21/80

South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami

Another story that hits most of Murakami's beats but this time the essence of fantasy is a bit less. A broken man, a bunch of delicate, selfless women, lots of Jazz, political ramblings, etc. which is common in most of Murakami's book can be found in this book also.

The story whirls around protagonist Hajime and his love life. The book mainly focuses on love and its consequences, exploring the themes of star-crossed lovers and questioning whether some people are truly meant to be together. Three ladies play a vital role in each stage of his life, right from his childhood to his middle age. 's not only because of the story but merely because of Murakami's writing. It makes us think about can a person write a love story with so many twists and turns.

One should also have the seventh sense to understand the hidden truth of the story. The way the book takes its path is different and drags us to our old memories. If we consider Murakami's other literature, this ending seems a little bit faded. But if we can engage our imagination then we can surround ourselves with a pool of questions. What if all the happenings in the protagonist's life are merely his hallucination due to his ill luck. What if the female leads never exist? This opens a wide variety of questions that the writer left unanswered so that readers can imagine their ending. And that's why I like Murakami's writing the most.

Best quotes and lines:

  • "For a while" is a phrase whose length can't be measured. At least by the person who's waiting."
  • "The sad truth is that certain types of things can't go backward. Once they start going forward, no matter what you do, they can't go back the way they were. If even one little thing goes awry, then that's how it will stay forever."
  • "I didn't feel like I was in my own body; my body was just a lonely, temporary container I happened to be borrowing."
  • "I would never see her again, except in memory. She was here, and now she's gone. There is no middle ground. Probably is a word that you may find south of the border. But never, ever west of the sun."
  • "I was determined that my free time was going to be mine."

My rating-4/5.

Until next read, Happy Reading!!