RE: Fiction Review: Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami (1979, Kodansha International)
Hey there, I said I will come back when I am finished with it and I just did this morning! I did not know this was such a short novel. I see what you mean now and I agree: this would not be the best way to discover Murakami.
Its magical realism is present, but contrary to the two books I mentioned I find there is not enough story. It's more a few moments in a slice of life of one particular person.
The way of presenting situations, characters, the chosen musical theme (70s this time), the bar, drinks, cigars, it's all there though.
And there are some nice passages that make you pause and ponder about your own life.
I think the only element missing, to me, is an overarching story really.
I liked it and I think I'll see about the other three in the quadralogy. ☺
Hey, you have excellent timing! I just this morning completed my readthrough of Pinball, 1973, and I'm assembling my thoughts for the forthcoming review.
It's very similar to Hear the Wind Sing, in that it's more a series of interconnected vignettes as opposed to a fully-contained novel, but I still really enjoyed it. If you got through HtWS and enjoyed it, I see no reason not to pick up the second in the series. It's more of the same, just different, full of about five thousand different passages you want to copy and quote and savor and remember...at least if you're me. ;)
Love that you're kind of following me along on this, @jalayn. Hope you're having fun. :)
I'm sure having fun, it's cool 😊 There is something I forgot to add to my mini-comment about the book, but I think it's important: the author makes clear that sometimes very basic things are what makes us happy, and we're not always aware of it.
I may be wrong, but this looks to me like something very recurrent in Miyazaki's work (like in Omoide poro poro for example)
Right now, I started reading Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows (I love James Lovegrove's writing) but on paper, not on my ebook reader. And after that, or during that read, I'll certainly start Pinball, 1973 ! ;-)