Rating: 
Summary: Flawed but entertaining novel of contemporary Japan
Review: In THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE (Neijimaki-dori kuronikuru), the famed Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami presents us with a most unusual series of events. His protagonist Toru Okada is a Tokyo paralegal who has recently quit his job and is mulling what to do next. His cat disappears, and then his wife as well, which brings Okada into contact with a bizarrely morbid teenage girl from down the street, a mystic and her former prostitute sister, and a veteran of World War II haunted by what he saw in the puppet state of Manchukuo and his subsequent imprisonment in a Siberian POW camp. Murakami slowly builds up to a showdown between Okada and his wife's brother Noburu Wataya, an antagonist rarely seen but whose threatening presence is felt throughout the novel. This conflict takes place mainly through a series of psychological journeys, something like but not quite the same as Arthur Schnitlzer's Freudian novel TRAUMNOVELLE.While THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE is entertaining and reads smoothly in this translation by Jay Rubin, it does have a number of faults. The foremost is the novel's genre. The psychological journey has always been a difficult form to write convincingly, as everyone has a different view on workings of the mind and schools of psychology come into vogue and fall out of fashion regularly. As a result, the plot of this novel will seem unconvincing and unbelieving to most readers. The novel's second weakness is Murakami's sudden lack of interest in his protagonist around page 200. Although the entire novel is narrated by Toru Okada, after a while he stops being a fleshed-out character and begins just drily reporting facts. A unfortunate aspect of this translation is that it is heavily abridged. The novel was originally published in three volumes, but in translating the novel into English, Jay Rubin abridged the novel into a single trade-paperback volume. As a result readers in English aren't really getting the same book that Murakami wrote, and who knows how many mysteries and unclear points of the novel would be resolved if only the entire novel were available. In spite of several serious complaints, THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE does have many fine qualities. With Toru and his wife Kumiko, Murakami gives one of the most realistic portrayals of married life in contemporary fiction. His reflections, like those of the playwright Harold Pinter, on the ultimate unknowability of one's lifelong partner are fascinating. And while his protagonist is written imperfectly, characterisation is generally quite good in this novel. Murakami's antagonist Noburu Wataya is a marvelous creation. Despicable and menacing to an extreme, Wataya is nonetheless incredibly believable and even inspires fear in the reader. Finally, Murakami's dealing with the dark secrets of Japan's occupation of Manchuria shows another horrifying side of World War II. While I'm not sure THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE will survive the test of time and be considered a piece of great literature, it is an entertaining and thought-provoking novel. Fans of contemporary fiction would do well to read it.
Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful Literary Experience by Murakami
Review: Overall, I thought the stories contained in this novel were quite fascinating and occasionally beautiful. I enjoyed nearly all of the characters, but my favorites were probably May Kasahara, Kumiko Okada, Noboru Wataya and his delightfully repulsive henchman Ushikawa, Cinnamon, and of course Mr. Wind Up Bird himself. Despite the fact that I enjoyed reading this novel very much and think very highly of it, I do feel somewhat unsatisfied with a number of plot elements in the intertwining stories that I think were not properly explained. 1.) Regarding the nature of Noboru Wataya's dark power, which Kumiko and her sister were also tangled up with: It seems to me Noboru Wataya is a sort of black magician who has learned to harness this innate ability, and yet it is hinted at that the entire Wataya bloodline is somehow affected by this evil power. This evil entity is central to the plotline (It was in some way responsible for Kumiko's horrifying streak of extramarital [affairs] which in turn triggered her disappearance), yet the phenomenon surrounding it is kept extremely vague. This mysterious something was almost certainly behind Noboru Wataya's defilement of both Kumiko's sister and Creta Kano, but as for the purpose for these defilements we are kept in the dark. When Toru finally does battle with this evil entity, it still is kept extremely vague and we never get to see it. I found myself wishing Toru would ignore Kumiko's requests and turn the flashlight on it, just for curiosity's sake. 2.) Regarding the story of the young boy who I assume is Cinnamon who hears the wind up bird and then proceeds to witness two shady looking characters burying a certain something on his property. Judging from his descriptions of these two shady characters - one tall and one short - I can only guess that they are indeed Noboru Wataya and Ushikawa. In the dream sequence the boy experiences after watching the real life events, the buried object is a human heart, which leads me to question #3... 3.) Regarding Nutmeg's Husband and Cinnamon's Father, who died in a certain hotel room under very bizarre circumstances. Nutmeg confirms that the assailants removed several of his organs and smeared his blood on the walls, etc. Again, I can only guess that Noboru Wataya, Ushikawa, and the evil being are involved here too. But there is never an explanation as to the connection between Cinnamon's father having his heart removed in a type of ritual killing, and Cinnamon Witnessing two men burying something which in the dream state is revealed to be a live beating human heart, shortly afterwards resulting in the loss of Cinnamon's voice. 4.) Regarding the dark hotel. I find myself wishing this place was explained a bit more. Who is the No Face man, or the "hollow man" as he refers to himself, and why does he decide to ally himself with Toru? Who is the whistling waiter? What is the significance of room 208? The dark hotel is obviously the domain of the dark entity with which Noboru Wataya is aligned. I can speculate that this is some type of spiritual prison maintained for Kumiko by Noboru Wataya, but I find myself wishing that the reason for this place's existence were more clearly defined.
Despite the (as I see them) loose plot ends, I still was quite happy with my overall reading experience. I really enjoyed Nutmeg's/Cinnamon's/Lt. Mamiya's war stories, May Kasahara's stories and letters, and even all the trivial details of Toru's house activities and such. I really was able to connect to Toru, I find him quite a loveable character, and I sympathize with him a great deal. Needless to say, I am more than happy that finally, good triumphed over evil.
Rating:
Summary: Imaginative and Strange
Review: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is one of the most imaginative and strange books I've ever read. The story is set in modern-day Tokyo, and it contains historical references to the Japanese-Russian conflict in outer Mongolia during WWII, but there all connection with reality ends. The book's characters are unusual people to say the least. Almost all of them seem to be blessed with various other-worldly powers. Viewed in one way, the book is a 600+ page collection of their histories, and it is as a storyteller that Murakami excels --- his descriptions are vivid, imaginative, and quite captivating. But what is the book about? I'm not really sure. Perhaps it is about self-reliance and responsibility. The moral is not as important to Murakami as the stories themselves, and the images and people of this book will probably stay with me for some time. Give this one a try if you're in the mood for a mind-bending read.
Rating:
Summary: Tappered off
Review: I recently finished reading Murakami's 'Wind-up Bird Chorincle' and frankly I felt a little empty as I put the book on my shelf. Not that the writing was bad or the book wasn't thematically rich, it's just that well . . . the third part of the book is too loose. I'll refrain from a full plot summary here as there are many good ones already posted. In the third part (or book) the main character is supposed to become even more lost and confused. Murakami reflects this by having him fade out of the narrative most of the time allowing letters, others life stories, or dreams to fill the pages. While I don't doubt this is in interesting, and occassionally successful technique (the war stories are impeccable), it leaves the text too fragmented and without a satisfying resolution (Kano sisters?). As a proponent of the book I'm certain you'll respond "That's the point!" Okay perhaps. I understand cool cynicism and often engage in it myself. Here is something to keep in mind though, I have read that this translation Vinatage International publishes is severely cut and this probably leads to my dissatisfaction with the text. I can see the outline of what Murakami wants to do but the execution is flawed. Since I am a fan of Murakami's other work I'll say this is a result of the cuts. Unfortunately I cannot read Japanese well enough to see if I am correct here. If you are truly a fan of Murakami please write to Vintage and tell them to restore the book to Rubin's complete translation. I am not putting this book down completely - bare in mind I gave it four stars. The first two parts are very well done, almost reminiscent of the great book Paul Auster is incapable of writing. Even if I do consider the third part somewhat of a failure, it is an interesting one, not quite Tolstoi's view of Hamlet but as close as you'll get here. Note: Those new to Murakami read his short stories, Norweigan Wood or the Wild Sheep Chase first to see what he can do.
Rating: 
Summary: The Wind up Murakami
Review: Murakami's writing gives us a mirrored view of ourselves. Like so many of us, he is searching for meaning and understanding. The body/soul duality like all dynamic paradoxical divisions of reality can never be truly resolved. Murakami uses the surreal and the dark mystical as counterpoint to the mundane workaday world of advanced capitalist society. The two sides of the same coin. Humanity struggling to come to terms with reality. Many artists that explore this division are culturally concentric and to a degree this is true of Murakami as well. Still I think he succeeds better then most in transcending his native culture. This is probably why he is read around the world in so many different languages. Murakami writes especially relevant fiction for the modern world. On the surface his work reads very symbolically, yet Murakami has stated, quite definitely, that his writing is not symbolic in nature. I'm inclined to agree with him. True its not that hard to find symbols in his work. Wells, Jazz, Windup birds, Cats, Sheep, and so on are repeated through out his writing. But just as poetry is often symbolic in nature, the best poetry is an exploration and attempt to reshape reality. There is a magic to Murakami's words that invokes deeper realities. How well Murakami succeeds is for each reader to find out for themselves. There has been some debate over which of Murakami's works is his best. I think that misses the point. One needs to read the whole body of his work to get to the deeper meaning of what he is saying. For a deeper exploration of Murakami's writing I recommend Jay Rubin's book: Haruki Murakami And the Music of Words
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful & Beautiful
Review: I can't say, as many of the other reviewers here have said, that this is *the* best or one of the best books I've ever read, but it certainly was a pleasure.
I was nervous before starting it. Judging by what I'd heard about it, combined with it's length (silly, I know), I was afraid it would be some long, fustian ramble with only a vague plot like Gravity's Rainbow (which is certainly a great book, but was no fun to read). I was pleasantly surprised, however, at how easy and fun Wind-Up Bird was to read, while it still raised interesting and relevant questions about humanity's interconnectedness and the nature of conciousness. The writing is simple and clear. The plot has some surreal twists and turns but is easy to follow. Enjoyable from start to finish.
Rating:
Summary: Mr. Wind-Up Bird...
Review: Such a strange world Murakami's Toru Okada lives in. Synchronicity and the shadow of a much larger world abound - a world just over the backyard fence or down in a dry well - always ready to sweep one off to strange and unforeseen fates. And yet, that strange world bears the imprint of our daily lives so well. No matter how odd things get, there's always a sense that our "Mr. Wind-up Bird" (the nickname given Toru Okada by his precocious and eccentric teen-age neighbor) is someone probably a lot like you or me, that his reactions to things are never more or less than those of someone like we see in our bathroom mirror in the morning. Toru Okada delivers his lines deadpan when required, but never lifelessly. To step back and look at The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle simply as "a novel" rather than as "an engrossing journey toward Mr. Wind-Up Bird's ultimate self-awareness", after having my nose buried in it for hours at a time, was always a task. Murakami deftly balances Toru Okada's well-crafted, oddly mellow personality with the collectively volatile personalities around him, even as he balances the predictable and often pedestrian daily life of the world with its bellicose history and sometimes wildly unpredictable turns. More to the point, he gives us a character who learns and develops very openly and in an honest fashion that at the least bears the mark of verisimilitude. Murakami has been compared to Thomas Pynchon, and I can see where the comparison is justified. Murakami's characters feel very real even when placed amidst the most bizarre circumstances, and, in the case of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, a certain parallel could indeed be drawn between Toru Okada and Pynchon's Lt. Tyrone Slothrop, both of whom find themselves from one day to the next - even from one moment to the next - more and more removed from the existence they had come to accept as reality, for reasons they cannot fathom - at first. From the loss of the cat to being found by May Kasahara, the neighbor girl, from Lieutenant Mamiya's account of his time in Mongolia to the journey to the bottom of a dry well, from psychics and surrealism to the poignancy and suchness of everyday life, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle never ceases to weave its enchantments, even when they are as unsettling as a zoo in the middle of a war or as simple as watching faces in a crowd. As I have worked on this review, I have gone back and thumbed through the pages of the book, feeling caught up by the passages and chapter headings I chance to glance upon, and I find myself tempted to read it again. A feeling I suspect many people who read the book must have.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: Few books have affected me as strongly as this book has. The only ones that can compare are Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude and John Fowles' The Magus. The Wind-up Bird Chronicle is a book that deserves to be ranked with the greatest of modern literature.
Rating:
Summary: Eastern mindset meets Western philosophy
Review: Wow. Just...wow. I finished this novel about 10 minutes ago and I'm only now able to put it down and enter the real world again. This is one of the best novels, if not THE best, I have ever had the pleasure to read. Many people here say it, and they are all right: Murakami is a genius. Everything about this work was perfect or near perfect. It has amazing insights into the problems of existance that are as profound as any philosophical text, yet it doesn't (as so many so-called Postmodern novels do) sacrafice plot to do this. Rather, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle has, quite possibly, the best plot in any contemporary novel. No one except a psychic schizophrenic could predict what will happen next. And yet is all fits together beautifully. It reads as a literary representaion of the chaotic order of current philosophical thought. Amazing, amazing book. I haven't encountered an author who shocked me this much since Nabokov and Lolita. I know I'm rambling right now, but I can't help it. READ THIS BOOK. It will change every perspective you have on life. I know it did mine.
Rating:
Summary: Complex, Disturbing and Little too Long
Review: I read Wind-up bird Chronicle while unemployed which made the book more compelling. While my period of self-discovery wasn't as eventful as Toru's, I felt a certain kinship with the character. There is such a sharp combination of the magical and realist in this book that it seeped into my subconscious and I felt changed in the reading of it. I think the second half is weaker than the first but that first half is so good that it compelled me to keep reading and made the whole experience unforgettable.
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