Murakami Haruki is a no longer very young Japanese writer born in Kyōto in 1949; although of advanced age, his prose is young, pleasant, easy to read and, above all, dreamlike, composed in equal parts of fantastic reality and realistic fantasy along the lines of the much loved and, perhaps better known, Gabriel García Márquez.
The book begins by describing an intense relationship, both in person and by letter, between two teenagers, a seventeen-year-old boy and a sixteen-year-old girl, who met thanks to a school literary competition.
The girl fascinates the boy by telling him about a mysterious city, surrounded by high walls. This city, which seems to exist only in her imagination, is described in detail: the stone bridges, the watchtower, the clock without hands, the library... It is a place where the girl seems to hide her true essence , a refuge where his dreams take shape.
The protagonist, fascinated by this imaginary city, tries to build it together with it through an intense relationship, almost materializing it with words. But, after a few months of intense relationship, the girl disappears into thin air and their relationship ends abruptly; from that moment, the young man's life alternates between everyday reality, linked to work and normal life activities, and the fantastic reality of living in the city with uncertain walls.
Personally I found the book beautiful (on several occasions it led me to read until late in the morning) and it allows two reading modes: a more superficial one based on the events that take place and a more in-depth and meditative one linked to the symbolisms and metaphors mentioned the book is rich.
I won't add anything else so as not to ruin the surprise for those who want to try their hand at these six hundred and twenty pages and immerse themselves in Murakami's powerful prose so rich in life, feeling, questions, hopes, doubts, certainties, dreams, desires, love.
A book to read with your head but also, and above all, with your heart.
I have always heard great things about Haruki Murakami, he has a very sophisticated style, intriguing ideas... However, even after all of these years, I've still never gotten around to reading a single book! 😩 Perhaps your review is my sign...
This book seems very interesting, I've always enjoyed a "secret garden" premise, a world that only exists between certain characters. I would love to know how it ends... Thank you for sharing this! 🙏
Maybe it's really a sign! Maybe you can find it in your local library