Toru Okada's cat has disappeared. His wife is growing more distant every day. Then there are the increasingly explicit telephone calls he has recently been receiving. As this compelling story unfolds, the tidy suburban realities of Okada's vague and blameless life, spent cooking, reading, listening to jazz and opera and drinking beer at the kitchen table, are turned inside out, and he embarks on a bizarre journey, guided (however obscurely) by a succession of characters, each with a tale to tell. *Murakami's new book ...
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Toru Okada's cat has disappeared. His wife is growing more distant every day. Then there are the increasingly explicit telephone calls he has recently been receiving. As this compelling story unfolds, the tidy suburban realities of Okada's vague and blameless life, spent cooking, reading, listening to jazz and opera and drinking beer at the kitchen table, are turned inside out, and he embarks on a bizarre journey, guided (however obscurely) by a succession of characters, each with a tale to tell. *Murakami's new book Novelist as a Vocation is available now* 'Visionary...a bold and generous book' New York Times 'Murakami weaves textured layers of reality into a shot-silk garment of deceptive beauty' Independent on Sunday 'Deeply philosophical and teasingly perplexing, it is impossible to put down' Daily Telegraph 'Mesmerising, surreal, this really is the work of a true original' The Times
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Add this copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: a Novel to cart. $2.26, fair condition, Sold by KuleliBooks rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Phoenix, AZ, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Vintage.
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The item is fairly worn but still readable. The book may have some cosmetic wear (i.e. creased spine/cover, scratches, curled corners, folded pages, sunburn, stains, water damage, bent, torn, damaged binding, dent). -The dust jacket if present, may be marked, and have considerable heavy wear. -The book might be ex-library copy, and may have the markings and stickers associated from the library-The book may have considerable highlights/notes/underlined pages but the text is legible-Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included-Safe and Secure Mailer-No Hassle Return.
Add this copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: a Novel to cart. $2.26, fair condition, Sold by OnlineGoodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Nashville, TN, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Vintage.
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Fair. A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are solid. the cover is intact, but may show scuffs or light creases, as well as a possible rolled corner. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, The former owner may have written their name inside the front or back cover. COVER WILL VARY.
Add this copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: a Novel to cart. $2.26, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Colorado rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Vintage.
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Fair. This item is in overall acceptable condition. Covers and dust jackets are intact but may have heavy wear including creases, bends, edge wear, curled corners or minor tears as well as stickers or sticker-residue. Pages are intact but may have minor curls, bends or moderate to considerable highlighting/ writing. Binding is intact; however, spine may have heavy wear. Digital codes may not be included and have not been tested to be redeemable and/or active. A well-read copy overall. Please note that all items are donated goods and are in used condition. Orders shipped Monday through Friday! Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Orders shipped Monday through Friday. Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Thank you!
Add this copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: a Novel to cart. $2.26, fair condition, Sold by Valleys Books & More rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Roanoke, VA, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Vintage.
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Add this copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: a Novel to cart. $2.28, good condition, Sold by Seattle Goodwill rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Seattle, WA, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Vintage.
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Add this copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: a Novel to cart. $2.33, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brooklyn Park, MN, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Vintage.
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Fair. Cover/ Case does NOT match photos; some content may vary from version shown Cover/Case has some rubbing and edgewear. Access codes, CD's, slipcovers and other accessories may not be included.
Add this copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: a Novel to cart. $2.81, fair condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
Add this copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: a Novel to cart. $2.95, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Vintage.
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Add this copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: a Novel to cart. $4.45, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Vintage.
This story is an exploration on the psychic connection between individuals. The Protagonist Okada meets a variety of characters throughout this story, which is structured in layers. Not one character he encounters is superfluous to the story line, It is presented like a master painting. Imagine Van Gogh's Starry Night without those golden swirly globes in the air. Murakami has presented his characters by letting them encounter their life experiences and brings them along with a multi-faceted ending. It is an unusual story, it is modern and it's very likable. I completed the book a week ago and I am still thinking about it.
BookPirate
Nov 12, 2007
Catch of the Day
As with most of Murakami?s work, the first two-thirds of his books are engaging. The ending doesn't strangle you with a conclusion, which leaves everything open for discussion (always the sign of a good book) Murakami creates characters with quirk, concepts that smack of the serial. It?s grand to read of the relationships he builds or tears down. I?ve always thought Murakami is the best writer of killing time. He has a knack for describing mundane tasks to give us an understanding of his characters.
This book is about more than a missing wife and the equally missing family cat. Murakami manages to inject an off-beat nymphet into each of his books and also throws in his unusual but captivating secondary character (this time the mute boy codenamed Cinnamon). Contemporary Japan, a flashback tale of an old war hero and an escort service are thrown in the mix. If this hits the spot, try 'Kafka on the Shore' and 'Sputnik Sweetheart', both by Murakami.
Kamui
Apr 4, 2007
so far...
i started reading this as soon as i got it and im already more then half way done :p its such a good book, i would reccomend anything by haruki murakami to anyone i know, old people, young people, funny people, boring people, and even smelly people :p hahaha this is such and awsome book, though i must say that i do like Kafka on the Shore a bit more, but either way, they're both such very good books!!!
greebs
Mar 22, 2007
A Modern Classic
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is an insane book. Both in its genius and in the way it breaks virtually every rule I have been taught about creative writing. On the surface, it is about Toru Okada, a man in his mid-thirties who has quit his job as a lawyer to stay at home and figure out what he wants to do with his life. He?s afforded this luxury because his wife Kumiko has a successful career of her own which adequately pays the bills.
Their cat, named after Kumiko?s brother Noboru Wataya (a rising political star who Toru loathes), disappears and Kumiko is upset about this, hiring a mysterious woman named Malta Kano to assist in the cat?s recovery. Soon after, Kumiko herself disappears, eventually getting word to him that she?s been unfaithful and wants to separate. This leads to a LOT of odd happenings, mostly dark and mystical. They include Toru befriending an amusing, morbid 16-year old neighborhood girl, a Lieutenant from WWII who has witnessed numerous war crimes, a psychic prostitute, wells, baseball bats and a litany of other things.
The titular wind-up bird, a bird whose song sounds like someone winding a spring, appears throughout the book (including most notably as Toru?s self-chosen nickname by May Kasahara, the sixteen-year old girl), as do other things like the song to the Thieving Magpie, a blue-black mark on several people?s faces. The story is essentially of people ? Kumiko and Toru, as well as many tertiary characters ? coming to grips with the responsibility of themselves, understanding their own darkness and doing what is necessary to move forward in life.
Not all of the pieces of the puzzle make sense initially, and others are never neatly wrapped up at the end of the book. It?s very easy to see how this could (should?) drive some readers mad, and be unsatisfying. And in truth, there are questions I?d love to know the answer to ? like Infinite Jest, it seems likely there are online groups to discuss some of these things, but I?m not quite willing to do that, as I?d rather stew on these things myself or let them stay unsolved.
Murakami is indeed a very talented writer, using simple prose to discuss the surreal, and adding an almost palpable level of darkness and menace. I read a review by Laura Miller on Salon.com where she referred to him as ?Paul Auster with a heart,? and that feels about right (and is unsurprisingly probably one reason I like his writing so much.) I will continue to read his works, even if I know I won?t always understand everything.