“Murakami has created one of those rare stories where the language reflects the protagonist. Each word is carefully placed, just as Tsukuru Tazaki meticulously lives his life, putting up barriers between himself and the people who could break his heart. It is a well-crafted and intriguing novel that I couldn’t put down.” —Consuelo
The latest novel from bestselling author Haruki Murakami is on its way to our shelves. The Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage will be here Tuesday, August 12th. The praise is rolling in:
“Hypnotically fascinating. . . . A journey of immense magnitude, both physically. . . and, of course, metaphysically, as Tazaki attempts to make sense of his own inner world and the dreams that shape his other dimension. There are always other dimensions in Murakami’s novels, and while they can seem impenetrable, they eventually feed into and help vivify the powerful personal dramas taking place on a purely human level. In the end, Murakami writes love stories, all the more tender and often tragic for their exploration of the multiple realities in which his lovers live.” —Booklist (starred review)
“Murakami devotees will sigh with relief at finding his usual memes – the moon, Cutty Sark, a musical theme, ringing telephones, a surreal story-within-a story (this time about passing on death and possibly six fingers). That the novel sold over one million copies its first week in Japan guarantees – absolutely, deservedly so – instant best-seller status stateside as well.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“A return to the mood and subject matter of the acclaimed writer’s earlier work. . . . A vintage Murakami struggle of coming to terms with buried emotions and missed opportunities, in which intentions and pent up desires can seemingly transcend time and space to bring both solace and desolation.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Another tour de force from Japan’s greatest living novelist. . . . Murakami writes with the same murky sense of time that characterized 1Q84, but this book, short and haunting, is really of a piece with older work such as Norwegian Wood and, yes, Kafka on the Shore. The reader will enjoy watching Murakami play with color symbolism down to the very last line of the story, even as Tsukuru sinks deeper into a dangerous enigma. . . . A trademark story that blends the commonplace with the nightmarish in a Japan full of hollow men.” —Kirkus (starred review)
We’ve been remembering all of the Murakami that has come before with a flashback to our Murakami Project, which led up to the release of 1Q84. Back in 2011, our booksellers took a look at his earlier work. Here are their posts:
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
after the quake
Underground
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
The Elephant Vanishes
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
A Wild Sheep Chase
There’s still time to pre-order The Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. Reserve your copy in-store or via bookpeople.com. We ship all over the world.
BookPeople 