The Haruki Murakami library, which is all set to open on October 1 at Waseda University, will display a collection that includes all material from his study, paired up with sophisticated furniture, to complement the rows of bookshelves.
The Waseda International House of Literature, as it is formally known, stores roughly 3,000 of Murakami's books, manuscripts, and other materials, including translations of his work in dozens of languages and a portion of his huge record collection.
Ever since the news of the Murakami library broke out, fans have taken to Twitter to share their excitement and urge to visit the library. Have a look at a few of these reactions:
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese author who was born on January 12, 1949. His novels, essays, and short stories have become international bestsellers, with his work being translated into 50 languages and selling millions of copies outside of Japan.
The library is all set to open, but if you are not yet able to set out for a visit , you can just revisit 5 'fan favourites' Murakami books:
A wild sheep chase:
goodreads
This not be Murakami's first published story, but it sure is his first full-length novel which is a story about a confrontation between an individual's desire and the expectations of an impersonal state. The novel's initial title was "An adventure concerning sheep," and turns out, that it does manage to live up to that description. The story features a Murakami hero who takes on a political-business-industry syndicate with almost endless money and power on his own terms. The adventures of an unidentified, chain-smoking narrator between Tokyo and Hokkaido in 1978 are chronicled in this detective story. To find the sheep and his companion, the narrator and his lady, who has magically alluring and supernaturally keen ears, journey to the north of Japan.
Kafka On the Shore:
goodreads
Kafka on the Shore, first published in Japanese in 2002 and then translated into English three years later, is an epic literary conundrum full of time travel, hidden histories, and mysterious underworlds.The most perplexing of all Murakami novels, Kafka On the Shore features three protagonists, each from a different generation. They've all been through some awful event that has compelled them to open the "Gateway Stone" and reach the "other realm," a la Pandora.
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World:
goodreads
The novel's dual narratives alternate between depicting the mean streets of a slightly futuristic Tokyo embroiled in an information war with real casualties and a bucolic fantasy world in the form of a Town, surrounded by a massive, perfect wall, populated by people without shadows, a fearsome Gatekeeper, and unicorns.
Underground
goodreads
This non-fiction account of the Tokyo subway sarin gas attacks is quite captivating and wonderfully crafted and it's also the last "Murakami" that was written. In order to tackle this awful real-world event, the author dialled back his surrealist manner, resulting in a wonderful piece of history and journalism, that's definitely worth a read.
South of the Border, West of the Sun
goodreads
The narrative of lonely only child Hajime, who has a strong but sexless bond with Shimamoto, a girl handicapped by polio, is told in this subdued, elegiac novel. When their families separate, they lose touch, and Hajime goes on to construct a normal and successful life.
