I recently discovered Murakami as an author and I am currently reading Norwegian Wood. So far I am really enjoying it and if I continue to like it, I would like to buy more books of his.
By watching several YouTube videos of different recommendations, it’s hard to know what book I’d like to read next. Kafka on the Shore seems to be regarded as one of his best (from what I heard). If this is the case, would it be anti-climatic to read the others after that one and not expect much from the others?
I am looking to know what is the best order to read his 14 books? And if there’s a reason, please explain why.
All opinions are welcome and appreciated. I am into fantasy and fiction and great storytelling. So far I generally just read autobiographies but want to develop into a routine of reading fiction more and I love everything Japan related 📚
by Appropriate_Help1368
2 Comments
I’m not sure, but I just want to recommend that you read 1Q84 before Kafka On The Shore, for no reason other than my opinion that 1Q84 is a more exciting introduction to the magical realism aspect of Murakami than Kafka, which I felt was a bit boring
There is no order to them, really. Some of his books are a hit, some of them are not, as is with every author. Give whatever you are interested a go, Kafka on the Shore is a decent start in itself. I think if you read too much of him, his downfalls and constant unpleasant themes really come to surface, so I wouldn’t worry too much about saving the best for last in particular.