Taufiq Yves's Reviews > The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

First off, if you're new to Haruki Murakami, you absolutely have to check out this novel. While his other 2 major works, Norwegian Wood and Hear the Wind Sing, have a sort of laid-back, escapist vibe - they do touch on social criticism, but pretty light and not the main focus. This one, dives deep into critiquing society and human nature. Murakami uses his unique style to paint a detailed picture of an ordinary guy's struggle and eventual rebellion in a messed-up society. There’s tons of symbolism and surreal fantasy, which I found both puzzling and fascinating.

Murakami wrote this novel after he turned 40 and moved to the States, so he’s looking at Japan from across the ocean. This distance gives him a clearer perspective, and he sees the invisible demons eating away at people's souls - formless, powerful, and impossible to shake. Through the main character, Toru Okada’s relentless fight, I see a more engaged and active Murakami. Yet, there’s this feeling that he’s creating these beautiful bubbles for us to admire, trying to keep our hope alive. In the book, the evil forces might be defeated, but in reality, they’re still out there, and we may never conquer them, no matter how hard we try.

Noboru Wataya, on the other hand, symbolizes the societal elites - those in power with shady private lives. He uses his influence to mess up Okada’s life, tearing apart his happy family. He represents a type of person at the top of society: the elites, the role models of success, the authority figures with the most powerful voices. Regular people who crave success end up following and admiring them, making the whole society their stage.

If you're familiar with Murakami’s works, you’ll notice his main characters usually have this “whatever” attitude towards life. They crave solitude but also fear it, preferring not to bother others or be bothered themselves. These characters are seen as true individualists, living for their own values, indifferent to fame and money, enjoying life away from the chaos. According to Maslow’s hierarchy, they are “self-actualized”individuals, living at the top of the pyramid.

After finishing this novel, I shared the same question as Murakami himself: Why are people like Wataya so highly respected in society, while those like Okada, who seek self-worth, remain on the fringes?

I tried to find the root cause. My interpretation is this: “Good equals pleasure, and evil equals pain.” So, if one situation brings more pleasure than pain compared to another, it’s considered better. Following this utilitarian view, Wataya and society's elites pursue what’s seen as “good” because their goals and achievements bring happiness and chase away misfortune. It seems anything twisted and evil is excusable.

This utilitarian phenomenon can be called “entropy.” Whenever something becomes popular, people rush to it, creating an “increase in entropy.” I realized many social phenomena can be explained by this principle - like the craze for success, fame, and money. Countless people dive into these pursuits, endlessly increasing entropy.

Murakami’s clever narrative portrays a world that shouldn't be this way. What should it be like then? I believe human civilization is a process of “negative entropy.” If everyone slides down the easy path, we’ll end up like maggots in a cesspool. Civilization's progress relies on noble souls pursuing “negative entropy,” aiming for higher self-worth. This should be our ultimate goal.

With this understanding, the book’s depiction of a pathological society becomes even more powerful. Yet reality might be harsher: When the world is a cesspool, how can noble souls escape the corrosive influence of the masses? Murakami’s heartfelt words inspire me, but they also make me feel helpless in the face of such overwhelming challenges.

5 / 5 stars

My other reviews of Murakami's Work:
The City and Its Uncertain Walls
Norwegian Wood
1Q84
Hear the Wind Sing
Kafka on the Shore
Sputnik Sweetheart
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
South of the Border, West of the Sun
After Dark