Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

By: Haruki Murakami

Narrated by: Adam Sims, Ian Porter

Length: 14 hrs

Publisher's summary

Information is everything in "Hard-Boiled Wonderland". A specialist encrypter is attacked by thugs with orders from an unknown source, is chased by invisible predators, and dates an insatiably hungry librarian who never puts on weight. In "The End of the World" a new arrival is learning his role as dream-reader. But there is something eerily disquieting about the changeless nature of the town and its fable-like inhabitants. Told in alternate chapters, the two stories converge and combine to create a novel that is surreal, beautiful, thrilling, and extraordinary.

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©2010 Naxos AudioBooks (P)2010 Naxos AudioBooks

Maybe Haruki Murakami's Best

What made the experience of listening to Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World the most enjoyable?

This is Haruki Marakami at his best , the story telling and the world he creates are like no other author alive today

A mediocre book

Compared to the other reader the other sounds unintrested and bland which makes him boring to listen to but the other was lovely.

Story was simple and easy to follow but dragged on way too much and was filled with too many useless details.

I’d recommend this to someone who wants background noise while for example is working.

Yet another interesting work by Murakami

This isn't my favorite of all the Murakami works (a bit too much exposition, without the action or movement), but it was very good. The author has once again created a world that is just a bit off, but full of life, color and intrigue.

Fun for magical realism fans

What made the experience of listening to Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World the most enjoyable?

Murakami does creepy both fun and relatable

What did you like best about this story?

the dreamline aspect of the story (or is that dream within dream?)

Which character – as performed by Adam Sims and Ian Porter – was your favorite?

there was only one real character and a few undeveloped side ones.

If you could take any character from Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World out to dinner, who would it be and why?

INKlings? The professor? The librarian perhaps for selfish reasons?

Always a little different, always excellent.

This is probably one of my favorite Murakami books. An incredible talent. Narration is always top rate. Great use of a credit.

Early Murakami and it feels that way.

While I’m not sure of the original publication date, the English title came out in 1991. Over twenty years old, this makes it one of Murakami’s earlier works and it feels that way.

While many of the author’s works might be considered fantasy, this one is more science fiction. Though, while I continue not to understand why many folks insist on always combining the two genres, this selection clearly has elements of both. There’s everything from unicorns to moving between worlds. How exactly, outside the author’s own “mind,” the latter takes place, I am not sure.

Beginning this new year, I decided to be more dedicated than ever to reading worthwhile books and not books just to pass (kill) time. Here, in this Murakami selection, I have failed miserably. For me, too much time is spent in the book with everyday character machinations and not enough time developing the mechanisms for reconciling the two worlds contained in it. Too much license is taken by the author to leave it to the reader’s own imagination. As a result, the books comes off as immature and not the product of a intelligent, well-seasoned writer portrayed in his later works.

Narration-wise, I believe the reading outperformed the writing.

Not my favorite HM but a lot of interesting issues

Would you listen to Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World again? Why?

Yes, probably. Because it's not a simple book and many of the lines drawn are revealed along the stories and they left me wondering for a long time on many of them.. I would like to revisit them a second time to think them over with a different depht.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World?

The revelation of the interconexion of the two worlds, inner and outer. Classic Murakami, but here explored in a very specific aproach, a bit more on the futuristic side - very interesting ideas! Deserving more thought!

Which character – as performed by Adam Sims and Ian Porter – was your favorite?

Can't choose.. They are all great. But I had a lot of fun with the Pink Girl :)

Any additional comments?

This is not my favorite Murakami, but it is so rich in themes that I can't forget it.

Simply brilliant!

This is so surreal yet it captured all the nuances of the meaning of life. A must read.

Early, terrific Murakami

This early novel is constructed like many of the later ones, with two parallel worlds which ultimately connect. We are kept guessing but entertained throughout. Magic realism aside, Murakami always creates great characters and realistic, amusing dialogue. The reading is fine although it is a mystery to me why nobody can teach the readers how to pronounce easy Japanese words, such as common place names. I think this is true of all the Murakami books.

Great narration, incredible storytelling technique!

Double sided story telling brought by the master of unorthodox writing himself, Murakami brought to light the very essence of being human against the stark materialistic realities of the world. Loved every second of it, except the very last sentence. The narrating voice turned a 180, from Murakami to Camus for a very pessimistic anti-climatic ending. Is it to late for a sequel?