HARD-BOILED
WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD: A surreal tale with a touch of science fiction
Hard-Boiled
Wonderland and the End of the World is one of Haruki Murakami’s early novels,
and it is one that is aptly titled. The most significant part of its title is
the word ‘and’, for it splits the title into two parts. What makes this
important is the fact that the novel is actually divided into two narratives.
Hard-Boiled Wonderland is the story of a Calcutec, a human data processor. From
this outline, it is fairly obvious that the story incorporates science fiction
themes, but these themes are rather vague and not expanded enough to turn off
those who are not interested in such subjects. The science fiction elements are
just there to present a distinct flavour into the narrative. The End of the
World is about a man who finds himself in a mysterious town that is surrounded
by a wall. This story features dreamlike elements -- like how the man needs to
get rid of his shadow and how the town is inhabited by rather magical beasts. This
is a tale that has so many things between the lines, so many symbolisms that
are very open to interpretation.
What
I really like about this book is its storytelling. The book flips back and
forth between the two narratives, but still it doesn’t appear to be a dirty
mess of jumbled plotlines. The transitions are done in a very smooth fashion,
so the shifting of focus doesn’t appear abrupt. I find this alternating style
to be very inventive and interesting as a reader. What makes it even more
interesting is when the two narratives start to show hints that they are
interconnected, but whether they are or not, that is for the reader to decide. That’s
the real magic behind this book. Not everything is spoon-fed to the reader.
There is always room for conjecture, which is always a good thing, for it
provokes the conception of different ideas. Thus, the book is open to debate
and further discussion.
The
characters of both stories are not very complex, but not too simple to pass as
flat and boring. In fact, some of them have very distinct personalities that
make them very enjoyable characters. And, sometimes, their interactions show
hints of romance, which is actually not new in Murakami’s writing.
Speaking
of Murakami’s writing, I must say that the prose of this book is much smoother
compared to the other Murakami books I have read. I’m quite sure that it is
because of the English translation of the original Japanese text. I would like
to congratulate Alfred Birnbaum for doing a terrific job in the translation,
for not relying too much on fragments and snappy sentences just to appear
profound.
Despite
my positive feedbacks, I still declare that Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End
of the World is not a book for everybody. Haruki Murakami is one of those
authors who readers will find to be either good or downright awful. Some are
turned off because his tales are just too weird -- weird enough to pass as
unreadable. However, this very feature of Murakami’s tales is the reason why others
love him. In the end, it’s all in a matter of preference.
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