Haruki Murakami: Very few authors are capable of evoking nostalgia and magical realism through the use of words.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez is typically the first writer that comes to mind, but another contemporary figure has become famous over the past few decades.
Without a question, Haruki Murakami is one of the most underrated authors in the world of literature.
Despite being less celebrated than his contemporaries for their film adaptations, Murakami has amassed a cult following even outside Japan.
Fans will be eager to see what he can conjure with words after seeing that he will publish his first book in six years in April.
The announcement
In a statement released on Wednesday, Shinchosha Publishing announced that Haruki Murakami would publish his most recent book in 2023.
The renowned publisher, which has a headquarters in Shinjuku, Tokyo, said that the publication date for the book is April 13.
The specifics of the plot were also omitted, along with the book’s title.
According to Shinchosha, the next Murakami book will cost $22 or ¥2,970.
They also mentioned that the e-book edition will be released on the same day.
What we know
When the Haruki Murakami novel will be translated and released is unknown, Shinchosha admitted.
The book’s title cannot be revealed, but they made the assumption that it would have 1,200 Japanese manuscript pages.
The number of pages the novel will have also hasn’t been decided by the publisher.
Last work
The last book by Haruki Murakami was published in 2017.
The contents of the book Killing Commendatore were kept a secret prior to its release as requested by the author.
According to Shinchosha at the time, Murakami urged readers to examine the book without any prior information.
At the 2017 book launch, major Tokyo bookstores stayed until after midnight so that buyers could obtain a copy straight away.
The two novels that make up Killing Commendatore are The Idea Made Visible and The Shifting Metaphor.
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Philip Gabriel and Ted Goossen presented the English translation as a single, 704-page book.
The translated book was released in the US by Alfred A. Knopf in 2018.
A painter who is the book’s protagonist quits his career and goes on a road trip after his wife leaves him.
He gets a job teaching art, agrees to finish a painting commission, and runs into an intriguing “Idea” along the way.
Murakami
Haruki Murakami, a writer from Japan, is famous for his short stories, novels, and essays.
He has received a number of awards for his work, including:
- The Gunzo Prize for New Writers
- The World Fantasy Award
- The Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award
- The Franz Kafka Prize
- The Jerusalem Prize
Murakami’s first book, Hear the Wind Sing, was published in 1979.
Since then, he has written a large number of novels and short story collections.
The Japanese novelist’s works have also been adapted for the big screen.
The following movies are adaptations of his writings:
- Hear the Song of the Wind (1982)
- Tony Takitani (2004)
- Norwegian Wood (2010)
- Burning (2018)
- Hanalei Bay (2018)
- Drive My Car (2021)
Recognition
Murakami mostly writes first-person narratives in the classic Japanese I-novel format.
The magic realism subgenre is one that the author really loves writing.
Because Haruki Murakami constantly references popular culture, readers adore his work.
Many of his works also include titles and themes from songs or classical compositions.
The author disclosed that several characters in his works comment on how things are going and appear to be experiencing the same things as him.
In other words, it’s like walking into a movie set where practically everything is a fake.
Since the release of Haruki Murakami’s future book is expected this year, many of his followers will be excited to read the story that develops there.
Image source: Vulture
