Life in a well — The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

For some reason it seems like I am living in a well. It’s not an actual well unlike where Mr. Wind-Up Bird used to live but it is definitely mental well of my own making where I hide from the world for a while untill I am ready to face it again. Last few weeks have been “difficult" for lack of better word and this book by Murakami has been a worthy company.

World of Murakami takes all the very regular brick and motor from the forlorn corner shop for its building material. Then it intelligently build these secret pathways of existence which are unnatural but somehow feels totally possible at the same time.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is essentially a story of a divorce and how it forces a young man to discover himself. As simple as that. But the thing with Murakami is that he doesn’t create a narrative, he actually starts with characters — then he define those characters with a painstaking detail. Every character makes a point to tell a long story about themselves — nothing profound but something so peculiar that it leaves an impression. Nothing exactly explained but everything giving you a sense of intellectual most in which you want to live and lost. Now these characters are simply bought under one universe to collide with eachother.

I often get a feeling while reading Murakami that I have met this character somewhere before. I can actually bet that if someone put their mind to it, they will find Murakami characters featuring in different books.

For example the uncle in this book looks like from south of border, west of the sun. May Kasahara lives in the same set up where girl from Norse Wood ends up living in the end. I also sure we have already read a story about where the cat lives while she is missing.

All his characters are fascinating because they have been written with utmost care. At times

I also feel like he is describing his day as it is.

As part of the book have already feature as short stories in few cases. Example Year of Spaghetti has a strong reference in first chapter.

The wind up bird chronological was a more explained novel of Murakami for me than his later work, it sort of simplified his work process and clarity of his character evolution which in his later work remains sort of out of your reach.

You know what he is talking about but you keep second guessing yourself on logic but what remains real is this really googy feeling in your heart and you have lived. You have to read Murakami to know what I mean.

Life in a well — The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - A review by Magicthreadworks