Book review - Hard boiled wonderland And The end of the world

Being new to the world of books is like being a newlywed. If you are really into it, then everyday is a honeymoon. Everywhere you look, you see books and you spend all the time you can spare reading them. There is so much quality on offer across genres that every read is a new thrill. It is hard for you to be separated from the book you have left at the most pivotal point in the story and you are in a hurry to go back to reading it. The experience is enhanced by the fact that your mind is fresh and you aren’t biased towards any author or any genre and because it’s all very novel to you, you end up liking almost everything you read. And these initial reads leave a lasting impression on your mind. But, as with every good thing in life, there finally comes a saturation point when you stop enjoying every book. By this time you have probably read the best that genres have to offer. What you are looking for at this stage is something that is different from the routine and the generic that you have read so far. Something mind bending – something truly out of the ordinary. And it was during such a phase that I picked up this marvellous work by Haruki Murakami.

Haruki Murakami was an author unknown to me when I picked up this book purely on impulse. Now I know he is a Japanese author of great renown, not only in Japan but also in the western countries. He has received a lot of critical acclaim for his literary work and his style of writing. He has travelled far and wide and the western culture has left an indelible mark on his writing. We can see that influence in references of western music and old classics strewn through his work. ‘Hard boiled wonderland and the end of the world’ is one of his earlier novels and surely one of the more bizarre books you will read. And of course, I mean it in a good sense.

‘Hard boiled wonderland and the end of the world’ is actually two stories in one book. One of these stories – ‘Hard boiled wonderland’ – is about a ‘Calcutec’. A Calcutec is somebody who is very good with numbers and is used as a human encryption machine for data. How he does that, I will leave it to the reader to find out. Suffice it to say that a Calcutec is the perfect way to encrypt the data thus ensuring its safety. So, this Calcutec of ours decides to take up a side job for a scientist who needs him to encrypt his research data. The story then follows his exploits as things go wrong and he lands up in the middle of a corporate war. Along the way he learns a few things about himself, too.

The second story – ‘The end of the world’ – is about a stranger who enters a very peculiar town. This story exploits how he comes to learn about the townspeople’s strange habits and also about the beasts that roam the town. He finds that his shadow has been separated from him and may not survive the harsh winter in that town. In this town he gets the job of a dreamreader which he does by reading the dreams stored in the skulls of the beasts. How he goes about adapting to life and how he takes care of his shadow forms the basis of the story. This story has a fantastical tone and, as you must have realized, content, too. It is kind of like a world created by someone using the details he observes in his daily life and mixing them with his own fantasies.

The two stories, of course, converge. But, again I leave it to the reader to find out how. One of the great strengths of this book is its structure – the way it reveals its secrets. And I don’t want to be guilty of spoiling anyone’s fun by revealing too much. Now, from what I have already described it must be very clear that it is not your run of the mill book. It is different and it is different in a very refreshing way. You see, I have used the word ‘genre’ multiple times in my opening introductory passage. And when I said you want to read something which is not generic, I wanted to emphasize the genre bending capabilities of this book. The first story has elements of Science fiction and thrill while the second story has elements of fantasy and philosophy. And with all this mixed together, it is actually a pretty unique experience.

Mr. Murakami has a style of his own which is poetic and contemplative. And from whatever I have read of him, he always seems inclined towards veering away from everything that is normal in life. All these factors combine to give this narrative a surreal feel. You wander through the town with the stranger in a dreamlike state. You are eager to explore and in a way anxious not to wake up before you discover the secrets of the place. Even the Tokyo through Calcutec’s eyes has a moody elegance. Also, the novel had an isolating effect on me. And again I mean it in a very positive sense. You know how there are fantasies that we all have but do not share with anyone else. It was like me living my fantasy where no one else was allowed to be – my own personal space. Now, if you can imagine a very personal surreal experience – a dream – and that is the feeling you have while reading this novel.

Mr. Murakami does not use names for his characters in this novel. The book is a first person narrative and every other character – other than the narrator – is given a title, ‘Professor’, ‘Librarian’, ‘Colonel’, ‘Gatekeeper’ and so on. While this impersonalises the characters, it heightens the unreal effect of the novel. Another thing that enhances the effect is that Mr. Murakami doesn’t explain everything that goes on. In fact, he never sets any proper context, in terms of the social situation or scientific advances leading to the phenomena described, for the story to take place. It’s like a dream where everything begins suddenly and when it ends some things are still left unexplained.

As I have mentioned beforehand, this book is scattered with references to western literature, music and movies – popularly known as pop culture references. And sometimes, I felt Mr. Murakami overdoes it. It gets mildly irritating, to be honest.

There isn’t any other drawback that might really put anyone off. Yet, I have read people’s opinion who thought the book was strictly OK to people who thought it was rubbish. The book does require a little patience owing to its leisurely pace and initial lack of comprehension about the goings on. Also, its tone takes a little getting used to. But, once you get over these little obstacles, the book can be quite addictive.

It is perhaps Mr. Murakami’s meditative style coupled with the nature of his fantastical tales that has meant he remains an author relatively unknown to India, but these very qualities of his make this book a compelling read. I read it when my life had entered an unremarkable and a very hectic phase with little creativity and imagination which in turn meant a general feeling of unrest and angst. It showed me how happy and fulfilling my own self and my own fantasies are and how good it felt to spend time with myself, something I have made a point to do regularly since. And for these very personal reasons, this book will always remain special to me.

My recommendation then, is for you to get a copy and start reading.