Dance, Dance, Dance will make more sense after A Wild Sheep Chase, as it's a sort-of sequel.

I love the bizarre cyber-punky sort of idiom, but set without any of the techyness that sometimes gets in the way - it's sort of wired, people sort-of get into an alternative web, but which never need to be explained.

Norwegian Wood sits apart really, but I guess the unifying thing of the other books is that theoretically very mundane japanese men in very mundane lifestyles get mixed up in weird semi-mythical systems. Sort of like magical realism, but very strictly defined and very Japanese and without the stupidity of a lot of magical realism. It's all very deliberately unexplained.

I ended up reading After Dark by chance, after I picked it up as the third book in one of Waterstone's 3 for 2 offers.

The synopsis sounded interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try, and once I started I couldn't put it down. As I have already said in another thread, his characters are very well written, but he also has a knack for vividly describing locations, without labouring the detail (as some authors do).

I've also read Sputnik Sweetheart, and found both this and After Dark to be engaging and interesting reads. I am looking forward to reading more!

I'd like to read some Murakami. Also OH is very into Japan and likes reading also. What would be a good one to start with?

'The Wind Up Bird Chronicle' had a very open end but I was left satisifed that it would work out for the main character. Haruki Murakami books are to me, very much take them as you find them, I have only read three books but I am planning to read more, especially 'Norwegian Wood' :lol:

Ruth said:I recently read After Dark, which I enjoyed, although I did wonder if I was missing the point somewhat. But I have been informed by friends who have read lots of his novels, that After Dark is not one of his better ones.

I really love murakami. I first read "hard boiled wonderland" and it just blew my mind. Nothing else has quite matched up to the sheer surreality of that one for me. I've read kafka on the shore, wind up bird and some of a collection of short stories I forget the name of.
There's also an illustrated short story by Murakami [URL="http://www.blueblanket.net/Steph/Make/Visual/Perfect/"]here[/URL], the 100% perfect girl.
Wondering now whether to read Norweigan Wood or to re-read hard boiled wonderland.

I have other books to read yes but I keep pining over Murakami books and I don't have any money to buy them yet......hopefully be able to get one by mid april

I want them all, I've only read one so far ' a wild sheep chase' but I can't stop thinking of it and others I want to read.

I have them all in my amazon basket ready to buy :yes:

I have read (so far) by Haruki Murakami ~
A Wild Sheep Chase
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
Kafka on the Shore
South of the Border, West of the Sun
The Wind Up Bird Chronicle
And on my TBR Pile ~
After Dark
Dance Dance Dance
Sputnik Sweetheart
I also have the Murakami Diary 2009, its lovely, it has extracts from his books and lovely pictures :yes:

You've got me very jealous now Gyre :yes: I'm interested in the diary too, is it worth it?

I'm not that interested to read after dark or south of the border, west of the sun compared to the others, the storylines don't interest me as much although I may end up reading them anyway.

Order of what I'm interested in reading next:

Kafka on the shore
The Wind up bird Chronicle
The Elelphant vanishes
Hard-boiled wonderland and the end of the world
Blind willow, sleeping woman
Norwegian wood
Dance dance dance
Sputnik sweetheart

Hoping to aquire pinball and hear the wind sing from somewhere when I get some money