Finished The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle [11/17/2008]

I am now thoroughly impressed with Murakami. This book had all of the suspense and mystery of Kafka on the Shore but without the foreshadowing. This world where the bizarre is commonplace is scary but also compelling.

The contrast between Toru's unwaivering determination to bring Kumiko back to him, and his complete fatalism with regard to everything else that happens to him is strange.

Ultimately, I think this is a tale of a shamanic journey by a novice without the help of a guide. It's a frightening concept and I'm still surprised Toru made it out alive. I think maybe I'll write a longer paper about this at some point because it's pretty interesting to me.

I am excited to read the rest of Murakami's works but, I think I need a break until the next one because they are so consuming and difficult to read in the same way as Castaneda.