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.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2010 Naxos AudioBooks (P)2010 Naxos AudioBooks

Amazing story, narrator voice takes some getting used to

This is one of the first Audible performances where I thought the narrator’s accent and voice did not suit the book. The story is absolutely amazing but it took me a couple of chapters to get over the strong US accent of the narrator.

Different Interpretations

I wished that I could read and understand Japanese because there are some stories that does not translate well and this is one of them. While I was reading "Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World", I just had a feeling that I was missing something from the fable. I can only imagine the obscure writing of Haruki Murakami and on how difficult it can be to translate his words into English.

After reading my disclaimer, this is a classic from Haruki Murakami because it is just a bizarre story. Your shadow is detach from your body and lives on in a different world. From what I've interpret, the shadow is trying to unite with the body in the real world and trying to get pass the gatekeeper. This is a very confusing and complex story, but as a fan of this author, I just enjoyed dissecting the story into different levels and coming to my own interpretation.

not my favorite murakami

glad I read it but not my favorite murakami read. if you haven't read murakami before I suggest starting with Kafka on the shore or the wind up bird chronical.

Best of Murakami

If you're new to Murakami, this is a great starting point. If you've read some of his other works, you owe it to yourself to read this one.

Did not reach expectations

Unlike a good Ghibli movie, this story lacked intensity, except in the chase when the granddaughter said she did not know anything but seemed like she knew everything. Typical of Murakami’s works, the male protagonists get more propositions from underagers than most men get.

Other than that, I am at a loss to understand all the hype.

Some parts puzzle me. Where is it possible to park one’s car at Shinjuku station while you run in to do an errand? Why do all the characters know western and only western songs and authors? Was this changed for the translation?

Classic novel suffers from uneven narration

It may not be Murakami's best but it has moments of classic Murakami strangeness and a consistent vision. Dual narration is an interesting choice but would have been better with Rupert Degas doing both characters.

Fantastic

Superb performance for a profound and wonderful book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will recommend it to others.

Hard boiled wonderland

I love this author but this was not one if my favorites. I will purchase other books by this author.

Good story ,, poor narration

Great story
I liked the idea of 2 narrators but one of them was just too much. Felt like he overpowered the story.

Short and sweet

The last 7-8 chapters are what I love the most. While his trademark surrealism is present throughout, the philosophical aspect, the prose and the mediations on life don't really pop out to me until then. And while I enjoyed the whole piece, it was a much calmer ride than other works (smashing hulk men aside). Overall the brevity is a help this time around as I think I would have lost interest of it were too much longer.

That said, I loved the characters and in the end, as always with his works, I have been left with a lot to think about ask with a lovely story as my guide. This is one I wouldn't mind listening to again