Dance, Dance, Dance
Registered by Supertalya on 10/22/2009
4 journalers for this copy...
Love all of Murakami's novels. This is a continuation of Wild Sheep Chase.
Murakami is one of my favorite authors. Thanks for sharing this one, supertalya! Received for the JOE exchange on Book Obsessed.
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From Publishers Weekly
In this impressive sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase, Murakami displays his talent to brilliant effect. The unnamed narrator, a muddled freelance writer, is 34 and no closer to finding happiness than he was in the previous book. Divorced, bereaved and abandoned by his various lovers, he is drawn to the Dolphin Hotel--a strange and lonely establishment where Kiki, a woman he once lived with, "upped and vanished." Kiki and the Sheep Man, an odd fellow who wears a sheepskin and speaks in a toneless rush, visit the narrator in visions that lead him to two mysteries, one metaphysical (how to survive the unsurvivable) and the other physical (a call girl's murder). In his searchings, he encounters a clairvoyant 13-year-old, her misguided parents and a one-armed poet. All the hallmarks of Murakami's greatness are here: restless and sensitive characters, disturbing shifts into altered reality, silky smooth turns of phrase and a narrative with all the momentum of a roller coaster. If Mishima had ever learned the value of gentleness, this is the sort of page-turner he might have written.
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From Publishers Weekly
In this impressive sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase, Murakami displays his talent to brilliant effect. The unnamed narrator, a muddled freelance writer, is 34 and no closer to finding happiness than he was in the previous book. Divorced, bereaved and abandoned by his various lovers, he is drawn to the Dolphin Hotel--a strange and lonely establishment where Kiki, a woman he once lived with, "upped and vanished." Kiki and the Sheep Man, an odd fellow who wears a sheepskin and speaks in a toneless rush, visit the narrator in visions that lead him to two mysteries, one metaphysical (how to survive the unsurvivable) and the other physical (a call girl's murder). In his searchings, he encounters a clairvoyant 13-year-old, her misguided parents and a one-armed poet. All the hallmarks of Murakami's greatness are here: restless and sensitive characters, disturbing shifts into altered reality, silky smooth turns of phrase and a narrative with all the momentum of a roller coaster. If Mishima had ever learned the value of gentleness, this is the sort of page-turner he might have written.
I ended up listening to the audio version of this book rather than reading the hard copy. The narrator of the audiobook did a stellar job.
I found this a satisfying conclusion to the "Rat" series, but I don't think it would work as a stand-alone novel. Without the background of the earlier books (or, at least A Wild Sheep Chase), the characters wouldn't have enough depth to make the effort of following the plot worthwhile.
As is true of many of Murakami's books, there are no answers or neat resolutions -- just a surreal ride that nonetheless works somehow (or, for some people, spectacularly fails). His musings on living in "an advanced capitalist society," ways to lead a happy life and whether a simple life is better than a more flashy one, and different types of work were typical Murakami.
I found this a satisfying conclusion to the "Rat" series, but I don't think it would work as a stand-alone novel. Without the background of the earlier books (or, at least A Wild Sheep Chase), the characters wouldn't have enough depth to make the effort of following the plot worthwhile.
As is true of many of Murakami's books, there are no answers or neat resolutions -- just a surreal ride that nonetheless works somehow (or, for some people, spectacularly fails). His musings on living in "an advanced capitalist society," ways to lead a happy life and whether a simple life is better than a more flashy one, and different types of work were typical Murakami.
I've posted the hard copy, along with a copy of A Wild Sheep Chase to shnedwards. Definitely worth reading both!
Journal Entry 5 by shnedwards at Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Wednesday, June 1, 2011
It's here! Many thanks for sending these books on to me, msjo.
Reserved for crimson-tide
Journal Entry 7 by shnedwards at Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, April 23, 2022
Murakami's novels suck you in immediately and you're completely immersed before you know it. Weird things happen and you just accept them. I'm not sure many other writers could get away with it. I couldn't remember much of A Wild Sheep Chase, so I probably failed to pick up some plot threads. I spent a lot of the book worrying about Yuki, the teenaged girl. She is so vulnerable, and the adults around her behave so inappropriately, I thought she was heading towards a grim fate. This spoiled my enjoyment a bit.
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get round to reading this. It will be on its way to crimson-tide in Australia soon.
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get round to reading this. It will be on its way to crimson-tide in Australia soon.
Journal Entry 8 by shnedwards at Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Released 1 yr ago (6/29/2022 UTC) at Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
On its way to crimson-tide by Economy Mail.
Thank you once again for your generosity, shnedwards.
I didn’t realise that this was a sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase. I’ve read many Murakami books but not A Wild Sheep Chase as yet. It is sitting on the shelf though, so I’d better get it read soonish and then follow it up with this one.
I didn’t realise that this was a sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase. I’ve read many Murakami books but not A Wild Sheep Chase as yet. It is sitting on the shelf though, so I’d better get it read soonish and then follow it up with this one.