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This was my first Murakami book, which for some reason I expected to be a difficult slog, but it was nothing of the sort. As Sam says, reading Murakami is like eating candy--easy and enjoyable. There's always something happening to keep your interest.
This is the story of the toughest fifteen-year-old in the world who runs away from home and ends up working in a small library. It's also the story of a simple-minded man who can talk to cats. And there's a cameo by Johnny Walker, and Colonel Sanders, and women who may or may not be the mother or sister of the runaway. It's on the bizarre side, but in a good way.
I think between Sam's take and my experience I have come to the conclusion that reading Murakami can be as difficult as you make it. I probably should have thought about this book more deeply than I did; I'm sure there are all kinds of layers I could have peeled back, because it's full of metaphors and symbolism. But it's not a reading requirement, and I was on vacation, so I took the easy route.
Sam (who has read at least three of them) thinks it's really only necessary to read one Murakami book. Agree or disagree?
One of my faves. Murakami's books are always a palate cleanser for me. They are like nothing else and when I need to get all scrubby clean for my next read I crave his writing. I just wish his translations were done quicker because once he writes a new book it's a good two years before we get to see it in the US.
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