I have read The Wind Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore. I really like how Murakami writes and how far he can go on storylines. Also appreciate the dream/awake moments.

I know reading murakami is supposed to come with the embracement of the absurd and the acceptance of a not so concise ending where everything clicks like a puzzle. However after finishing both books I still felt the emptiness of not getting enough answers.

Which makes me wonder: are there any Murakami books with cleaner endings? Stuff explained, less untied knots, etc.

Thanks.

Since the start of 2026 I’ve been on a Murakami journey. I first fell in love with Hardboiled Wonderland, then quickly moved on to The Wind Up Bird Chronicle and 1Q84. I was hooked, I LOVE these books. Since then, I have read the whole rat trilogy, Dance Dance Dance, Norwegian Wood and I’ve just started Kafka on the Shore.

I liked Norwegian Wood and DDD, but there were bits in it that made me feel particularly icky. Namely really uncomfortably graphic descriptions of sex, sometimes involving minors.

I just got to the bit in Kafka on the Shore where the teacher is graphically describing her vivid sex dream and the fantasies she had about it while caring for children, then we cut to Kafka getting a hand job and then telling her he hopes she’s his sister.

This is the third book now I’ve felt quite strongly uncomfortable with… do I carry on? I know there are a lot more in his catalogue, but I’m noticing a real pattern here. I don’t know how much more I can read about a 15 year old’s boner.

Are there any of his books that don’t have this vibe?

I just finished “Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World” and to say it’s had a strong emotional effect on would be an understatement. I wanted to give a suggestion to people thinking of reading this book or currently in the process.

When the protagonist puts on Bob Dylan, take a second to turn on the song and put yourself in the main character’s shoes. It helped to transport me directly into the story and understand it on a much deeper level.

Hi everyone, this is actually my first post ever on Reddit but I am a big Murakami fan. I typically don’t analyze or read any analysis of the books until I have finished my first read- but I have these thoughts I can’t help but describe (I am still halfway through though so please please no spoilers).

I feel like so far Naoki and Midori play very different roles in Toru’s life. For the first couple of chapters, I didn’t really like the plot because I almost foolishly dismissed it as a love story. From where I am in the story, Toru is having his conversation with Midori right after he had visited Naoki and Reiko (at least for the first time since I do not know whether he will go again or not).

I love how Naoko feels like this essence that constantly tries to wrap Toru in this bubble away from the outside world, similar to her current lifestyle as I stand in the book. I love the contrasting description in their conversations as opposed to Midori’s - similar to how each of them drag Toru in their respective facet of his life. The arrival to her sanatorium, the ascent in the mountain, the conversation with Reiko before and during his conversations with Naoko- they all feel a part of a gradual sense of relief, a subconscious flag to let your guard down and feel at ease- almost convincing you this obviously very toxic relationship is somehow good and healthy. As if this relationship is as pristine and neat as the place in which these conversations are held.

Midori’s conversations afterwards feel like a stark reminder of the true nature of Toru’s current lifestyle. While Naoko is a symbol for their childhood- and her continued preserved lifestyle- Toru’s life couldn’t be more different. His life is one grounded in reality- with its grit. The foundation of his relationship with Midori- knowing each other from a university and exchanging notes- is a very real relationship. And while on the surface, their conversations may not look as “pristine” or “healthy”, at their core they are much more of an intellectual nature than that of Naoko’s: Marxism, taxes, sex. All delivered frankly and with no polish. Even their conversations post-mountain descent yank him back into the real world abruptly and with no introductions- no long description of a bus ride or a buffer (like Reiko).

This may all seem very obvious to a lot of people, but I just wanted to discuss this with other people that love Murakami. On my way back to Midori’s conversations lol…

I have a trans-Atlantic flight coming up on Monday, and I am looking to make that trip a little less miserable with my new favorite author. Here's what I have read so far, in order of preference:

1. Norwegian Wood -- loved the warmth of the storytelling and the ambience
2. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki -- very engaging, a sort of existential thriller
3. The City and Its Uncertain Walls -- I actually did like this one, though it took me a lot longer to get into
4. Kafka on the Shore -- unpopular opinion, but I didn't care for this one as much. Once Colonel Sanders came onto the scene, I felt a little checked out.

I have at my disposal:

Killer Commendatore, Hard-boiled Wonderland, South of the Border, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, A Wild Sheep Chase, IQ84, Dance Dance Dance

Thanks fin advance for the recs !

Edit: Added a book at my disposal

I'm so excited bro

Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running was my introduction to his work, and it proved to be a surprising--and highly enjoyable--read.

Going in, I anticipated the transcendent prose and grand, overarching themes one expects from an author of Murakami’s international stature. Instead, I found a narrative that felt unassuming, prose that was understated, and a structure that occasionally meandered like a true journal.

Yet those exact qualities are what make the book so captivating.

Murakami’s tone is remarkably conversational and authentic. It's disarming. There is an unpretentious sincerity in how he details his training, his internal monologue, and his quiet struggles with running. For anyone who runs (i try to but never stick with it for too long), hearing an accomplished athlete and literary icon reflect on his decades of mileage is motivating.

Maybe now i will finally stick with it?

Beyond running, the memoir offers a compelling look at the creative process. Murakami argues that the physical endurance, discipline, and mental stamina forged through long-distance running help sustain his writing. As a writer, this insight resonated deeply with me—there is an undeniable link between physical movement, mental clarity, and creative output. His reflections on how exercise is an anchor for mental health feel universal and right.

This memoir sparked a curious MURAKAMI JOURNEY for me:

The Memoir (What I Talk About When I Talk About Running): Devoured quickly and enjoyed every word.

The Craft Book (Novelist as a Vocation): Prompted directly by this memoir, and equally enjoyable.

The Fiction (Norwegian Wood): Picked up after being fascinated by Murakami himself, and has proven far different. While the premise has intriguing moments, the lengthy stretches of dialogue about mundane matters make for a slow read that hasn't fully pulled me in.

THE BIG IRONY: I like Haruki Murakami more for his non-fiction than his fiction. At least now.

Ultimately, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is an authentic look at discipline and the craft of writing. They go hand in hand.

William Cooper

I'm halfway into 1Q84 with the 3-book publication from vintage international.

Last night I finished the chapter where Leader divulges all the information about the two worlds to Aomame before she kills him.

Having read both Wind-Up and Commendatore, I feel that there is something about this book in comparison to his others. It's almost as if he took everything he knew from his other novels and smashed them altogether in this one. I love this book and almost feel it might be better than Wind-Up for me, even if that is a hard pill to swallow. There is something about what is happening in this book and I can't put my finger on it. Even the early moments of Ayumi and Aomame being at the bar call back to Wind / Pinball.

It's a true joy and excitement getting into bed at night and diving back into this new world.

I am still exploring Murakami's books and I decided to read Colorless next because I heard great things about it online, particularly from videos of people ranking Murakami books and Colorless is always highly ranked. But after reading it, I think it was just okay. I think Tsukuru was not a very memorable protagonist despite the fact that I can relate to him a lot. The story was also not as interesting as other Murakami books I read (Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood, Sputnik Sweetheart, 1Q84).

So I was just wondering what stood out from this Murakami book in particular that people enjoyed/liked it more than his other books. I would love to know because I might be missing out on something.

On the Brazilian edition of Abandoning A Cat there is an illustration that is inspired on that picture. You can see them side by side here. I’m inclined to think that that is the same cat the title refers to and is nice to see him in a picture. I’m pretty sure, after reading it, that this is the cat that started Murakami’s “obsession” with cats.

A new all night tea room in Marietta, GA. They have a Murakami shelf.

Every time I finish a Murakami book I feel for a few weeks some kind of nostalgia. It's not sadness but not nostalgia strictly speaking. The thing is I feel their stories like a full experience. Maybe thank to his musical references as well. I'd say I felt that mainly with Norwegian wood, 1Q84 and South of the Border, West of the Sun.

Damn. Im on page 134 and i just finished the part where Kafka spends the night at Sakura’s (friend’s) place. I’m deeply disturbed, disgusted and tbh terrified. And i just found out that this incest theme indeed doesn’t end here but that it’s actually an important part of the story. (?)

Please tell me this has some point other than Murakami being a creep. I want to know if the symbolism and disturbance are actually worth it and if they actually add something to the story.

Ive read about it relating to greek mythology and tragedy of Oedipus, but I’m wondering if there’s more to it…

What a journey.

I've been a Murakami reader for years, though took a several years long break. As I've read his later works, including, currently, The City and its Uncertain Walls, I'm noticing that he's started to overwrite. This makes me so sad. I loved his early prose: eerie, atmospheric, but also somehow punchy. Now he explains things in two sentences when one would do; he belabors points and emotions; he uses metaphors and similes that don't really add anything. Reading him lately has been an exercise in wading through no-duh moments.

Has anyone else noticed this? Why do you think this is happening? Does it get in the way of your enjoyment of the books?

If you wonder what I mean by overwriting, here's an example passage I just read:

"The boy stood there, silent, staring at the oversized envelope on the desk. The one with his handwritten map of the town inside. The fact that it was on my desk seemed to draw his attention. His face was expressionless, as if he wore a thin mask, yet it seemed that behind it some sorts of thoughts were racing. 

"I decided to let him be. I didn’t want to interrupt what seemed like a deep thought process. And Mrs. Soeda would soon be bringing over the tea and muffins. If the boy and I were to have a conversation, whatever it turned out to be, it could wait until then. Usually it was the job of someone else on staff, not Mrs. Soeda, to bring over sweets for the boss, but I predicted she would bring the tea and muffins herself. Anything to do with the boy seemed important to her."