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The City and Its Uncertain Walls

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The City and Its Uncertain Walls

By: Haruki Murakami
Narrated by: Philip Gabriel - translation, Brian Nishii
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The breathtaking new novel about the boundaries between worlds and individuals, from the internationally bestselling author of 1Q84.

When a young man’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes, he sets his heart on finding the imaginary city where her true self lives. His search will lead him to take a job in a remote library with mysteries of its own.

When he finally makes it to the walled city, a shadowless place of horned beasts and willow trees, he finds his beloved working in a different library – a dream library. But she has no memory of their life together in the other world and, as the lines between reality and fantasy start to blur, he must decide what he’s willing to lose.

A love story, a quest, an ode to books and to the libraries that house them, The City and Its Uncertain Walls is a parable for these strange times.

'It’s safe to say that there’s no one like Murakami' Literary Review

'No other author mixes domestic, fantastic and esoteric elements into such weirdly bewitching shades' Financial Times

'Murakami is a master storyteller and he knows how to keep us hooked' Sunday Times

©2024 Haruki Murakami (P)2024 Penguin Audio Asian & Pacific Islander Creators Editors Select Genre Fiction Horror Literary Fiction Magical Realism Metaphysical & Visionary World Literature Heartfelt
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It was such a pleasure listening to something so surreal and so well written. The performance was equally engaging. I am now going to buy the book.

Wonderfully Written

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Been waiting for this ever since reading Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. If you haven't read/listened to that, do so, then get into this one. Or vice versa. There's so much to The Town - take a couple of trips there and see what you can find. Very cozy and atmospheric. Simultaneously down to earth and nuts. Gotta love our man Murakami. Also, Brian Nishii, bigupyaself for another highly enjoyable narration 👊

Such. A. Good.Novel.

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I enjoyed this long awaited novel and been looking forward to hearing Brian Nishi’s narration. They exceed my expectations in every way.

Great novel and superb narrator

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Great performance of a deep dive into murakamis magical realism, well written thought provoking journey

Great performance of a deep dive into murakamis magical realism

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I struggled with this at times. I love Murajami's magical realism and at times it soared. A theme is that a young man's first love is never matched later in life. Jung would say that many men fall in love with an archetype, not flesh and blood. Sex didn't happen and that's a pointer Seems from the author's afterward it was done to complete unfinished business from early in his career. I will give it a second go later and it might all become clear.

you need to be fan

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Unfortunately this is what happens when a writer is so famous their writing becomes untouchable
This book needs to be at least half the length it is. Which is what made his earlier books so enjoyable.

Murakami needs an Editor

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