a science fiction tale in which the narrator is essentially a human data processor. He eventually learns he only has 1? days to exist before he leaves the world he knows for a place he¡¯s invented in his subconscious mind. Still with me? Unfortunately, the insanity doesn¡¯t stop there. ¡°The End of the World,¡± meanwhile, tells the story of a newcomer who is seeking acceptance in an isolated town that is surrounded by a fortified wall. The newcomer¡¯s shadow has been cut off and he devises a plan to rescue the banished silhouette and escape. Those unfamiliar with Murakami¡¯s more surreal works may find the fantasy elements here a little hard to digest, but the dreamlike narrative is enough to keep most readers interested.
Murakami¡¯s love of linguistic trickery, too, makes frequent appearances. ¡°Two people can sleep in the same bed and still be alone when they close their eyes,¡± the narrator tells a librarian as he counts down to his imminent death.
All in all, it¡¯s a foreboding Murakami novel that makes you think as much as it makes you squirm.
Each week ¡°Essentials¡± introduces a work of fiction that should be on the bookshelf of any Japanophile.
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