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India.com
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
From ‘Norwegian Wood' to ‘Men Without Women': 7 Best Works Of Haruki Murakami Everyone Must Read Once
photoDetails english 2909478 Haruki Murakami's literary world is a mesmerizing blend of the surreal and the deeply human, where everyday lives intersect with mystery, memory, and metaphysical questions. He was born in 1949 and his works have been translates into more than 50 languages and his most popular works are Norwegian Wood, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Kafka on the Shore and more. Scroll down to read more about his works. Updated:Jun 01, 2025, 03:33 PM IST Who is Haruki Murakami? 1 / 8 Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer born in 1949 is one of the most celebrated literary voices of times. His works have been translated into more than 50 languages. His characters often feel alienated from society, drifting through love, loss, and parallel realities. With his global fan base and numerous literary awards, Murakami continues to captivate readers with stories that are as strange as they are emotionally resonant. Norwegian Wood 2 / 8 Published in 1987, this is one of the most popular books, this heartbreaking novel explores the themes of love and grief, the book is set in the 1960s in Tokyo. It remains one of his most accessible and emotionally raw novels, showcasing his ability to explore human fragility without leaning on the surreal. Kafka on the Shore 3 / 8 This amazing read was published in 2002, 'Kafka on the Shore' is a perfect blend of fantasy, metaphysics, and philosophy. The book is full of riddles, double meanings, and classical references, this novel invites interpretation and rereading, and is often named among his most inventive and iconic works. 1Q84 4 / 8 The book was first published in three volumes 2009-10, this book explores the themes of love, destiny, and alternate realities are explored in depth. The book follows the story of an assassin and a math teacher as they become entangled in a mysterious parallel world. Men Without Women 5 / 8 This is a collection of short stories which was published in 2014 and each story explores the emotional solitude of men who have lost or been left by women, touching on loneliness, heartbreak, and the quiet ache of everyday life. Dance Dance Dance 6 / 8 This is Murakami's sixth novel and was first published in 1988, this book centres around the life of an unnamed narrator who is drifting through a Tokyo filled with lost connections, odd jobs, and supernatural encounters. After Dark 7 / 8 This amazing novel was published in 2004 and it explores the themes of alienation in the urban world. It revolves around the stories of insomniacs, runaways, and a girl who sleeps in suspended animation, the novel feels like a dream you wake from feeling haunted. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 8 / 8 The novel was first published in 1994-95, it is one of Murakami's most powerful novels. The book follows an unassuming man whose search for his missing wife leads him into a surreal underworld of war stories, psychic experiences, and deep personal reckonings.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Minka Kelly Shares Rare Photos of Boyfriend Dan Reynolds During Romantic Hawaii Vacation
Minka Kelly shared a look into her Hawaii vacation with boyfriend Dan Reynolds on Instagram Photos showed the couple enjoying a number of activities together, including taking romantic walks on the beach Kelly and Reynolds have been linked since 2022Minka Kelly is spending some time in paradise with boyfriend Dan Reynolds. The Ransom Canyon star, 44, shared a glimpse of her recent tropical vacation in Hawaii on social media, which featured rare photos of the Imagine Dragons frontman, 37. Kelly kicked off the Instagram post with a fun video of her laughing while feeding some local birds on a deck. She then shared some sweet moments with Reynolds, including the singer strolling ahead of her during a nighttime walk followed by a beachside walk during the day. They also appeared to enjoy some coffee while playing cards by the water, as Reynolds' hands can be seen in the corner holding a stack of cards. The actress included snapshots of some other activities she did to relax on vacation, such as reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami on the beach and enjoying food that was grilled on a large barbecue. Other pictures showed a plumeria tree, coconut trees over a cabana and a tarot card with the word 'Maui' on it — possibly giving a hint to her exact location. 'Mahalo 🌺,' Kelly captioned the post, using a Hawaiian word that translates to 'thank you.' Related: Minka Kelly Makes Rare Comment About Boyfriend Dan Reynolds, Says Everyone 'Fell in Love' with Him on Ransom Canyon Set (Exclusive) While the couple are often busy with their own projects, they make sure to show their support for one another. Last month, the actress revealed that the 'Believer' singer visited her on the set of her Netflix Western series, Ransom Canyon. "He came to visit and everyone, all the producers and writers, just naturally fell in love with him, like you do," Kelly told PEOPLE. "It's easy to love Dan." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. His visit eventually resulted in Reynolds making a cameo on the show, with Kelly sharing that the musician was "such a good sport and down to play." Kelly and Reynolds have been linked since 2022 and have mainly kept their relationship out of the public eye. However, in July 2024, the Imagine Dragons singer opened up to PEOPLE about their relationship and revealed that they met through a mutual friend and connected over the phone. "After about a month, we met in person, and ever since then, we've been attached at the hip," Reynolds said. "Minka and I are in a really happy, healthy relationship." He also revealed that the Friday Night Lights actress has won over his four kids, whom he shares with his ex-wife Aja Volkman, as he revealed they "really love Minka." "We view it as kind of bonuses to the family: more people to love, more people to help," he said. Read the original article on People
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Review of The City and Its Uncertain Walls
Haruki Murakami's The City And Its Uncertain Walls is at one level a gentle love story whilst also holding deep philosophic undertones. The Buddhist idea of the shadow representing repressed emotions, negative aspects of the self and the illusory nature of experiences runs through the narrative. The wall symbolises something which is there and yet not there. It is perhaps this complexity which made the author rework the story over a period of more than 40 years. The book is divided into three parts. The first part intersperses the narration between the past and an ambiguous present. The second part deals with strange and surreal encounters in a real world. The third part seems to suggest that the real and unreal are only in the mind. It is faith and belief which sustain both. When the reclusive, nameless protagonist, a 16-year-old boy, meets an equally introverted 15-year-old girl, both find they can converse freely with each other. They talk endlessly about her dreams, write long letters, and at 17, the boy is hopelessly in love. The girl confesses that she is not real but a stand-in, a wandering shadow. Her real self lives in a city with high walls. She describes this mysterious place at great length and tells him that the only way to get there is by wishing for it from the heart. She works there in a library and if he ever comes there, he could get a position where she would always be by his side but she would not remember him or them. Some months later, she vanishes, leaving him devastated and not able to have a meaningful relationship with any other woman. Of memory and consciousness When he is 45, he suddenly finds himself at the gates of the strange city. Leaving his shadow behind, he enters and becomes the dream reader. The girl, still a teenager, is his assistant but does not remember him. The quintessential Murakami element emerges when the shadow starts putting emotional pressure on him to leave the town. Assuming a psychic consciousness, it convinces him that the wall is nothing but fear, the city an imagination and the whole thing an illusion. Back in the real world, reunited with the shadow, a dream leads him to a small mountain town, unknown yet familiar. The patron of a library mentors him and takes him through strange experiences making him wonder if memory and consciousness can exist without a body. This section is the longest and tends to get dense. The third part takes us to a socially dysfunctional teenager who is nameless and has an eidetic memory. His power to concentrate and absorb go beyond the normal. Overhearing the protagonist's description of the walled city, he wishes to go there perhaps because no social skills are necessary there. This character is similar to the boy in Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, but is more a philosophical concept than a social misfit. He symbolises the incompleteness felt at times by everybody. Dose of magical realism The protagonist is dragged back to the city as he feels a strong sense of responsibility for the boy. Their merging together makes both of them complete. The relationship makes both of them realise and come to terms with their incompleteness. The boy who is perhaps autistic develops empathy while the protagonist becomes capable of unconditional compassion. Their separation marks a kind of realisation and liberation for both. Unlike other Murakami narratives, the dreams here are not used to bring out repression in the form of erotica. The women the protagonist feels an affinity for are all nameless and the physical aspect is completely taken out of the relationship. Love is pure and unadulterated. In this exercise in magical realism, it is only the literary skill of a Murakami that can hold the attention of the reader through a complex narrative, sometimes beyond the realm of not one but more than one reality. The abstract nature of the book does not in any way take away from the gentle and poignant handling of relationships. The book is a fascinating read. The reviewer has been a psephologist and a publisher who now focuses on her writing. The City and Its Uncertain Walls Haruki Murakami, trs Philip Gabriel Harvill Secker ₹1,399
