The Strange Library, Haruki Murakami (4.0)
Whatever you do – don’t read this book on Kindle. Part of
the charm of this very short book (96 pgs) is the format. Besides the unique
front horizontal flap, almost 50% of the book’s pages are covered in strange
illustrations. While Murakami is known for his enormous and interesting tomes,
this book packs a strong punch as a brief parable of loss, as seen through the
eyes of a small boy. This boy goes to his city library and finds a very
different place than what he expected. A
nefarious man leads him into the undiscovered depths of the library, where he’s
told he must memorize books in order to be released. Throughout all of this
process, he hints at a recent traumatic event (bit by a large dog), and two possible
upcoming tragedies (death of his pet bird and a worrying his mother till she’s
sick). The message given to him by the sheep-man (a pseudo caretaker) is a good
summary of what he needs to absorb: ‘You got dealt an unlucky card, that’s the
long and short of it. These things happen.’ Albeit short, this story has all
the good Murakami-ness: strange characters, sadness, and a little bit of magic.
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