Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World takes a tour through two parallel narratives, exploring consciousness, the subconscious and identity. A narrative particle accelerator that zooms between Wild Turkey Whiskey and Bob Dylan, unicorn skulls and voracious librarians, John Coltrane and Lord Jim. This book is science fiction, detective story and post-modern manifesto all rolled into one rip-roaring novel. Tracking one man's descent into the Kafkaesque underworld of contemporary Tokyo, Murakami unites East and West, tragedy and farce, compassion and detachment, slang and philosophy. ORDER HARUKI MURAKAMI’S NEW NOVEL, THE CITY AND ITS UNCERTAIN WALLS, NOW
Stats for nerds
28recommend
48mentions
43people
2008–2026years
63% recommend33% neutral4% critical
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- When I'm at the used bookshop, I always look for a Murakami book, Haruki or Ryu. I especially recommend Haruki's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World for this crowd, as data encryption plays a role. Ryu is probably best known for his horror novel Audition because it was adapted for film by Miike Takashi. Both would be classified as surreal. Haruki's novels famously always have a cat in them, but not always in a major role.
- I would put that aside for now and go back to Hard Boiled Wonderland & the End of the World. That was an incredible read, and much more accessible.
- If you enjoyed 1Q84, and haven't yet read the Wind-up Bird Chronicle, there's a little bit of a connection you might enjoy.
The first Murakami book I read was Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, and it's still one of my favourites, with a new translation by Jay Rubin coming out later this year. The book of his that's always spoken to me the most is South of the Border, West of the Sun.
If you're ever in Tokyo, consider visiting the Murakami library at Waseda University. It's got a small cafe downstairs, sometimes with live music performances, and lots of nooks and corners for sitting and relaxing with a book. There are copies of all of his books, and tons of translated copies in many languages.
- Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of The World is a pretty underrated Murakami novel. It gets talked about much less than his other works- undeservedly so.
- Recently read through all the Narnia books. They are charming and relaxing to read.
I also recommend the Hyperion Cantos. It's solid sci-fi with a good amount of depth without being overwhelming.
Also also anything by Haruki Murakami. Particularly Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. It's good weird, hard to explain.
- [Spoiler-free] Reducing the brain to an advanced calculator is a basic premise if Murakami's cyberpunk fantasy book Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. One of my favorite books.
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