Sputnik sweetheart by Haruki Murakami
Book review
Rating 3/5 (a Murakami fan would give maybe 4/5 because of a bold narrative!)
Spoilers- it’s Murakami! It can’t be spoiled since most of the thinking and imagination will be done by the reader!
In a narrative reminiscent of his previous works, Murakami describes the one sided love of a young girl known as Sumere and a man who is the chief narrative simply known as k!
Then there are characters who may or may not be real! Or it is very possible that the characters are real but these two protagonists are imaginary! That’s Murakami!
Of course some essence usually gets lost in translation but am sure even in Japanese only essence maybe found and not sense!
Only one more main character is present called as Miu! Now my Indian brain first thought that this was a guy but later turned out to be a gal! Which was a deviation from classic Murakami since he describes an almost classic rendering of true love albeit lesbian!
He had made similar sexual inclinations in Norwegian wood but in sputnik he had gone direct and straight! (I mean gay!) Which is of course a change of times so to speak!
Just when you may think that this may be a different Murakami, he does a Kafka and an IQ84 and introduces his famed parallel world or parallel imagination!
The first half is completely Sumere and her lesbian fantasy while the final half is the journey and subsequent destination (this is Murakami so not the end!) Of K!
To be fair though in this one there is a partial sense of fulfillment though most of the closure and questions are literally left in the sky!
And yeah the novel has nothing to do with Sputnik or Sweetheart! Wasn’t that clear!!?… Good…. That means you have been Murakamised!!
Taking a break from Murakami to get back to reality and also since John Grisham’s new book is released!
Have fun reading this (for Murakami fans!) Or not (for everyone else!)…..
ramadocblog 