KILLING COMMENDATORE: THOUGHTS AND REVIEW
Late last year, the long-awaited English version of Haruki Murakami’s Killing Commendatore was finally released, but to widely mixed reviews. Aware of the lukewarm reception, I picked up the novel with fairly low expectations. But while Killing Commendatore is far from perfect, I ended up pleasantly surprised. In fact, I’d consider it Murakami’s best novel
BURNING (2018 FILM): THOUGHTS AND REVIEW
Barn Burning has always been one of my favorite short stories by Haruki Murakami. The plot involves a mysterious young man who confesses his unusual hobby to the narrator: he likes to burn abandoned barns. The narrator then goes to try and find the man’s next target, but fails. In typical Murakami fashion, the story
SIX CHERRY BLOSSOM SPOTS FROM MURAKAMI’S NOVELS
Cherry blossom viewing parties, also known as hanami, are a big deal in Japan. Every year in spring, groups of people gather under trees in bloom and have a little picnic or drinking party. Despite being such a big part of Japanese culture, hanami parties play little role in Murakami’s fiction. Nevertheless, some of the best
INTRODUCING THE MURAKAMI PILGRIMAGE: eBOOK EDITION
It’s finally here! After months of hard work, the digital version of The Murakami Pilgrimage is officially live. But before you go rushing over to Amazon, there’s a few important things about the eBook that you should know. First of all, the only way to buy the eBook right now, and possibly ever, is through
A GLIMPSE OF SHOZABURO TAKITANI’S SHANGHAI
Tony Takitani, I’ll admit, isn’t one of my favorite short stories by Haruki Murakami. I find the main protagonist, Tony, too dull and one-dimensional to care very much about. And it’s not like there’s a whole lot going on in the plot to begin with. The real focus of the work, in my opinion, should’ve
5 TOURISTY SPOTS FROM ‘DANCE, DANCE, DANCE’ TO TAKE YOUR FRIENDS
Excited about your upcoming trip to Tokyo, but traveling with someone who has never read, or just doesn’t get, Murakami? In that case, it may be hard to justify dragging them out to see an emergency staircase, a children’s playground or an all-male college dormitory. If you find yourself in this situation, you may realize that
HEAR THE WIND SING (1981 FILM): THOUGHTS & REVIEW
Hear The Wind Sing is like the ‘Seinfeld‘ of Haruki Murakami novels. It’s essentially a book about nothing, but its amusing characters and charming moments make it a fun read. The plot involves the protagonist’s return home from Tokyo for the summer, and, well, that’s pretty much it. Murakami, embarrassed by his earliest work, kept
SIX PLACES YOU CAN SHOP FROM MURAKAMI’S NOVELS
As most of Murakami’s main characters are Tokyoites, it’s only natural that they go on plenty of shopping trips throughout his novels. Like with bars and restaurants, however, Murakami rarely reveals the name of the exact store they visit. Luckily, there are several exceptions. Here’s a list of six places in Tokyo you can shop from
