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I should probably admit at the start that I really didn't understand this book. My only other experience with Murakami was
Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, and that, or so I remember, was superficially much stranger, and yet seemed at the end to make sense.
Dance Dance Dance, on the other hand, moves from a superficially simple story of a freelance writer returning to a hotel to find a lost love, into realms far more mysterious. This is not a book for everyone, indeed it probably wasn't really a book for me, but intriguing characters and artful prose (skillfully translated from the original japanese) made it an pleasurable read. Three stars, as the fourth went right over my head.
15 Jul 2006 16:20
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Hard Boiled Wonderland was certainly a good place to start – it gives you a good idea of what Murakami's about but remains accessible. Dance Dance Dance, though, well, it's not his best. You probably know this, but it's meant as a sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase. Maybe it would have helped to have read that first.
If you want to persevere with Murakami, I'd recommend jumping in at the deep end with The Wind–Up Bird Chronicle. The story jumps between modern–day Japan and World War II, and it's interesting trying to figure out how it all fits together. Alternatively, if you like the prose but not the weirdness, Norwegian Wood may be for you.
15 Jul 2006, 22:42
"You probably know this, but it's meant as a sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase. Maybe it would have helped to have read that first."
oops! No, I didn't know that – that would explain a bit!
(I haven't checked the book but I'm fairly sure that nowhere on it does it mention it's a sequel… obviously a bit of research on the author would have helped me here!)
Thanks for the advice – I'll pick up The Wind Up Bird Chronicle if I see it around.
17 Jul 2006, 12:20
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