Haruki Murakami Set to Release His First Novel in Six Years
It's been a while since we've heard from Haruki Murakami (well, apart from hearing him as a radio DJ from time to time, but that's another story). But now, the Japanese author seems to have something new up his sleeves. Recently, without divulging any details, his publisher Shinchosha announced the arrival of his latest book.
The Japanese author's last novel, Killing Commendatore, was published in 2017. It was moderately received by fans and critics (some reviewers did point out that it lacked the oomph of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, for instance).
Murakami's next piece is expected to be published in Japanese on April 13. The manuscript is said to be 1,200 pages long, and translations of the book will come later on. The e-book version will be released on the same day, as well.
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Murakami explained the he wanted his "readers to discover it without knowing anything beforehand," according to Shinchosha, when asked about the book's secretive plot.
The reclusive author's cult following stems from his brand of surrealism and magic realism, as well as his understanding of pop culture, in particular from the '60s and '70s. His books have been so influential that they've already been translated into 50 languages.
In a piece he wrote for The Guardian, Murakami explained the common theme among his novels.
"If there is indeed something original about my novels, I think it springs from the principle of freedom. I had just turned 29 when, for no particular reason, I thought, 'I feel like writing a novel!' I had never planned to be a writer and had never given serious thought to what sort of novel I should be writing, which meant that I was under no particular constraints. I just wanted to write something that reflected what I was feeling at the time. There was no need to feel self-conscious. In fact, writing was fun – it let me feel free and natural."
Best known for works like Hear the Wind Sing, Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood, and 1Q84, among others, Murakami is a recipient of the World Fantasy Award, Gunzo Prize for New Writers, and the Franz Kafka Prize. He has been in the running for the Nobel literature prize for the last couple of years, as well.
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