Haruki Murakami “South of the border, west of the sun” (Varrak, 2023), Hajime’s character is the owner of two successful jazz clubs in his thirties. On the surface, everything seems to be going well in his life until Shimamoto comes back into his life. This reunion takes Hajime down a path of past memories and makes him question whether the life he thought was perfect really is. His insecurities are further exacerbated by the enigmatic behavior of the charming Shimamoto. Suddenly, events begin to happen in the man’s life for which he is not ready, but which force him to look deep into his soul to find the answer to his doubts.
It is characteristic of Murakami to use in his works the intertwining of fantasy and reality, magical realism, which is often complemented by a certain darkness. There are hidden symbols in his stories, which perhaps are not noticed immediately, but which will reach the reader’s consciousness later, when he finishes the book and thinks back to what he has read. For ardent Murakami fans, this will certainly be an enjoyable read, but those new to the author may be left cold by this book in particular. For these readers, for starters, “Kafka by the Sea” and “1Q84” may be of interest.
2024-01-06 10:00:00
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