Book Review: South of the Border, West of the Sun

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

Amazon

"We were, the two of us, still fragmentary beings, just beginning to sense the presence of an unexpected, to-be-acquired reality that would fill us and make us whole. We stood before a door we’d never seen before. The two of us alone, beneath a faintly flickering light, our hands tightly clasped together for a fleeting ten seconds of time."

---

Book Review: "South of the Border, West of the Sun"

When Shimamoto re-enters Hajime's settled life, he risks blowing everything up. This novel is a character study, making it possible to feel Hajime's desperation without absolving him of his sins. It's another masterful early novel by Haruki Murakami. B+

---

Grade: B+

Haruki Murakami is one of my favorite novelists. This novel, one of his earliest (published in 1992) is one that I am finally getting around to read. Some of his best novels (e.g., 1Q84) contain elements of magical realism, where fantastical elements are interwoven with realistic settings and ordinary characters. This one can't be described that way, but things do happen that by the end of the novel, the reader wonders what was real, what was imagination.

The novel is a first-person memoir of a middle-aged Japanese man, Hajime, remembering the three women who shaped his life. First there was Shimamoto, his childhood friend. They were both only children and found companionship in their love of music. The novel's title comes from title of a Nat King Cole song. Murakami's novels often have references to Western music. Hajime loses touch with Shimamoto when their families move apart, but he always remembers her as his soulmate.

Next there's Izumi, Hajime's high school girlfriend. Their relationship is marked by a lack of a true connection. He betrays her with her best friend, leading to a lifelong guilt.

Third, there's Yukiko, Hajime's wife with whom he seems perfectly suited. They have two children. He owns two successful bars (financed by his father-in-law). He turns down additional business opportunities because he has everything he wants. But...you know there has to be a but. For reasons he can't explain or justify, he is not satisfied with his life.

That's when Shimamoto re-enters Hajime's life and he risks blowing everything up. The novel explores the human condition, making it possible to feel Hajime's emptiness without absolving him of his sins.

Oh, more about that magical realism. I can't say what happens without offering spoilers, but by the end, even Hajime comes to doubt his own mind. Another masterful early work by Haruki Murakami.