The Wind-up Bird Chronicle was my introduction to the very popular Japanese author Haruki Murakami. I found the book fascinating and even riveting. The book has a hallucinatory quality that is very unusual. The protagonist, Toru Okada, is an extremely passive character, kind of a loser fallen between the cracks in the Japanese system. Having quit his job in a law firm, abandoned by his wife and even cat, he drifts through his days and bumps into a number of strange characters such as old WWII vets, pychic healers, teenage school dropouts, etc. Serious issues are dealt with as well as personal foibles, such as Japan's WWII legacy, the corrupt political system, broken aspects of Japanese society, etc. It's well written but often puzzling and at times frustrating to keep straight. But if you don't require a tightly written plot and enjoy lots of interpolated stories, some of harrowing vividness or mysterious ambiguity, you'll like the book.
For a review of the book from NY Times, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/11/02/reviews/971102.02jamest.html
For a review of the book from NY Times, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/11/02/reviews/971102.02jamest.html
