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Jim Fonseca's Reviews > The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
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[Edited 3/24/23]
Review contains spoilers
If you’re a 30-ish married man in Japan with a dead-end job as a law clerk, with hindsight, it was probably not a good idea to have your wife agree with you that you need to take a year off to 'find yourself.' During this year off your cat may disappear and you may start hanging out with a neighborhood high school girl who suns herself in a tiny bikini. Then your wife may ask you to have lunch with the weird psychic sisters to try to find the cat. And a strange package may arrive from an old man fortune teller who used to be a good friend of you and your wife.
And you may learn that your politician brother-in-law, whom you hate because he is bizarre and a pervert, is even more bizarre and perverted than you had imagined. These traits will probably help him win the national political office he is seeking. After all this you may develop a taste for sitting for days in the bottom of deep wells. Even though your wife does not know about all of this (the well thing, the package thing, the bikini girl, etc.) she may still leave you.
But some good things might happen. You might learn some war stories about the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. You could have tremendous magical realism sex with one of the psychic sisters. And maybe the cat will come back.
It’s hard to summarize the bizarre twists and turns of this Murakami novel but it is original and I think much better than some of the others of his I have read, such as IQ84. Murakami has become an industry unto himself and some of the shots taken at his recent work by critics include that it has become formulaic and that “it’s not Japanese.” But I highly recommend Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, written in 1998, before those criticisms applied.
I notice that this is his highest-rated work by GR readers. I suggest this book to those who have not read any of his work or to those who were disappointed by his more recent work and want to give him a second chance.
Top image by imgur.com/Zzo4LG6 from kalgaonkarsnehal.medium.com
The author from thegreatcat.org
Review contains spoilers
If you’re a 30-ish married man in Japan with a dead-end job as a law clerk, with hindsight, it was probably not a good idea to have your wife agree with you that you need to take a year off to 'find yourself.' During this year off your cat may disappear and you may start hanging out with a neighborhood high school girl who suns herself in a tiny bikini. Then your wife may ask you to have lunch with the weird psychic sisters to try to find the cat. And a strange package may arrive from an old man fortune teller who used to be a good friend of you and your wife.
And you may learn that your politician brother-in-law, whom you hate because he is bizarre and a pervert, is even more bizarre and perverted than you had imagined. These traits will probably help him win the national political office he is seeking. After all this you may develop a taste for sitting for days in the bottom of deep wells. Even though your wife does not know about all of this (the well thing, the package thing, the bikini girl, etc.) she may still leave you.
But some good things might happen. You might learn some war stories about the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. You could have tremendous magical realism sex with one of the psychic sisters. And maybe the cat will come back.
It’s hard to summarize the bizarre twists and turns of this Murakami novel but it is original and I think much better than some of the others of his I have read, such as IQ84. Murakami has become an industry unto himself and some of the shots taken at his recent work by critics include that it has become formulaic and that “it’s not Japanese.” But I highly recommend Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, written in 1998, before those criticisms applied.
I notice that this is his highest-rated work by GR readers. I suggest this book to those who have not read any of his work or to those who were disappointed by his more recent work and want to give him a second chance.
Top image by imgur.com/Zzo4LG6 from kalgaonkarsnehal.medium.com
The author from thegreatcat.org
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Reading Progress
November 24, 2015
–
Started Reading
November 26, 2015
–
Finished Reading
December 19, 2015
– Shelved
December 19, 2015
– Shelved as:
japanese-authors
January 24, 2022
– Shelved as:
fantasy
March 24, 2023
– Shelved as:
midlife-crisis
Comments Showing 1-34 of 34 (34 new)
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Petra It's a year now, still in a dark place
(new)
Dec 20, 2015 06:20AM
I cannot get into Murakami at all. I get bored and give up. I wish I could get into his books though as so many of my friends really rate him.
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Jim, great review, but I agree with Petra. His style does not seem to stimulate my interest.
I agree that he is over-rated so to speak and a bit TOO much fuss is made of his work.
Maybe I should follow your suggestion in your review and try this one!?
Barbara wrote: "Maybe I should follow your suggestion in your review and try this one!?"Like I say in my review, I've only read 3 of his books. Kafka on the Shore I thought was so-so. 1Q84 I thought was strange and wondered what all the fuss about Murakami was about. But Chronicle I genuinely enjoyed and I'm almost (but not quite) tempted to say "I couldn't put it down." But like they say, "that's just me." lol
As odd as this one was, it has remarkable staying power. The plot points you mentioned in your excellent recap remain fresh in my mind even after several years. I believe you when you say this is one of Murakami's best.
nice snippy-snappy summary of the book. This is the only one of his I have read and I didn't feel inspired to read more, even before I saw this....https://lithub.com/a-feminist-critiqu...
Steve wrote: "As odd as this one was, it has remarkable staying power. The plot points you mentioned in your excellent recap remain fresh in my mind even after several years. I believe you when you say this is o..."Thanks for your comments Steve. - Sorry I just found this comment now. lol
Michael wrote: "nice snippy-snappy summary of the book. This is the only one of his I have read and I didn't feel inspired to read more, even before I saw this....https://lithub.com/a-feminist-critiqu......"
Thanks Michael and thanks for the link - interesting stuff. I've read some of her work and liked it.
this is my favorite of Murakami.
you've read Mieko Kawakami's books? Interesting. I'll look into them.
Stephen wrote: "this is my favorite of Murakami."Yes of the 7 or 8 of his I've read this and Norwegian Wood are the two I rated 5
Michael wrote: "you've read Mieko Kawakami's books? Interesting. I'll look into them."Only Ms Ice Sandwich - pretty good - I gave it a 4
I put that on my short list.
good review you have caught his strangeness without giving some kind of reduction. years since read (decades...), i did review and loved it. more so than some of his later works that seem almost self-parody such as Kafka on the shore or iq 84. time to read again? well your review suggests it...
Michael wrote: "good review you have caught his strangeness without giving some kind of reduction. years since read (decades...), i did review and loved it. more so than some of his later works that seem almost se..."Thanks, yes if you read a lot of him, I think some of his work seems formulaic
And his female characters tend to be intensely unreal. A few escape this fate but most do not all. Virtually all want to sleep with the main character, too, even when it makes precious little sense.
Ha ha loved the opening paragraph, Jim. This sounds like fun (I have only read two of his books).
Nocturnalux wrote: "And his female characters tend to be intensely unreal. A few escape this fate but most do not all. Virtually all want to sleep with the main character, too, even when it makes precious little sense."Very true, I read the link that Michael posted in 9 above
David wrote: "Ha ha loved the opening paragraph, Jim. This sounds like fun (I have only read two of his books)."Haha David, I had forgotten about it and enjoyed re-reading it myself.
This will be my my first read by this author. It sounds like a joy ride and I’m looking forward to it! Thanks Jim!
Chris wrote: "This will be my my first read by this author. It sounds like a joy ride and I’m looking forward to it! Thanks Jim!"I hope you like it Chris
Nice review, Jim. I have read only one book by Murakami that I really liked, but he pretty much defies description.
Lorna wrote: "Nice review, Jim. I have read only one book by Murakami that I really liked, but he pretty much defies description."Thanks Lorna!
Nice review!. I have read a few books by Murakami since I first found out about him two years ago. This was my third book by him that I read and I found it just alright… very confusing, but now that I’ve read more works by this wonderful writer, I gotten a hold of the surrealistic and philosophical worlds he builds!. I’m going to re-read TWUBC and give it another shot!.
Kelly wrote: "Nice review!. I have read a few books by Murakami since I first found out about him two years ago. This was my third book by him that I read and I found it just alright… very confusing, but now tha..."Thanks Kelly. I like his books but oftentimes I have trouble figuring out what the 'theme' is. Or is it just 'weird stuff happening.' LOL
Great review of great book. I have been a fan of HM ever since I discovered him in the library quite by serendipity decades ago and this is one of my favourites. Norwegian Wood is actually last on my Murakami list and I have read most of his fiction. And just today I finally got hold of Absolutely on Music. I think its rather fashionable to bemoan a certain formulaic tendency but I think that reveals the critics lack of imagination. Yes, he has a formula, but how he plays with it that provides some big fun. And of course I do expect something completely different with his non fiction
Kath wrote: "Great review Jim. 📚"Thanks Kath!
Magdelanye wrote: "Great review of great book. I have been a fan of HM ever since I discovered him in the library quite by serendipity decades ago and this is one of my favourites. Norwegian Wood is actually last on ..."Magdelanye, yes I've enjoyed all his books. I space them out and read one once in a while - he has so many now!
I really enjoyed your review Jim. This goes on my read this year list.
John of Canada wrote: "I really enjoyed your review Jim. This goes on my read this year list."Thanks John, when you read it, I hope you enjoy it.
I have had this book collecting dust on my shelf for quite a while. So many others elbowing it out of my hands. I figured I would need to be in the right frame of mind. Your review has piqued my interest so I think I will go back to it for reference whenever I do start reading and get lost. Thanks for your always wonderful reviews Jim.
Sophie wrote: "I have had this book collecting dust on my shelf for quite a while. So many others elbowing it out of my hands. I figured I would need to be in the right frame of mind. Your review has piqued my in..."You're welcome Sophie. Thanks for your kind comments. If you do read it, I hope you enjoy it
