South of the Border, West of the Sun

I had never heard of Murakami until I saw him listed as a favorite by many of my facebook friends. It was a pure coincidence that the same day I noticed several of his books in our office's library. This was my first Murakami novel, and I'm convinced. His writing is concise, powerful, like Hemingway, but much more emotional. He reveals the inner thoughts of his characters, even the...more

I had never heard of Murakami until I saw him listed as a favorite by many of my facebook friends. It was a pure coincidence that the same day I noticed several of his books in our office's library. This was my first Murakami novel, and I'm convinced. His writing is concise, powerful, like Hemingway, but much more emotional. He reveals the inner thoughts of his characters, even the most personal and banal onces, in a way that is never cliche or crass. His turn of phrase is electric - one of my favorites: "What we needed most were not words and promises but the steady accumulation of small realities." So true for so many relationships at so many times.   hide