For the first time in a very long time, a book has touched me. As I just finished this book, my mind has been attached to the characters and their impression on me. When I first bought the book, I carried a very minimal expectation. I was hoping the novel would be straightforward and not as gripping as it turned out to be. But to my blissful surprise, the novel proved me wrong.
The story is simple, and not complicated to understand at all. The youths especially will develop a liking to the story and some of us can relate to it too. The tale is told by a teenager Watanabe, who has established a peculiar type of relationship with the people around him. Each of the people he associates with has its own story, each has its own philosophies, each has its own personality.
Yet, the narrator is never content. Melancholy is a serious thing. He has complicated relations with the ones he adores the most. At times it's difficult for him to choose, what he really wants. The narrator is all over the place. He seems to be drifting around absently without realizing the true essence of his movements. The dilemma is real here. And Mr. Murakami displays that confusion as if it were our own. It puts us at the edge of our seats, hunting to know what might happen next.
The tragedy is portrayed in a raw fashion. No detail is sugarcoated and used as a way to somehow glamorize the book. Its intricate turn of events surprises the reader at some point. I, myself have stared at the wall wondering how'd that happen? The story grips you in such a way. The writing/translation is smooth and easy to read. Heavy moments in the story are written with such simplicity that it makes the tale tenser.
I've read a handful of books this year, but this one certainly tops the list.
Do give it a read.
Chapter 1
Part 10
(End of chapter 1)
0 Comments: