Author: Haruki Murakami
Translator: Alfred Birnbaum
Publisher: Vintage International
Publication Year: 2015
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
In this hyperkinetic and relentlessly inventive novel, Japan’s most popular (and controversial) fiction writer hurtles into the consciousness of the West. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World draws readers into a narrative particle accelerator in which a split-brained data processor, a deranged scientist, his shockingly undemure granddaughter, Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, and various thugs, librarians, and subterranean monsters collide to dazzling effect. What emerges is simultaneously cooler than zero and unaffectedly affecting, a hilariously funny and deeply serious meditation on the nature and uses of the mind.
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Hard-Boiled
Wonderland and the End of the World is a book which split into two alternating
narratives. The first one follows an unnamed male narrator in the middle of his
thirties who lives in Tokyo. He works as a 'Calcutec' for a company called the
System. His job is processing data and encrypt it using his brain. Opposed to
the System, there's a company called the Factory who employs 'Semiotecs' to
steal data from the System. In the book, the narrator was assigned to a
scientist who has an underground laboratory. As the narrator finished the
assignment, he discovered that there's a lot more hidden within the scientist's
research.
While the second narrative follows a character who just moved to
a strange place called the Town. This town is surrounded by an impenetrable
wall. When he moved there, his shadow was cut off and sent to the shadow grounds
as the residents of the town are not allowed to have shadow. He then assigned a
job as 'the Dreamreader' in which he reads dream through unicorn skulls stacked
in the library. Assisted by the librarian, he's trying to adapt to the job and
the life while discovering the truth behind the isolated Town.
After
finishing this book, I honestly have so many thoughts about it but find
difficulties in expressing it articulately through writing. There are aspects
that I personally think would be best discovered by the readers themselves. I'm
trying to draw the line on what should I write here assuming that people who
read this post haven't read the book. That's also why I went into this book with
only the book cover's description in mind. With that being said, I want to talk
about the general theme of this book first.
This book is the second book by
Murakami that I read, in addition to his short stories published in the New
Yorker. The other one I read is Norwegian Wood, which considered as his 'normal'
book. I heard that his writing leaning towards surrealism. Reading this book, I
understand why. I dove into this book expecting this so I wasn't surprised to
read the weirdness of the worlds built by Murakami. I wrote worlds because of
the two narratives. Though in the Town, or (as we'd learn later in the book) the
End of the World, the symbolism is clear and the unusual is visible, Tokyo in
the other narrative seems like a mash-up of real world and the imaginative
future. In this book's Tokyo, or (let's say the Hard-Boiled Wonderland), we have
the two mysterious corporations who are always at a data/information war but
presumably ran by the same person, then we have the INKlings. The INKlings are
Kappa-like (Japanese mythical creature) creatures living underground. This world
that Murakami built is a blend of fantasy and a bit of science fiction thrown in
a real world. Funnily enough, I was more surprised that it's set in Tokyo
because I already assumed that since it's Murakami, I'd be sent in a strange
world that would make me scratch my head and said 'huh, what was that?'. It's
nothing like I read before, but in a good way because I enjoyed the experience.
As you explore deeper within both worlds you'll find clues that connect these
two seemingly different worlds.
The connection also apparent in characters
from both worlds. As I mentioned previously, I don't want to give too much but
if you're intuitive you'll realize the connection between the two worlds in term
of characters. Also, I don't know why the narrator has no name. I don't know if
Murakami did it deliberately because I think I read in an article somewhere that
he has difficulty in naming his characters. However, this book does deal with
one's identity. In the End of the World, the narrator is struggling in deciding
whether to leave the Town with his shadow or keep on living without his shadow.
The people in Town who have no shadows seemed lifeless and they are described as
devoid of mind and memories. When their shadows 'die', they lose part of their
selves. I can’t help but pose the question, what is one's identity? What makes
you who you are?
The ending of this book is not conclusive which is
reflective of life, in my opinion. Human being is adaptive and capable of a wide
range of experience. To decide one's position in the world, what it means to be
alive and end it that way won't be suitable. I'm fine with the ending as it is.
I know that there are some explanation gaps about the book in this post which
probably make what I wrote incomprehensible. I encourage you to read the book
and experience it for yourself. Most veteran Murakami readers would say that
this book is rougher than his more recent works, which is understandable. Still,
I enjoyed reading this book nonetheless. One key word that I haven't mentioned
yet but play a big role in this book is subconsciousness. So there you go.
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