Wind/ Pinball: Two Novels

Within Murakami's first foray into our minds 'we hear the wind sing' the oft heard existential ballad of life's journey from cocooned childhood to the stark reality of adulthood. For his first novel he provides a template for his future writing. He is an author that you either "get" or don't connect with. The ultimate marmite conundrum! From the moment Norwegian Wood found me, not I it, his stories have entranced me. Like many others his words speak to me on a very personal and almost cosmic level. Some sentences or happenings echo or mirror events or thoughts I once had. And therein lies his genius. Once he finds you it will all make sense. I write this as I have finished the first part of this double edition. I have heard the wind. A pre Christmas snow is beginning to fall heavily outside. A cat in our back garden is unsure of what's falling from the sky. Now Im ready for some pinball.

Like Philippe Djian did after him; a writer of American tales written outside of America set in a different country like a 53rd or 54th state as yet unnamed. This is not the full Murakami yet but all the trademark moves are already present: oneiric people and places; jumps in time; a queer relationship to the feminine; Western European and American food totally obliterating any idea one might be in Japan; a sort of Elvis Presleying paint-roller applied to everything...And tangentially glimpses of something Nipponese; but only spotted through the slats of the tales ... if you look intently.Not his best of course ... he did them as he felt he should; having had a satori telling he was to be a writer whilst sitting at a baseball game [recounted in foreword] ... but it is Murakami ; a fourth-dimension writer of genius like Thomas Pynchon or Roberto BolañoSo not his best is still better than most .. all fans a must ... others ... go on then

Mr. Haruki Murakami calls this one a ‘Kitchen Table Novel’ and rightly so. In the introduction, he mentions it as "The Birth of My Kitchen Table Fiction," which describes his journey to becoming a great writer. This is Murakami’s first ever work, and hence you would get a flavor of Murakami’s style, but you would be left wanting for more. You would also see that this work of his is not as polished since he was just beginning to become a writer.For people who are new to Murakami, they should know that this book is the First one, in a trilogy. The trilogy (which is actually called the ‘Rat Trilogy’), consists of below books in this order:#1 Wind/Pinball#2 A Wild Sheep Chase#3 Dance Dance DanceBoth "Wind" (a random mess) and "Pinball, 1973" (slightly more promising) feature an unnamed protagonist, and his best friend "The Rat" (we don’t know why he’s called so), who smoke large quantities of Seven Stars cigarettes and drink beer and contemplate their love lives. No story, no narrative flow, just aimless, random thoughts on their places in the world. There’s also mention of a prominent place called J's bar, a drinking hole in Tokyo. Only "Pinball" has anything resembling a story, but it's just as frustrating as the first because, you can see glimpses of the Murakami we know and love, but the story abruptly ends with no resolution, just when things are finally starting to get somewhat interesting.If you are a fan of Murakami’s and are interested in finding out how he started his writing career, then this little book is for you. "Wind/Pinball" features two novels which were the very first stories that Murakami wrote in his kitchen, late in the night. The stories are somewhat quirky, incoherent and plotless, and it's evident that they're written by an author starting out.What I appreciated the most about this book was actually the foreword by Murakami himself, in which he - among other things - reveals how he came up with and developed his unique writing style. If you’re looking for a great story, avoid this one. However, if you’re Murakami fan, and would want to dig deeper into his first ever literary work, go ahead and pick this one. I would rate it a 3/5 only because I’m a Murakami fan, otherwise, I would have given it 1/5 or max 2/5. Cheers!

This volume is a bit like the first R.E.M. album. On its own, it’s ok, not something that was ever going to set the world alight. However, in the context of more significant work that was to come later, it’s interesting to see the early steps of someone who was to become a master of his craft. The influence of Vonnegut is obvious. The Rider SongThe Rider Song

Early but distinctive style already comes through in these 2 early works.Usual entertaining stories and quirky approach to life must reads for all his fans