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Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

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Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

By: Haruki Murakami
Narrated by: Adam Sims, Ian Porter
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About this listen

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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2010 Naxos AudioBooks (P)2010 Naxos AudioBooks
Fantasy Fiction Literary Fiction Magical Realism

What listeners say about Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

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2 for the price of 1

Where to begin? such imagination. one story is slick and action packed like a more cerebral Raiders of the List Ark and the other is contemplative, slow moving and a journey inside a mind. Yet the two stories gradually start to reflect each other as in a spiegel tent. wow.

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Captivatingly weird and wonderlandful

This my third Murakami book. Captivating as always, without any idea at any time of where the story is going to take you. Great narrators giving both lead characters a real personality.

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Visionary storytelling

Of Murakami's works, Hard-boiled Wonderland is said to be the most metaphysical. This is certainly the case in as far as I've read of him, and a break from the earlier Rat series. This is not to say that the story is nonsensical, but it is certainly high concept. Like some kind of wild psychedelic trip, understanding Hard-boiled wonderland is not as important as feeling it, or accepting the process.

Weird, sexy, and compelling. Great narration by Adam Sims and Ian Porter

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great!

my first Murakami as recommended by a friend. loved it!!! I'll have to buy it for the bookshelf!

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Surreal classic

Another surreal, imaginative masterpiece from Murakami. Wonderful reading by two narrators also. Bravo to all!

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Weird editing issues

Very small problem, but sometimes during the reading of this book, some of the takes seemed to be really poorly cut together. One word would end abruptly and another would start just as quickly and unnaturally. I’d kind of find myself pulled out of the story and distracted.
Overall, I loved this story, it’s your typical Murikami. Full of wonder and imagination but not in a way that’s overdone or tacky.
The performances were great as well, aside from the slight technical issue that I mentioned.

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A surreal masterpiece

Truly one of the greatest books I’ve read. Alice in wonderland meets Raymond chandler. The narration is a perfect compliment to such perfectly peaceful prose.

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Murakami makes it all so real

Murakami's ability to write supernatural things and make them sound as day to day as brushing one's teeth or checking the mail is nothing short of genius. Performances by both voice actors helped further this feel. Excellent all round.

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By far my favourite Murakami novel

Give it a go. It's a gem. One to re-read / listen to over and over again for me - there's actually a lot of richness and subtle detail in there, despite the style being so apparently simple.

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The plot is lame, I couldn't finish it

Murakami is a great writer but this story was so far fetched and silly. I couldn't finish it.

Also the reader's performance is AWFUL. Why he feels the need to impersonate women's voices I don't know. He made all the female characters sound like transsexuals.

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