Can we truly become our authentic self?

This is the question Haruki Murakami attempts to answer in his latest novel, The City and its Uncertain Walls. It was already released in Japan in April 2023 and will be released in the United States this November.

Murakami tells the story of an unnamed protagonist that is chronicling his life from his lovesick teenage years until middle age. Throughout the story, the main character grapples with the disappearance of his true love and embarks on a quest to locate her in an imagined city. However, in that process, our protagonist gets separated from his shadow and has to find a new life for himself as a head librarian in a small town far away from his birthplace of Tokyo.

The first part of the novel focuses on the teenage relationship between the protagonist and his true love. Murakami ponders the agony of a first love and becomes overly fixated on it, which I find excessive. However, he lays the groundwork for where the novel truly takes off in the second and third parts of the story.

The remaining parts of the novel focus on the protagonist taking a job as a small town head librarian. He was recruited by an enigmatic individual who had a sole interest in hiring him. The protagonist and the man develop a relationship which adds to clues of about the imagined city and how one can reconnect with their lost shadow. Also, the protagonist connects to a young boy that loves to read and comes to the library often. The boy doesn’t speak and has no social skills, but adds another layer to the protagonist’s search for his true love.

Murakami masterfully brings these elements together into a novel that I will consider a minor masterpiece. The City and Its Uncertain Walls have all the classic Murakami themes of loneliness, ache, identity, and surrealism within an urban landscape. This is my fifth Murakami novel I have read and will be my favorite one of them all, just edging out A Wild Sheep Chase. The City and its Uncertain Walls is a love letter to books, reading, and the magic they can provide for someone that does not always fit in with society.

The translation by Philip Gabriel was sublime and made for a great reading experience. Also, I would like to thank NetGalley for this advance copy I received in exchange for an honest review

Thank you for letting me read this book. I have read many of Murakami's novel and greatly enjoy his work. This was everything I expect from him and I would definitely recommend it to others.

I wish I could keep this review short and just say EVERYONE NEEDS TO PICK UP THIS BOOK. However since I can't do that, I'll just talk your ear off about it. Haruki Murakami always finds a way to pull on my heart strings and make me think about my life in such a different way than before I read it. Especially with this one, I felt like I had a whole new outlook on life by the time I was done with it.
To make a long story short, I am OBSESSED with this book.
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Haruki Murakami, and the publishing company behind this title who allowed me to read this book before the release date.

Haruki Murakami is truly a talent. His books are always captivating to me, and I have been waiting for this one to come out in English since it was announced. Murakami has a way of writing his worlds that suck you right into them. Each of his books is different but has that classic Murakami feel to them. This book is a good addition to the Murakami collection. Philip Gabriel is a great translator, and I really like the way he worked with Murakami's story and translated it into English. The characters are interesting, and I enjoyed following them throughout the story.

One of the strangest Murakami novels yet. Although I've seen some reviews saying that this is "classic Murakami" it actually doesn't have, or only ever so briefly includes, a lot of his standard tropes and storytelling devices. It has perhaps the most surreal and dreamlike narrative of any of his novels, the plot is so aimless and the story so "uneventful" it almost makes Killing Commendatore or Kafka look like Michael Bay movies in comparison. I wouldn't even really argue with someone who says this book doesn't have a climax (the closest thing to one happens within the first 1/3 of the book).

Unlike Killing Commendatore, which I found to basically be the "ultimate Murakami," in that it contains essentially every trope Murakami has ever used, The City and Its Uncertain Walls at least feels like something new, probably the first book of his to feel like that since Kafka (even though I like KC more than Kafka to be honest). Which is a bit ironic given just how heavily this borrows from Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (which is one aspect of the book I really haven't reconciled with yet).

Anyways, I realize I'm not really giving any real critical assessments or whatever so far, but this is probably the most oblique and open to interpretation novel that Murakami has yet written; and for me personally, that doesn't really bother me at all. There were a lot of moments that created such a vivid picture in my mind and were so striking, and I really enjoyed being back in Murakami's world again. This is definitely one that I'm going to be thinking about in the months to come and one I plan on rereading before the year's over (probably when my hardcover edition arrives). But one thing I'm not unsure of is that I definitely enjoyed this one, and I look forward to how my relationship with the book changes over time (pretty much all of his fiction resonates differently with me now than they did on first read).

This is my first experience with Haruki Murakami and I am enamored. In this book of magical realism we follow the main character, the Dream Reader as he co-creates an imaginary city along with a love interest. This imaginary city becomes the centerpiece of the story; a living, breathing entity that captures the attention of multiple people the Dream Reader encounters in life. As events progress both the Dream Reader and us as the reader find it evermore difficult to differentiate between reality and the dream world.

There are several supporting characters that are well developed. They all had close relationships with the Dream Reader--some romantic, some friendships--that went beyond the surface level. The Dream Reader shares a deep bond with these characters, a bond that develops through.

The weather and seasons are very prominent in this book. While I haven't yet, I intend to reread with the intent to discover how the weather correlates with the phases of the Dream Reader's experiences. After reading this book I have added much of Murakami's work to my TBR, in the process discovering the walled city figures in other books. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys magical realism, themes of identity and the seasons of life.

3.75 rounded down


The City and Its Uncertain Walls is in typical Murakami fashion, weird events, obsession with love, and your favorite body part—the ear! I think his prose is what makes us love Murakami in the end. However, the book significantly slogged in part two. While the day to day life in a small town was important, it was the least bit interesting at times. I found myself wanting to go back to what we felt and experienced in part one. I wish there was more on the love story between our main character and his girlfriend from high school, but I’m sure if you read in between the lines you can find the answer. I will say, this work of Murakami seems the most complete and straightforward. I’ve read quite a bit of his work, and this one has more of a complete understanding than others. However, he seems to introduce more information during the conclusion of his books which would have been better suited a bit earlier. The ending felt rushed to me.

Overall, if you love Murakami, or wanting to get into him, I think this is a good place to start. It’s a sleepy book, but it’s enjoyable. The way Murakami writes about falling in love is like none other, so I’d just read him for that. I know there’s discourse about him writing women, but it’s also Japanese culture at the end of the day. Is it uncomfortable as a westerner? Sure, but it doesn’t take away from the story for myself personally.

Thanks to Penguin-Random House and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

I read my first Murakami novel — A Wild Sheep Chase — as a grad student in English half a lifetime ago. I remember at the time wondering why the professor had assigned the novel because it was so different from anything we’d read before. At the time, I couldn’t quite process what I was reading because we had just read Robert Stone’s Dog Soldiers, a gritty, violent, realistic novel. But now I was reading a book about a guy trying to find a sheep with a star-shaped birthmark somewhere in Japan for reasons that seemed kind of weird and flimsy (it’s been a lifetime, so please excuse the vagueness). Anyway, I gritted my teeth and read on in true English major fashion, convinced that this “novel” would end up back at the campus bookstore along with all the other unwanted texts I planned to sell back.

Well, that copy of A Wild Sheep Chase (AWSC) is still on my bookshelves, happily resting next to nine other Murakami texts that include the biggies The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (TW-UBC), Kafka on the Shore, and 1Q84. Encountering AWSC, I learned that to read Murakami you have to let go of your internal English major looking for structure, plot, character arcs, subtext; let go of your notions of reality (is any novel, regardless of its “reality,” actually real?) and just climb on board for the ride. For this reason I have hesitated in the past to recommend a Murakami novel to someone who hasn’t read his work. It’s tough to suggest reading a 600+ page book like TW-UBC to someone when the outline of the plot sounds kind of crazy (trust me, it all kinda makes sense in the end). Like whiskey, I tell them, you either like it or you don’t. Point to any bottle on the shelf and try it yourself.

So now I’ve just finished The City and Its Uncertain Walls (TCAIUW). While I don’t think it is Murakami’s best novel, the book will definitely satisfy his readers. As other reviews and articles have mentioned, TCAIUW echoes with elements from other Murakami novels, and these have been expanded to create a world of the seen and unseen, a world of shadows and ghosts. But while there is a definite sense of the familiar — that warm fuzziness you experience when you surrender to the universe of a Murakami novel — I couldn’t help but notice a certain meditative or contemplative tone in TCAIUW that I don’t remember experiencing in the other novels. Perhaps this has something to do with my own life as I’ve entered the home stretch (the turn for home? the final quarter? the two-minute warning?), but I couldn’t help but notice the protagonist’s almost constant questioning of his own motives, actions, thoughts, and reality. So many question marks!

I know Haruki Murakami is 75 years old, and I believe that age can make one reassess life in general: its fundamental purpose, the relationships we’ve nurtured and cast aside, the choices made, the roads taken and not. I think this is what I hear in the protagonist’s voice: the certainties of youth are gone, replaced with the realization of the limited choices still available as we age. And of course that would make one question almost everything they do. Should I move to the small town and become head librarian? Should I leave the city with the uncertain walls? Should I ask out the coffee-shop owner?

In general, it seems this contemplative tone has put a certain restraint on the novel. It’s not as wild and crazy as some of his earlier novels (or maybe I’m just used to it?) that just sparkled with imagination and sights never seen before. But with the contemplative tone, I think this novel asks its readers to think about love, about reality, about human interaction, about what we give up and what we can live with to be “happy.”

Maybe The City and Its Uncertain Walls is the novel I will recommend from now on for someone looking to read Murakami for the first time. The slope is gentle, the terrain recognizable if a little foggy at times. At least there aren’t any strange sheep around.

I had high hopes for this one. I really wanted to love it. Mind you, it still gets four stars, but there were just some unresolved WTFs scattered throughout. Not the kind you think back on and go "Oh yeah..." because that's trademark Murakami. No, these were the kind you had to step over if you didn't want to trip over them while reading. Just breaks in logic beyond the standard Murakami variety that we've come to love. These felt more like lost thoughts that simply weren't revisited, moments that I felt deserved resolution. For example, how can a character go from one world/dimension/realm to another for an extended period, then back again, without an explanation (at least to the reader) of the awkward consequences of meeting, say, bosses, family, acquaintances to explain the absence? I hate to say it, but 1990s to 2010s Murakami would have tackled that.

Again, a fun read, with lots of spiritual watermarks dotted here and there, either intentional or not. I'll be reading this again and again.

MANY THANKS to the wonderful folks at NetGalley and Alfred A. Knopf for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Having read Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World I was unsure how this revision or rewrite would work. I think the first thing to address is that this novel should not be considered either of those things. Even though there are familiar settings and themes this feels like a new story, I thought of it as a new addition to the dreamscape. Of course there will be comparisons between the two novels and The City immediately feels like a more mature and accomplished work. The story itself is masterfully written and achingly beautiful, we feel each characters desire to belong and their desire to be loved or needed, deeply.

This took me a good while to get into. I enjoyed the unique storyline and the meandering way we go through time and slowly unveil things. Good, and worth it to stick through the first 25%.

This was my first time reading Murakami’s work, and so I didn’t know what to expect, initially drawn to this book due to the promise of unicorns and autonomous shadows. So, I was expecting a fantasy. And while this book is clearly written by a master wordsmith, and is impressive on a few different levels- it’s more psychological magical realism than fantasy.

So while it’s always a pleasure to read a well written novel, I’m afraid I just couldn’t connect with these characters in any way. In fact, it felt a bit like reading Faulkner for me- like I *should* love it, but finding it difficult to get through. Also, by the end of the book I wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened plot wise and was left with the feeling I’d missed out on a big reveal somewhere…and quite possibly, the entire point.

All in all, it’s certainly an original story by a brilliant mind, but if you’re expecting fantasy or even just a low maintenance read, I’d look elsewhere.

3.5 stars but rounding up out of respect for Murakami’s craft.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for this ARC!

"The City and Its Uncertain Walls" by Haruki Murakami is a mesmerizing and surreal exploration of memory, identity, and the boundaries between reality and dreams. Set in a mysterious city where the protagonist finds himself navigating through a labyrinth of enigmatic characters and otherworldly events, Murakami's novel delves deep into the human psyche and the complexities of existence.

Murakami's trademark blend of magical realism and philosophical musings is on full display, creating an atmospheric and thought-provoking narrative. The city itself is almost a character, with its shifting landscapes and uncertain boundaries reflecting the protagonist's inner journey. The author's lyrical prose and vivid imagery draw readers into this dreamlike world, where every encounter holds symbolic significance.

The characters are richly developed, each adding a layer of intrigue and emotional depth to the story. Themes of isolation, the search for self, and the blurred lines between past and present are intricately woven throughout the narrative, making it a deeply introspective read.

Overall, "The City and Its Uncertain Walls" is a captivating and enigmatic novel that will appeal to fans of Murakami's unique style. It is a profound and immersive experience that challenges readers to reflect on the nature of reality and the hidden corners of the mind. Haruki Murakami once again delivers a masterful work that lingers long after the final page.

Thank you #Knoph and #NetGalley for providing this #ARC Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is November 19, 2024.

5 Stars • This is Murakami‘s first novel in six years. In "The City and Its Uncertain Walls," Haruki Murakami weaves a complex tale of a walled city inhabited by a young man and a girl. The city is guarded by a giant and populated by golden-haired beasts. The girl works in a library collecting old dreams, and the man must enter the city to become a dream reader to find his true self. The story explores themes of separation of body and consciousness, reality and fantasy, and the power of literature.

#TheCityAndItsUncertainWalls #HarukiMurakami #Bookstagram

It’s an interesting story so far with a lot more magical realism than some of the other Haruki Murakami books I have read. More than A Wild Sheep Chase, Dance Dance Dance, After Dark, Hear The Wind Sing, and Pjnball. I look forward to comparing this story to Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, which I hear is set in the same world as The City and It’s Uncertain Walls.

This was a slow and pondering novel, just what I expected and wanted. I started and could not stop reading, and it felt like a vacation from the world.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, I will reserve my review until publish, knowing myself I will end up giving spoilers.

Review of The City and Its Uncertain Walls

The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami and translated by Philip Gabriel is an amazing tale of magical realism by one of the world’s greatest authors. While others have complained that it is a redo of Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of Wonderland, I feel that his very clear explanation in his afterword helped me to understand that new thoughts on previous stories lead sometimes to new and better stories. I struggled to stay with the roving plot and the magical movement between live people, ghosts and precious memories. The City, the Library, Mr. Koyasu, the coffee shop lady and the boy in the Yellow Submarine coat return and blend to make this complicated and engrossing read a masterpiece. I’ll be thinking about it for years, but I’ll be reading it again before its US publication date in November of 2024.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Knopf for the eARC and the opportunity to read and review The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami and translated to English by Philip Grabriel.
#NetGalley, #Knopf, #HarukiMurakami, #PhilipGabriel, #MagicalRealism, #Ghosts, #Japan, #Libraries, #Fantasy
5 Stars, Pub. Date: 11-19-24

As a longtime Murakami fan, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, where I knew we'd be returning to a landscape created for a previous book. Ultimately, I was intrigued by how the book departed from previous books and yet how it echoed so many themes and images. This character is a bit older than previous protagonists, and for much of the book, he's living in a fog of depression that feels heavier than the usual funny aimlessness of Murakami protagonists. The story weaves in and out of the unreal town from Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World, taking us to places I didn't expect, with some nods to other Murakami novels. We have familiar elements like libraries, books, cats, simple meals, jazz, portals, ears, dreams, even winks to crows and wells...but it all adds up to something a bit different than before. I interpret this as the author delving further into ideas and feelings and questions about spirituality and death. I hope this isn't the last word, of course, and I do feel there's more for him to say. I'm sure I'll return to this book later and pick up on elements I missed. Even apart from my general interest in Murakami's work, I found this book fascinating.
Thanks to Netgalley for this review copy.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6663733180

I don't think that this is the best work by Murakami, but oddly enough it would probably work really well as an entry point for a a reader new to Murakami. It is an extended treatment of an earlier, abandoned, novella, and seems it bit padded out in places, but circling around familiar themes and interests is a privilege we grant to writers like Murakami. This read a bit like a calm, reflective recapitulation of Murakami's ideas.