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Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World Audiobook
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(4.42) - 19 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 1Q84 and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle comes a relentlessly inventive novel that dives deep into the very nature of consciousness.
“Fantastical, mysterious, and funny . . . a fantasy world that might have been penned by Franz Kafka.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
Across two parallel narratives, Murakami draws readers into a mind-bending universe in which Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, a split-brained data processor, a deranged scientist, his shockingly undemure granddaughter, and various thugs, librarians, and subterranean monsters collide to dazzling effect. What emerges is a hyperkinetic novel that is at once hilariously funny and a deeply serious meditation on the nature and uses of the mind.
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"I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I finished it in one night. The two halves of the story slowly weave together as the book goes on. It reminded me of the dichotomy in Mieville's The City & The City and of some other book whose name eludes me at the moment. "
— David (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Murakami’s bold willingness to go straight over the top [is] a signal indication of his genius . . . a world-class writer who has both eyes open and takes big risks.
— The Washington Post Book World -
He has become the foremost representative of a new style of Japanese writing: hip, cynical, highly stylized, set at the juncture of cyberpunk, postmodernism, and hard-boiled detective fiction. . . . Murakami [is] adept at deadpan wit, outrageous style.
— Los Angeles Times Magazine -
Fantastical, mysterious, and funny . . . a fantasy world that might have been penned by Franz Kafka.
— Philadelphia Inquirer -
Rich in action, suspense, odd characters and unexpected trifles . . . [a] provocative work.
— The Atlantic -
Murakami’s gift is for ironic observations that hint at something graver. . . . He is wry, absurd, and desolate.
— Los Angeles Times Book Review -
[A] mix of American fun and Japanese dread.
— Esquire -
An intertwining DNA model of seemingly contrary elements . . . a combination of Kafka’s castle, Borges’s library, and the Prisoner’s TV village.
— Village Voice Literary Supplement -
Off the wall . . . hilariously bizarre . . . splendid . . . a remarkable book . . . Alfred Birnbaum . . . has captured the crazed, surreal feel of Murakami’s Japanese.
— The Times (London) -
His novels . . . are set on fast-forward: raucous, slangy, irreverent.
— Details
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World Listener Reviews
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Phil Mathewson, 4/25/2015
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" I had to read this twice in that it was so different from other Murakami books that I have read. Like counting the change in two different pockets, it was an adventure from beginning to end "
— Ken, 5/21/2011 -
" Entertaining mad surrealist romp "
— Booksthailand, 5/19/2011 -
" This book was bizarre in a thrilling way that kept you guessing and wondering about metaphysics. "
— Aliisa, 5/17/2011 -
" Haunting, dark, crazy imaginative. I loved Murakami before this book, but this novel hooked me to his writing forever. A genre-defying SF novel that dwells deeply into identity and the sense of time. "
— Daniel, 5/3/2011 -
" I've never read anything like this. "
— Kim, 4/25/2011 -
" Good grief 1000+ reviews of this title. I'm not even going to comment other than say... it's awesome! "
— Nick, 4/25/2011 -
" Wow! This was my first Haruki Murakami book and I look forward to my next. I think he had me at unicorn. "
— Sara, 4/22/2011 -
" Absolutely fascinating. Was very much delighted from begin to end. "
— Steven, 4/21/2011
About Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese author of fiction and nonfiction works. His books and stories have been bestsellers in Japan as well as internationally, with his novel Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage topping the New York Times bestsellers list in 2014. His work has been translated into more than fifty languages. Murakami is the recipient of numerous awards, including the World Fantasy Award, the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, the Franz Kafka Prize, and the Jerusalem Prize.
About Kirby Heyborne
Kirby Heyborne is a musician, actor, and professional narrator. Noted for his work in teen and juvenile audio, he has garnered over twenty Earphones Awards. His audiobook credits include Jesse Kellerman’s The Genius, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and George R. R. Martin’s Selections from Dreamsongs.