Haruki Murakami releases first novel in 6 years
Celebrated Japanese author Haruki Murakami recently released his first novel in six years.
On Thursday, “The City and Its Uncertain Walls” was made available in both print and digital formats by Shinchosha Publishing Co in Japan. The book is Murakami’s most recent novel since 2017’s “Killing Commendatore.”
According to The Associated Press, details about the book’s plot have not been widely disclosed since countless Murakami fans prefer reading the author’s works without knowing anything beforehand. The book’s Japanese manuscript consists of around 1,200 pages.
In a previously shared promotional teaser for Murakami’s new novel, Shinchosha Publishing wrote: “Must go to the city. No matter what happens. A locked up ‘story’ starts to move quietly as if ‘old dreams’ are woken up and unraveled in a secluded archive.”
The publisher also stated that the novel is a “soul-stirring, 100% pure Murakami world.”
Murakami, 74, started writing “The City and Its Uncertain Walls” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Because of the coronavirus… I hardly went out and stayed home most of the time, and I tended to look at my inner self. Then I thought, perhaps it’s time to write that story,” Murakami, who wrote his new book between January 2020 and December 2022, said.
During an interview ahead of his novel’s release in Tokyo, he also shared that significant world events, such as Russia’s war on Ukraine, influenced him as he wrote.
“In an age when society is going through rattling changes, whether to stay holed up inside the wall or to go to the other side of the wall has become a greater proposition than ever.”
Despite the recent release, Murakami fans who want to read his new novel in English will have to wait a bit longer.
It may take at least one year for an official English translation of “The City and Its Uncertain Walls” to hit bookstores, according to reports.
Murakami is arguably one of Japan’s most famous writers.
The bestselling author, who was born on Jan. 12, 1949, in Kyoto, Japan, started writing fiction when he was 29 years old.
His novels, short stories and nonfiction have been translated into around 50 languages and have sold millions of copies outside his native Japan. Some of his most popular works include “Norwegian Wood” (1987), “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” (1994), “Kafka on the Shore” (2002) and “1Q84” (2009).
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s 2021 film “Drive My Car,” which is based on Murakami’s short story of the same name, notably won best screenplay at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and best international feature film at the 2022 Academy Awards.
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