Rating: 
Summary: Revisiting the Eclipse
Review: There is a moment between mystery and knowledge wherein the mind and body are eclipsed by the "other" and thrown into a brief but unforgettable oblivion. The smell of skin, the sound of a song or the touch of a young lover's hand may inspire this ecstatic passage, the catalyst cannot be predicted. The only certainty is that you will never forget the skin, the song or the hand in question, and you will always be vulnerable to its power. The narrator of Murakami's tale feels as though he were promised a uniqueness that life never delivered. His odd birthdate and his unusual status as "only child" seemed to suggest an exciting individuality that would lead to adventure and greatness. However, by the time the story opens, he finds himself an adult with merely ordinary accomplishments to claim--worst of all, they were only possible due to his father-in-laws' generosity. As these subtle roots of discontent begin to plant themselves, he is revisited by the owner of the skin, song and hand that inspired unique feelings during his awakening childhood romance. After all these years the woman remains just as mysterious as she had been in the narrator's youth (as do the narrators feelings, and Murakami's prose). What follows is a remarkably gentle investigation into the dilemma that sometimes arises between life and responsibility. The voice is purposefully naive, and the experience of reading this book is sadly, sweetly engrossing.
Rating:
Summary: Still very Murakami
Review: On the surface this may appear to be an un-Murakami work. However, it is more like viewing a classical figure sketch by Picasso rather than a work from his "blue" period or from his better known cubism work--it is still a Picasso. What is still very Murakami about this work is whether the mysterious women he meets up with at his bar is someone he really is meeting or is this all within the head of his everyman. This work demonstrates that Murakami can tell a story that is not replete with devices and intricite flights of fantasy; and yet take us introspectively to the tension between serenity and banality of what appears outwardly to be the model of a successful life.
Rating:
Summary: Murakami light
Review: I've read everything Murakami ever wrote and this book, while quite good, is no where near the transcendent earlier works. I find it odd that after his densest book ever (The Wind up Bird Chronicle) comes his most accessible book. By all means read it, but not to the exclusion of his other books which are even better.
Rating: 
Summary: validation
Review: Loved and rapidly ate this book up if only because it redeems those who feel they've wasted years of their life feeling unsettled and empty, longing for someone they can't be with. This is a brilliant portrayal of the complex dissonance that often exists between outward appearance and inner reality, and the way one copes when what wants can't be. You empathize with Hajime, you love him, even as (or partly because) you agree with his harsh criticism of himself. The story is believable, and all the more powerful, as childhood experiences are central rather than ignored. All of the above and more are written in a beautifully efficient poetic prose--guess I should praise the translator too. Final bonus attribute--this one actually reads like it takes place in Japan (unlike many of Murakami's other more allegorical "cyber" novels, which are devoid of anything Japanese). Only the completely unwounded may have nothing to gain from reading this.
Rating:
Summary: Delicious and hypnotic
Review: This is a marvelous book. Although not as broad as some of his earlier books, the protagonist is a likeable everyman, and his struggle with memory and desire makes for an addictive read. It's not just "Wind-up Bird Lite," but a wonderful work with just the right touch of Murakami madness.
Rating: 
Summary: hopefully, it was just filler
Review: Three things draw me to Murakami's works: 1. his beautiful prose, simplistic yet flowing 2. his dreamlike plots 3. his fatalistic characters <i>South of the Border</i> is bereft of all these traits, or rather displays them in an alarmingly facile manner. Earlier works like <i>The Wind Up Bird Chronicle</i> and <i>The Great Sheep Chase</i> (esp. the former!) were the kinds of books that left me thinking about the characters each time I put them down, sometimes even causing me to feel like my reality wasn't quite... real (you know that hyperrealistic feeling you get when you've immersed yourself in an engaging story that's set far outside of your normal purview). This one left me thinking, "If this is what we can expect from Murakami in the future, it's time to move on to another author."
Rating:
Summary: hopefully, it was just filler
Review: Three things draw me to Murakami's works: 1. his beautiful prose, simplistic yet flowing 2. his dreamlike plots 3. his fatalistic characters <i>South of the Border</i> is bereft of all these traits, or rather displays them in an alarmingly facile manner. Earlier works like <i>The Wind Up Bird Chronicle</i> and <i>The Great Sheep Chase</i> (esp. the former!) were the kinds of books that left me thinking about the characters each time I put them down, sometimes even causing me to feel like my reality wasn't quite... real (you know that hyperrealistic feeling you get when you've immersed yourself in an engaging story that's set far outside of your normal purview). This one left me thinking, "If this is what we can expect from Murakami in the future, it's time to move on to another author."
Rating: 
Summary: Not so good, not so bad
Review: I have read all of Haruki's books that have been translated into English and I this one is by far the worst. In most of his books, Haruki's main character is aimless and the magic of his books is in what happens to the character, not the character himself. It seems that Haruki wants you to like the main character in this book, but unfortunatly he's just not very likeable. Still, though I liked reading it, but if you have not read Haruki before I suggest not reading this one first. Try "A Wild Sheep Chase". There are too many loose ends to this one.
Rating:
Summary: yo yo yo
Review: i think this book was really nice. it was awesome and crazy good. i now believe in the thing called LOvE...you know you australian people should learn to read and use your immagination before reviewing something. okay, sorry, now on a more serious note just in case mr murakami will be lurking to see readers' responses: i believe this is murakami's best novel so far. it has the perfect balance of minimalism yet fuels one's immagination just enough as to give you that reader's thirst to finish the novel in one go. the emotional aspect of this novel is developed to a greater degree than in murakami's other works. he can now be qualified as a true master, a writer who has matured enough as to give his immagination the technique and frame that it deserves. this novel trully flows. if you are the type to be control-freakish w/ your reading then please skip this novel. its not worth your time and obviously the beauty of this novel will be lost on you. but if you can accept some mystery and use the little immagination you have then enjoy. its a really luxurious read!
Rating:
Summary: south of the border
Review: This book made me cry. I never cry.
| 
