Does an observer inexorably change what they are observing?

Do we colonize the world, or does it colonize us?

Does the existence of a multitude of living things in the world prove its banality, or is that the exact reason to be filled with wonder at it?

This book is filled with ambiguity and is strangely clear. The protagonist is plainly logical and rational, yet she is fully mad.

I still have so many questions even now that this book is over! The thrill was unending and I couldn’t put the book down! I don’t know what else to say except that if you enjoy thrillers/psychological horror, you need to experience this one for yourself!

I wish I could put into words how I feel after finishing this book, but I’ll try! This was my first Murakami and it blew me out of the water. It was so exquisitely crafted and I was hooked with every sentence. This book absolutely fits in the “fever dream” category and I loved being confused about what exactly was going on. (I went into this completely blind.)

In the odd chapters, you had Hard Boiled Wonderland about a Calcutec who is gifted a strange skull and has weird things happening to the sounds that he hears (at least that’s how it begins!). And in the even chapters, you have the End of the World with a main character whose shadow was cut off and he is trying to get it back.

The way Murakami weaves these two worlds together with mystery, fantasy, and a little cyberpunk in such an imaginative way is absolutely ingenious. His writing is so clear and his worlds are a breeze to envision, unlike so many other purposefully confusing surrealist works.

The main character, the Calcutec, isn’t a particularly likable character, but Murakami writes him so well that you’re rooting for him the whole way. His struggles and deep inner thoughts make him so human and flawed, and even though he has his issues (more on that below) you develop so much empathy for him over time.

And all of this was before the big reveal… after about 64% or so I had an even greater appreciation for what Murakami constructed.

Because this isn’t just a fantasy, sci-fi noir mystery novel, it asks you to examine what you believe about the human mind, consciousness, memory, identity, and time.

Yes, there are problematic things about this novel/character because of the fact that it was written by a man in the 80s. So be aware of fatphobia/fat fetish, misogyny, male gaze, etc. if those are issues for you.

Overall, I’m adding this to my “Favorites” shelf and buying my own copy to read again, and I already have 1Q84 on my shelf and waiting for me!