Author Spotlight: Haruki Murakami

On January 12, the legendary author Haruki Murakami will turn 76 years old. Murakami was inspired to begin writing at age 29 while attending a 1978 baseball game in Japan. During that game, American baseball player Dave Hilton hit a double, sparking Murakami’s creative epiphany. Murakami recounts the moment: “The satisfying crack when the bat met the ball resounded throughout Jingu Stadium. Scattered applause rose around me. In that instant, for no reason and on no grounds whatsoever, the thought suddenly struck me: I think I can write a novel.” Imagine if we all acted on such moments of inspiration and followed through—the world might be a very different place.

A year later, Murakami published his first novel, Hear the Wind Sing, followed by Pinball, 1973, and A Wild Sheep Chase forming the Rat Trilogy. I recently finished my first Murakami book, Dance, Dance, Dance, a sequel to the trilogy that I thoroughly enjoyed. Even though it was a sequel I would have never known, as Murakami creates a magical world with relatable characters.

Murakami was born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1949 to two Japanese literature professors. He says, "My parents were always talking about Japanese literature, and I hated it. So I read foreign literature." He immersed himself in works by Chekhov, Dostoyevsky, Flaubert, Dickens, and American authors such as Kurt Vonnegut, Richard Brautigan, and Truman Capote, along with a plethora of detective stories. Murakami notes,

I began to read those books in English. That was quite an experience. It was like a door was opening to another world

From his reading background it is no wonder that American readers are drawn to Murakami. He also has a deep love for jazz which is expressed in his writings and operated a jazz bar with his wife for seven years before becoming an author.

Murakami often writes in the genre of Magic Realism, blending fantastical element in a matter-of-fact way with reality. He masterfully blurs the lines between what is and what could be, crafting unforgettable characters that resonate with readers worldwide. His most notable works include:

Norwegian Wood

Kafka on the Shore

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

His latest novel, The City and Its Uncertain Walls, has just been translated into English, ready to enchant readers once again. While he is not for everyone and I acknowledge he can have problematic representations of women, through his writing and the genre of magic realism he does offer unique glimpses into society and the human condition.

Here is a list of Murakami’s popular books and a list for downloadable audio books of his you can get from the library.

Contributed by Dan Oleson-Wheeler