This was my first Murakami novel. This story centers around boy who falls in love with a girl that says her real self is actually in a city beyond a wall. They imagine the city together, but when she disappears one day, he is left reeling with the sudden loss. As an adult, he makes it to this city beyond the wall by separating himself from his shadow. There are mythical creatures in this city, clocks with no hands, and dream readers.

This had an interesting premise and I found the city beyond the wall to be particularly intriguing, but I never felt like I understood the world fully or the reasons why things were the way they were. I loved the set-up of the novel but kept waiting for the novel to go somewhere. The writing was repetitive with discussions of the same scene over and over again.

I read that this was originally a novella and was later expanded to a full length novel. I wish we had gotten the novella instead. 2.75

Recommended if you like a very slow burn, are maybe a fan of Murakami in general (although I don’t know how this compares to his other works), or are interested in magical realism.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

What is reality and what is not? Are we our real selves or just our own shadows. Murakami weaves a tale of magical reality that begins with a teenage first love. Although that relationship is abruptly and inexplicably severed, it remains the driving force in a young man's life. Following one's heart takes on quite a literal meaning, leading to a town created only in the lovers' imaginations. This is a novel better savored than gulped. Enjoy.

I’ve had 1Q84 on my TBR forever, so when I saw I could request a book by Haruki Murakami on NetGalley I jumped at the chance.

The story starts with two teenagers, who have no names (??!) but I really felt the emotions they were feeling. And it was easy to follow along with conversations. And boy, could I feel the emotions of each teenager as it was being conveyed.

You need to leave your shadow behing to enter the walled-in city, and the animals that wander the city and leave at night caught my imagination.

The storyline was slow paced, but the writing is beautiful.

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #TheCityAndItsUncertainWalls in exchange for an honest review.

This is only my second time reading Murakami, the first being Norwegian Wood - which really didn't inspire me to read more of his work. But given the amount of years between these novels and the premise sounding promising, I was eager to give it a chance, to see how much he's grown as an author.

And I think there's clear evidence of that here. Despite my dislike of the plot and characters of Norwegian Wood, I really liked the writing style, and in that respect, Murakami's only gotten better. I love the way he utilized language, how vivid and dreamlike it is while also being relatively simple; I really love the scenery, the minute details, how easily readable it is. And while I love stream of consciousness as a writing concept - and I think Murakami handles it well for the most part - there's some passages in this book that just seem to stretch on and on and venture further from the point to the point it becomes frustrating. There's multiple instances of plot points that seem to lose their relevance or never be properly capitalized on; I'm not sure if it's a translation issue just missing out on key aspects, but quite a bit of the story just feels incomplete to me. I'm okay with ambiguous endings, including the one here, but I just found myself feeling a little lost and desperate for more explanation. But maybe that's the point?

It just feels like there's too much going on here, frankly. I like the story-within-a-story / parallel world-story concept, but when neither feel like they're fully formed, it's a problem. I also don't care for the way Murakami writes romance (at least there's no assault in this like Norwegian Wood, but it's hardly much better with how the 'love interest' in the adult timeline doesn't have much of a personality/how the conversations regarding sex are handled), so when the romance in the adult timeline was introduced, I really felt myself losing interest and mourning the potential. The walled city and the sections with the ghost were by far the most compelling; I think supernatural and fantastical elements are clearly Murakami's strength.

I don't know if I'm going to read any more of his work, because I haven't particularly liked what I've read so far, but I do see a lot of potential in his storytelling.; it's just not for me.

"𝘐𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘺-𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘸? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘦—𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦? 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴. 𝘈𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯."

You can always count on Murakami to convey loneliness in its totality. This book is so quiet, so full of dreams, wonder, and idling that you can hear the echoes of it all. All of it echoes until it becomes diabetic sound. The refrigerator humming. Dripping from the sink. Even stillness has a sound.

Borrowing beginnings from Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, this ultimately unfolds as a love letter to magical realism, with nods to Marquez and even Miyazaki. Dreams and the world building provided in them offer so much love to our reality more than we can admit. Murakami sees this, and with lenses like fine wine, aged, he is looking back at his previous work with awe. In some ways, it actually reminds me of Miyazaki’s latest work, The Boy and the Heron, as both stand in time looking at legacy, and wondering wondering wondering what happens in the great perhaps.

Strong, vivid world building with the usual Murakami tropes. Loved getting lost in this. Was sometimes bored. Was sometimes idling with the pace and plot. And because this was written during the pandemic, most of all that quietude is embodied here. Felt so alone in this that at times I forgot the rest of the world existed. And I always love when a book achieves that.

"𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘺. 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵, 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩. 𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦? 𝘖𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩?"

Unusually, I'm left with a sense of tepid unease. It's as though Murakami knows something, and he knows I need to know it, but he won't tell me, choosing instead to let me know he knows I need to know. You know?

I received an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

Ten-plus years ago I was one of Haruki Murakami's biggest fans. I'd read all of his books that'd been translated to English. I was constantly telling people that I thought he was going to win the Nobel Prize in literature. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World was one of my top 5 favorite books. But over time certain aspects of his writing started weighing on me. And I found myself taking a break from his work after reading, Colorless Tsukuru. The City and Its Uncertain Walls was my first Murakami book since 2013.

The City and Its Uncertain Walls continues Murakami's train of thought from Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. You don't necessarily have to read Hard-Boiled Wonderland first since technically it's not a sequel. However, I think that it would help the reading experience of The City and Its Uncertain Walls. Both books are partially set in the same subconscious walled-in city where you have to abandon your shadow before you're allowed to enter. Hard-Boiled Wonderland is a more dynamic and exciting book, especially the science-fiction cyberpunk half of the book. On the other hand The City and Its Uncertain Walls is split between the subconscious world and our real world (with certain magical realism aspects).

This book felt more rooted in reality and the magical aspects of the magical realism bits were also tamed down in comparison with some of his earlier works like Kafka on the Shore. One thing that I appreciated in The City and Its Uncertain Walls is that Murakami turned down his sexualization of female characters by a lot. That's one of the things in his earlier works that put me off reading him for a decade.

My main issue with The City and Its Uncertain Walls is that the pacing is very slow. It's a meandering book, which sometimes lost my attention, especially in the middle. You'll leave the book with certain questions left purposefully hanging. I still prefer Hard-Boiled Wonderland by a mile but I wonder if that perspective will change in 40 years. Murakami wrote Hard-Boiled Wonderland in 1985 when he was around my current age. And time mellows people.

I give The City and Its Uncertain Walls 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

I really liked this book. A poignant read that felt familiar yet distinct, I think this is one of my favourites of his. Great book.

I was SO EXCITED to get my hands on this book for a multitude of reasons: a book based on content from "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World?" Check. A book written by Murakami? Check. And (obviously) a book with a wacky plot that's bound to take my imagination for a spin? Check. I love Murakami's work, and I "Hard-Boiled Wonderland..." is one of my favorite books of all time. The hint at semiotics, the deconstruction that occurs as the nameless narrator begins to become trapped in a replica of his subconsciousness, the city itself, it's all *chef's kiss.*

I must admit, this novel wasn't what I was expecting. I don't mean that as a bad thing, it's just that there's a noticeable shift in this novel away from his other work... it's meditative and deeply rooted in the thoughts and emotions one has when grieving, when ageing, when trying to find connection, when trying to escape loneliness. While these characteristics aren't necessarily new to his work, they way they're portrayed is. The balance between magical realism and reality is different than his other work; it seems so much more tender.

The work took me awhile to get into, and I have a feeling it may be because of the translation. For some reason it just doesn't sound like Murakami to me! I gave this work 4/5 stars because of that, and because I think I may be too young to fully relate to the novel. I have a feeling that in 20-30 years, I'll pick this novel back up again and it won't be the same one I read previously.

Murakami gives his readers a chance to revisit a certain walled City from Hard-Boiled Wonderland in this philosophical fantasy adventure. If you enjoyed the 1985 novel, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find this reimagining loyal and familiar, but forging its own path, as well.

As is so often the case with his books, the author delivers a humorous, thought-provoking story composed of short chapters, some of which raise enough questions for an entire discussion of their own. He intentionally makes it difficult to determine whether the human being or the shadow is the one doing the narration, as well as to understand what the distinction means, both in terms of the story and the metaphor. Yet, the magic of a Murakami story is that he convinces you that contemplating that paradoxical question might actually reveal some secret of the universe. This symphony had a few off-key notes, but is otherwise a masterpiece. Fans will be delighted at this return to form, reminiscent of Killing Commendatore. Put the herbal tea on to boil and remember to protect your earlobes in This City and Its Uncertain Walls.

A transcendent thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC

A meditative and beautiful read, Murakami's "The City and Its Uncertain Walls" is the type if book that sticks with the reader Ling after the last page is turned. It's sort of the kind of book that you don't really "get" until it's over and all the pieces have fallen into place. Full of allegory, beautiful descriptions, and captivating prose, this is a beautiful escape of the author at his best. And what a gift it is.

I have not read every book by Murakami, so I cannot compare this book to his other works, or spot all the references as some might be able to. I don't believe I can even give this book a worthy description.
Beautifully written, Murakami's magical realism was so gentle, and peaceful. Deeply introspective at times, the characters were believable, and their world was very clear in my mind. With echoes of the pandemic in it's walled city, the commentary on the separation of the consciousness and the body will take some mulling over. I can't find words to give a synopsis of the story, and I'm not sure that the main idea of the book wasn't the promotion of the ideas discussed, and not the story itself. It's a novel that I think will be with me for quite a while.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I will be the first to admit that I read Murakami for the journey, not for the destination. But I was genuinely surprised when I reached the end of THE CITY AND ITS UNCERTAIN WALLS and realized that was the end of the book. This is probably because THE CITY AND ITS UNCERTAIN WALLS is essentially a reimagining of Murakami's earlier story HARDBOILED WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD--which is one of Murakami's most conclusive novels (and probably my favorite Murakami book overall).

So if you haven't read HARDBOILED WONDERLAND and are walking into this book without preconceived notions about the story, you may not have the same reaction I did. I enjoyed quite a bit of this novel (again, the journey was delightful for the most part) but I probably would've enjoyed it more if it hadn't been so similar in many ways to HARDBOILED WONDERLAND, yet didn't surpass it.

While reminiscent of Murakami's earlier work, this is a truly unusual tale. There is a quiet, but compelling pace as the main character relates his teenage love and loss, his mysterious transfer to a fantastical town, and then his equally mysterious return to an unfulfilled existence in Tokyo to be followed by life working in a rural library. The relatively small cast of characters and their unusual circumstances will stick with me for a while. As a reader I felt I was always searching for a kind of meaning in the story, just as the characters themselves are. I might need to read it several more times to notice all of the parallelism, references and recursive elements, but reading it once has provided a lot for me to think about.

I doubt everyone would give this book 5 stars and it's not the kind of book I typically would, but I think it's changed how I think of things, and that seems like enough.

This was difficult to get into but I’m glad I saw it through. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting this arc.

This seems like it will be a very divisive read. I haven’t read this author before, and I feel like I’m at a disadvantage. I loved the writing, the story, and the characters, but I’m also left feeling confused.

I found it very interesting to learn that this was originally a short story written 40 years ago, and then reworked into this novel starting in 2020. The reader can feel the isolation that he was feeling while writing. I found the story to be very unique. I’ve always been fascinated by dreams, and I like the questions that are presented in this book about dream worlds and shadow selves.

Overall I really loved it. The writing was excellent, and although this was a long book, I never felt bored while reading. I do think this will be a love it or hate it kind of book based on reading preferences.

Magical realism at its best.

Future publication date November 19, 2024

You’ll want to read this if:
-you’ve enjoyed Murakami‘s other work.
-you love magical realism.
-you like waxing philosophical.
-libraries, egg shaped dreams, unicorns, ghosts, and shadows are images you want to see in your books.

Is the imagined city of these two love struck teenagers more real than the life that they are living?

The first time I finished a Murakami novel I had more questions than answers, and now, with this being the fifth novel I’ve finished by him, I can confidently say that Murakami is not in the business of supplying the reader with any kind of answers. If you’re ok with not knowing all the answers (in terms of life and with where this novel is going) then there’s no better novel for you than The City and its Uncertain Walls.

Besides pondering the concepts of time, death, souls, consciousness, and reality, Murakami also takes time to appreciate ritual. It seems almost contradictory to write a story about these abstract concepts and also write so lovingly about routine and ritual, but Murakami loves to dote on the mundane and does it so well here: blueberry muffins and coffee, lighting a fire, taking the same route home every day, the same yellow submarine hoodie, a single cigarette and drink at the end of every shift.

What didn’t work for me was the way he wrote Mrs.Soeda: overqualified and very capable, yet she basically functions as an assistant. He may not have the best handle on writing women.

His writing is very simple and easy to follow, which I think is why I’m always willing to embark on these absurd journeys that force me to contemplate things we will never have answers to. It’s slow and meditative and the perfect book to read in the winter with lots of attractive descriptions of cozy fires lit in libraries on snowy evenings.

Thank you @netgalley and @knopf for this e-ARC

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! So glad I gave Murakami another try. A reflective novel of Self and the internal search for deeper meaning.

The main character’s search and restlessness for this unknown point is such an understood universal experience. A wonderful read for magical realism.

Surreal and Existential.

This dreamlike narrative is esoteric at times and not necessarily meant for the consumption of the average reader. The concepts within are heady and probing, delving deep into how we move through this world or even possibly the next. A consideration of the roles love and loss, isolation and connectivity . . . how these blurred spectrums affect our lives, at times healing and occasionally causing us harm . . . and not always able to differentiate these states as being either. A dispassionate rumination, a quiet nostalgia for the people we lose touch with over the years of our lives, including who we once were or could have been. Some sections offer thoughtful verse on how much or rather little control we have . . . only a sense of reactivity whether it's knee-jerk or volitional. Great book for group discussions. I recommend this novel to those who enjoy magical realism, self-discovery, and deep thinking.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of The City and its Uncertain Walls for my unbiased evaluation.  3.5 stars

I was impressed with this book of course is well written, it’s Murakami. It’s incredible how he writes magic realism, he truly makes you feel like you’re in a dream. Beautiful Novel about a 45 year old men that can’t forget his first love, when he was 17, together they imagen their own city with high walls. All this world has a second meaning in this men life, it does take a lot of thinking to get it all together. I do think it’s missing the climax of the story just to keep you interested because the book does feel extended. But over all a really enjoy this book and the teachings, like how we need to let go of our past to start a new life. I still can’t fully connect or understand the boy with the yellow submarine sweater and the main character but I think this is the cool part of Murakami, that he leaves you thinking about his book for days, love it.