Haruki Murakami

A mesmerising mystery story about friendship from the internationally bestselling author of Norwegian Wood and 1Q84 Tsukuru Tazaki had four best friends at school. By chance all of their names contained a colour. The two boys were called Akamatsu, meaning ‘red pine’, and Oumi, ‘blue sea’, while the girls’ names were Shirane, ‘white root’, and Kurono, ‘black field’. Tazaki was the only last name with no colour in it. One day Tsukuru Tazaki’s friends announced that they didn't want to see him, or talk to him, ever again. Since that day Tsukuru has been floating through life, unable to form intimate connections with anyone. But then he meets Sara, who tells him that the time has come to find out what happened all those years ago.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

Imzy

The new novel—a book that sold more than a million copies the first week it went on sale in Japan—from the internationally acclaimed author, his first since IQ84

In this book, Murakami describes the important issue of feeling isolated and rejected in the form of a simple and straightforward story. I loved it.

Shidehdeishidi

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki And His Years Of Pilgrimage A Novel

altlovesbooks

The book started out with a premise I could understand; namely, good friends turned strangers, and the coping one has to go through to put things into perspective. I felt like this book took a sudden turn after the first half or so, and turned into something less identifiable and interesting. The main character becomes fixated, almost whiny in places. His inability to move forward grates on my nerves. Side characters end up moving in and out of focus, with no resolution. I don't really know if Tsukuru finds the peace of mind he was seeking throughout the entire book, and maybe that was my biggest gripe. Your mileage may vary.

A mesmerising mystery story about friendship from the internationally bestselling author of Norwegian Wood and 1Q84 Tsukuru Tazaki had four best friends at school. By chance all of their names contained a colour. The two boys were called Akamatsu, meaning âe~red pineâe(tm), and Oumi, âe~blue seaâe(tm), while the girlsâe(tm) names were Shirane, âe~white rootâe(tm), and Kurono, âe~black fieldâe(tm). Tazaki was the only last name with no colour in it. One day Tsukuru Tazakiâe(tm)s friends announced that they didn't want to see him, or talk to him, ever again. Since that day Tsukuru has been floating through life, unable to form intimate connections with anyone. But then he meets Sara, who tells him that the time has come to find out what happened all those years ago.

Ayesha ahmed

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is a story about loss, death and unsolved problems. I really am a fan of Murakami's poetic writing, but I'll have to admit that I hate it when he goes into details about those "wild dreams". This is the second novel I've read by him, and both novels have that kind of magical, illusional feeling to it, which I admire.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of pilgrimage

It grew on me gradually, but something was just slightly off (aside from the record-breaking times boobs were mentioned for no reason)

Francesca

charisa

solidly 4.5 for me! 

i’ve never been too fond of murakami, ever since my first introduction to norwegian wood in freshman year of college (lmao). i think he unabashedly caters to the male gaze and writes his protagonists as overly self-abasing, which can cheapen and undermine the emotion of his writing. (please! when depicting a sorrowful embrace, do not fixate on the shape of the woman’s breasts!!)

granted, colorless tsukuru still stumbles in this way, but i was more moved by the central focus on the currents and complexities of friendship. murakami raises some interesting questions about forgiveness, especially from a secular perspective. it seems like common grace manifests through a universal, aching need for forgiveness to soothe consciences and bring about closure. reconciliation is powerful, even if to mainly mollify the whispers of one’s own heart. (—how much more to emulate the Father’s example?) 

finished this book thinking about those relationships in my life where i’m still seeking out a path forward, whether through a final goodbye or a greeting as if for the first time. 

“One heart is not connected to another through harmony alone. They are, instead, linked deeply through their wounds. Pain linked to pain, fragility to fragility. There is no silence without a cry of grief, no forgiveness without bloodshed, no acceptance without a passage through acute loss. That is what lies at the root of true harmony.”

A mesmerising mystery story about friendship from the internationally bestselling author of Norwegian Wood and 1Q84 Tsukuru Tazaki had four best friends at school. By chance all of their names contained a colour. The two boys were called Akamatsu, meaning 'red pine', and Oumi, 'blue sea', while the girls' names were Shirane, 'white root', and Kurono, 'black field'. Tazaki was the only last name with no colour in it. One day Tsukuru Tazaki's friends announced that they didn't want to see him, or talk to him, ever again. Since that day Tsukuru has been floating through life, unable to form intimate connections with anyone. But then he meets Sara, who tells him that the time has come to find out what happened all those years ago.

Wynter

Sometimes people exit your life without explanation. You learn to live with that. Until you can't anymore.

"The cook hates the waiter, and they both hate the customer," Haida said. "A line from the Arnold Wesker play The Kitchen. People whose freedom is taken away always end up hating somebody. Right? I know I don't want to live like that."

"People came to him, but in the end they always left. They came, seeking something, but either they couldn't find it, or were unhappy with what they found (or else they were disappointed or angry), and then they left. One day, without warning, they vanished, with no explanation, no word of farewell. Like a silent hatchet had sliced the ties between them, ties through which warm blood still flowed, along with a quiet pulse."

"There is no silence without a cry of grief, no forgiveness without bloodshed, no acceptance without a passage through acute loss. That is what lies at the root of true harmony."

MaiAbdelhamed

(One heart is not connected to another through harmony alone. They are, instead, linked deeply through their wounds. Pain linked to pain, fragility to fragility. There is no silence without a cry of grief, no forgiveness without bloodshed, no acceptance without a passage through acute loss. That is what lies at the root of true harmony).

رواية تشبه موراكامي ، حزينة ودافئة و تتركك بدون إجابات كالعادة ، ولكن لا يزال يبهرني تفكيك و تحليل موراكامي لشخصيات رواياته ، بنظرة مختلفة ولطيفة ، لا أقول إنه يتعمق في النفس بالبشرية بقدر ما يمكن أن أقول إنه يحاول أن يظهر جانب غير مرئي منها ، جانب نجهلهه جميعاً.

jinni

3.5 ✳︎ it took a few moments for me to digest & figure out my own emotions, reading experience, resonance with tazaki, and what i ultimately took away from the novel.

the first thing i realized when i closed the book is this sense of helplessness the novel left with me. not the helplessness where i’m actually in a difficult situation and can’t find a proper solution, but this lack of control over life and how the world progress around me? i can’t describe it well. it’s not necessarily a bad thing (i guess helplessness’ connotation can come off pretty negative); it just means that there’s no definite answer or happy/sad endings to anything. this is a theme that prevails throughout the novel—loose-ends, unexplained departures and mysteries, uncertain reunions, etc. although it left quite a bit of bitterness in my mouth, i loved it because of how well it reflected the common experience.

this is certainly a novel i will return to when i become more mature and have seen more things the world has to offer. from my 19 year-old perspective, i still can’t grasp some aspects of 36 year-old tazaki’s prigrimage of bearing trauma, mending wounds, losing and meeting people, and finding answers, which is partially why i settled on 3.5 stars. it’s too distant from me right now. another thing that didn’t click with me was the incorporation of the classic murakami supernatural element. i personally didn’t like its purpose or think it mixed well with the rest.

another beautiful read murakami you never cease to amaze me. the deep descriptions and the perspective of tsukurus struggles all whilst leaving the ending unanswered, truly not enough can be said about this book.

tessa heron

Charlotte Dann

Book review/discussion - http://youtu.be/GLQt3jxcve4

sgcjm

you know what. as an adulthood i am and grownups within all those memorable gold days i had back then when im in my young phase. on middle school or either on high school i had that peoples that same as tsukuru hold dearly in his heart as things that makes him goin on in each days passed at that time. our peoples. our peoples that even the term friends beyond of it. theirs beyond from that terms. and i hold them so dearly to my heart such as like what tsukuru did. but with life passed by and how we never could avoid the changed itself. from the circumstances or even for each individual then those subtle lines that somehow intense to be makes our bond apart with those peoples gettin real. till one days its already lost. none in the sight. i feel it. i feel it of what tsukuru goin through by here. and when them gone i feel like im dyin in the solitudes of void. even im not have the courage for recalling back what called that makes all of us suddenly fall apart till theres or even barely words that bein transfer to each others. maybe thats the curse for livin as a human. each seconds we growns up and so we also in the verge of the cliff for losing all those keenly memories we had with our peoples back then at our youth. recalling back at that time makes me happy. i used to be happy back then. with them all. and now in this current days even im afraid for asking to be happy cause i known it means that in some moment i would lose it again. that happiness. its sad. truly. this book. i feel relate so much with the main character. and like what he said tho. in the ages adult of him he didnt got the one that could be said as a friend. none to be called that. same here. as mine. and the feeling of emptiness because you had none makes you feel worthless and just put the quickest choice to end up life. might be the end solution of it. i mean like. what purpose life of mine if then i feel so void in the darkest abyss and theres no one hands to took me out gone to surface.

An instant #1 New York Times Bestseller One of the most revered voices in literature today gives us a story of love, friend­ship, and heartbreak for the ages. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is the remarkable story of a young man haunted by a great loss; of dreams and nightmares that have unintended consequences for the world around us; and of a journey into the past that is necessary to mend the present. A New York Times and Washington Post notable book, and one of the Financial Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Slate, Mother Jones, The Daily Beast, and BookPage's best books of the year

A novel

Frederik De Bosschere

Although I personally prefer my Murakami more hardcore, given that this engaging coming-of-age story contains only a hint of magical realism, it is - in my (probably unpopular) opinion - a better introduction into the author’s work than Norwegian Wood. It contains all his staples. Descriptions of well-balanced meals or outfits, and the meditative power of late-night whiskey or early-morning swimming. There are quirky characters playing brief but important roles (of which the female variety always gets their breasts described in elaborate detail). Sure, there's no missing cat, but there is a particular rendition of a classical composition, yes sir. And of course: mysterious stories intertwining with an equally mysterious main plot. But crucially, it features Murakami’s concise yet expansive prose, conjuring strangers' lives so realistically, no matter how fantastical they may be.

jami welch

** spoiler alert **
           *Might be some spoilers down below*

Plus points:

- The cosy, familiar feeling of a Murakami book. Easy to read. Simple meals, people relating to each other through music, routine and purpose.
- The theme of abandonment by friends was interesting to me, having experience similar things at school.

Negative points:

- No lessons learnt, no real character progression. Maybe that's the point, but it's not a very fulfilling point to make.
- The big mystery of the entire book ends up just being pinned on a mentally ill woman who isn't around anymore, with no further exploration.
- Using false rape accusation as a plot device feels reckless.
- Other mysteries that arise through the book are completely forgotten about by the end.

ALSO:

- Why are women always described via their breasts? If this was the only time Murakami did it, I'd blame it on the particular character. But it happens in pretty much every book.

Alex Ker

Not Murakami's most dazzling work, but it's like a calming and comforting cup of green tea: subtle yet hitting all the right flavours and notes to a familiar audience.

Eri Asahi

** spoiler alert **
           I love the flows! It keeps me intrigued until the very end. I have a feeling that Sara rejected Tsukuru and he took his life peacefully in the end. I have used to with Murakami’s works by now and didnt bother to sweat about Yuzu’s mysteriousness. Tsukuru’s led a sure depressive life and the guy was miserable, but somehow i fond the way he saw himself. I think he was just being pragmatics.

Carlos Lisboa 

I don't love the ending, and some of the dialogues are written in a awkward way, a bit too formal maybe(?) even among friends of the main character.
I think this is Murakami book I least liked so far.
I rated 3 but it's more a 3.5!

Charlotte 

Murakami knows how to make you feel. my heart aches from the suffering Tzukuru went through.

Cams Campbell

It's more of the same, and that's just fine with me! There are fewer cats than usual, that's the only difference really. 

I don't know what it is with Murakami, but his books really move me like no other author's ever have. Maybe it's because I've always felt like I don't quite fit in. Murakami's books give me comfort and solace. There's nothing quite so soothing as being out in a dark winter's morning with the dogs and my headphones on, listening to a Murakami audiobook. It's got me wondering whether I ought to immerse myself in Japanese for a few years so that I can read his novels in their original language! Although, as a translator myself, I can tell you that the translation of this book is very good indeed. Hats off to Mr Gabriel for the great job.

Mary Rose Luksha

I was torn between 2 and 3 stars, as I often am, but was sadly surprised that this inward struggle happened for a Murakami novel. 

I've read several of his books, I'm familiar with his strange realities, and I don't even hate that a lot of his story lines are recycled because, to me, reading Murakami has always been about the feelings the words create in me. When he describes something, I am completely struck thinking, "yes, that is exactly how it feels," but I could never find the words. I consider that a huge compliment especially because I'm reading a translation. I envy Japanese readers, I can't imagine how terrific his writing is in his native language.

I loved the plot of this story - 5 high school friends who suddenly cut off one friend during college. I experienced something similar, and it really resonated with me. I especially liked it because I'm getting to the age where high school and college are no longer the recent past, but becoming a distant memory. And memories change shape and shift over time, so that what actually happened and how you process it become two different things. I loved Murakami's exploration of that theme.

But more to the point, here's why I only gave it 3 stars (and almost 2):
- We get it. He likes train stations because he thinks he's empty, that people never stay and he is just a stop along the way like a - wait for it - train station.
- Women. Ugh. They are so one dimensional and exist solely to move the protagonist forward and provide some witty advice. 
- THE ENDING. (view spoiler)[ I was so pleased with Tsukuru's meeting with Kuro. I almost couldn't believe Murakami wrote them meeting because he's usually all about the unresolved. But after Tsukuru calls Sara, the end of the book just went downhill. The whole last chapter where he's sitting in the train station felt like a painful writing exercise in some freshman year Writing 101. So we don't get to read about his dinner with Sara. Fine. But good Lord don't make me read the last 30 pages for a description of Japan's most populated train station. Why why why.  (hide spoiler)]

Alice

Don't let the length of his book fool you: it might be a short read, but the story and characters will resonate within you. 

P.S. This book is an 'acquired taste' and I won't recommend it to just anyone.

Claudia

real rating: 3.5/5

the novel started out really strong. haida + reunions with friends was kinda wholesome, and there’s something about Murakami’s writing (the preciseness of his descriptions, the way he captures the intensity of emotions, using music as symbolism) that just flows and gets the imaginative juices going - always a page turner. but I can see him using the same tropes here as he did in 1Q84 and sputnik sweetheart (self-deprecating protagonist, heroic romantic interest comes to the rescue, lots of trains and sensual imagery) and idk, I guess Murakami’s my Achilles’ heel. 

but I really don’t like the use of **** as a plot device + how tsukuru could’ve gone completely unaware of the incident for so long (in fact, I’m not sure I really ‘get’ tsukuru + still unsure if I feel sympathetic or indifferent towards him because we’re presented with several extreme sides to him its hard to draw a middle line as to the kind of character he is… and I feel like he doesn’t really grow over 16 years which is kinda infuriating???). Midorikawa was *hands down* my favourite character and had so much potential, but we didn’t get enough of him + did he even have a purpose at all????? that final chapter (+ending) was just … a huge let down.

baelgia

We truly believed in something back then, and we knew we were the kind of people capable of believing in something - with all our hearts. And that kind of hope will never simply vanish.

Lori Handelman

This is the second Murakami I remember reading, after 1Q84. I know I read another one -- something about a young man, a cat, a mystery, a mood (I know, could be any of them) -- but I don't remember anything else about that one.

The theme that stands out most to me in this book is the way we don't know ourselves, and can be so wrong about ourselves that we take ourselves out of the game, hide ourselves away from life. I do that myself, so I saw myself quite easily in Tsukuru. I think Murakami did a beautiful job of crafting a story around this theme, and often found myself wanting to shake Tsukuru by the shoulders: Come on, see who you are!

Otherwise, the Murakami elements are there: glimpses of the moon, the potential for a parallel reality, a powerful mood and dreaminess, the central importance of music to the story. I enjoyed reading this book and the mood of it permeated me during the couple of days I was reading it. I felt quiet, interior, a bit withdrawn and watchful. I really enjoyed this book and will probably be a bit stained by it for a while.

Charlotte Gyselinck

I was very into it for most of the book. The mystery really propelled the book forward for me. The end dragged a bit. Also not my favorite main character.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

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