Murakami Haruki
Vintage
2025
449
Paperback
Magical Realism
Xmas Gift
When a young man’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes, he sets his heart on finding the imaginary city where her true self lives. His search will lead him to take a job in a remote library with mysteries of its own.
When he finally makes it to the walled city, a shadowless place of horned beasts and willow trees, he finds his beloved working in a different library – a dream library. But she has no memory of their life together in the other world and, as the lines between reality and fantasy start to blur, he must decide what he’s willing to lose.
A love story, a quest, an ode to books and to the libraries that house them, The City and Its Uncertain Walls is a parable for these strange times.
Sometimes Murakami books are hard to review, and The City and Its Uncertain Walls is no exception. This is because part of me really enjoyed the story, but another part of me still wonders, even after turning the last page, what the story was about. However, I think that is part of Murakami's appeal for me: that you can immerse yourself in a world he creates and it doesn't really matter if it doesn't all 'make sense' at the end. This book had a fascinating premise, an interesting other world to explore, and a number of compelling themes. Sure, I closed the book with unanswered questions, but maybe that was the point. As long as you don't go into a Murakami work expecting a super clear beginning, middle and end, then you won't be disappointed. The story kept me turning the pages and drew me into a world of wonder, so I am giving it 4.5 stars. I will not comment more on the events in the book than that because I don't want there to be spoilers for anyone who hasn't read it yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment