Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
    Unavailable
    Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
    Unavailable
    Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
    Audiobook14 hours

    Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

    Written by Haruki Murakami

    Narrated by Adam Sims and Ian Porter

    4/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    Information is everything in Hard-boiled Wonderland. A specialist encrypter is attacked by thugs with orders from an unknown source, is chased by invisible predators, and dates an insatiably hungry librarian who never puts on weight. In the End of the World a new arrival is learning his role as dream-reader. But there is something eerily disquieting about the changeless nature of the town and its fable-like inhabitants. Told in alternate chapters, the two stories converge and combine to create a novel that is surreal, beautiful, thrilling and extraordinary.

    Editor's Note

    At his best…

    A duet between reality and dreams, technology and humanity, science and love, this is Murakami at his very best.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNaxos Audiobooks
    Release dateApr 1, 2010
    ISBN9781843793809
    Unavailable
    Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

    Related to Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

    Literary Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Tom Cunliffe

      Jan 28, 2022

      Tom Cunliffe
      5 min read

    • Article

      Tom Cunliffe

      Jan 28, 2022

      Tom Cunliffe
      5 min read

    • Article

      It Happened to Me…

      Jan 27, 2022

      As I’ve grown older (I’m now 55) I have trouble sleeping and staying asleep. I can only sleep through sensory deprivation: I have to block out the street lights as much as possible with blinds and curtains, I wear an eye mask/blindfold and use ear pl

      7 min read

    • Article

      Xoxo

      May 5, 2022

      Xoxo
      4 min read

    • Article

      Ouch…You Stupid Boy!

      Jan 2, 2019

      As I stand clutching my index finger with claret dripping liberally onto the floor, my overwhelming feeling, apart from the literal stabbing pain in my finger, is of the utter stupidity of my plight. This is the second time I have injured a hand in t

      3 min read

    • Article

      Tillle To Tidy

      Jun 3, 2020

      Like many, over the last few weeks I have been part of the great garage/workshop tidy - all part of my 'keep healthy, keep active and occupy yourself' regime. While the circumstances forcing this are far from ideal, I realise that from adversity come

      3 min read

    • Article

      Don't Lose It

      Jul 1, 2020

      Don't Lose It
      3 min read

    • Article

      Death By Bookcase

      Feb 10, 2024

      There are 12 carpeted steps from the top of our stairs to the landing in our basement. Another two steps off the landing to your left and you're in the basement proper. Over there, in the southwest corner, is my office. That's where my recently purch

      3 min read

    • Article

      Learning The Secret

      Apr 22, 2018

      Learning The Secret
      2 min read

    • Article

      A Riff On Up

      Oct 28, 2021

      A Riff On Up
      4 min read

    • Article

      A Speck In the Sea

      Jun 13, 2017

      A Speck In the Sea
      15 min read

    • Article

      Where Wonder Lives

      Mar 4, 2021

      FOR MANY YEARS, my morning began with a short walk. I’d cut a path across the kitchen and click on the teakettle. As the water boiled, I often looked out my back window at the street below. It wasn’t an exciting street. There were a few florists, a s

      3 min read

    • Article

      In Praise of Darkness

      Aug 15, 2018

      HEATHER LANIER is the author of the nonfiction book Teaching in the Terrordome as well as two poetry chapbooks. Her essays have appeared in Salon, the Sun, Fourth Genre, Brevity, and elsewhere, and her TED talk on the incomplete stories we tell ourse

      8 min read

    • Article

      Anti Hero

      Apr 7, 2022

      Anti Hero
      6 min read

    • Article

      Table Talk

      Sep 1, 2020

      Table Talk
      10 min read

    • Article

      On Certainty and On Doubt

      Sep 1, 2020

      On Certainty and On Doubt
      8 min read

    • Article

      Paul Heiney

      Jun 24, 2022

      Paul Heiney
      3 min read

    • Article

      Paul Heiney

      Jun 24, 2022

      Paul Heiney
      3 min read

    • Article

      Notes From A Nothing

      Feb 14, 2020

      Notes From A Nothing
      13 min read

    • Article

      My Project

      Nov 10, 2022

      My Project
      6 min read

    • Article

      Confessions Of A Novice

      May 19, 2020

      Size isn’t everything. It really isn’t. But there’s something about learning to throw pots that makes you always want to go bigger. You start off turning little 1lb balls of clay into dishes, dreaming of 1kg bowls. Then you manage that, and you’re im

      5 min read

    • Article

      Not Before Time

      Oct 29, 2018

      Not Before Time
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

    4/5

    3,069 ratings111 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Murakami’s book goes way beyound the creation of an original, masterful plot. His true artistry lies in his choice of existential fabric, unique and mesmerizing realm within wich his story takes life. Reading this book feels akin to experiencing a symphony, but instead of music notes the melody is expressed through beautifully expressed prose. This trully a delightful narrative that resonates deeply and melodically whith its reader.
    • 5/5
      Just amazing! The story keeps you hooked and the meaning and symbolism make this book a masterpiece.
    • 3/5
      I’m not sure how to rate it. If he didn’t include the creepy descriptions of women, and especially of an underage girl, I’d give it 5 stars. “Dance dance dance” from the same author, for the same reasons. There also were creepy descriptions of an underage girl in that story. If I try to ignore those parts, it’s an interesting thought provoking book. I’m really surprised because the first book I ever read from Haruki Murakami was “what I talk about when I talk about running” was really purely about his love of long distance running and he didn’t come across as a creep at all.
    • 4/5
      I'd previously read two Haruki Murakami novels, A Wild Sheep Chase, and After Dark, his earliest and most recent that have been translated into English, respectively. After hearing about how he was one of Japan's most beloved authors, I was really underwhelmed by those two offerings. Sheep was almost too bizarre to really appreciate, and After Dark was short and enjoyable, but nothing special. After reading Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World, however, I suddenly Got It.The title refers to the two portions of the book - Hardboiled Wonderland is about a man who mentally processes information for a living - it's vaguely sci-fi-ish, but not enough to turn off readers who aren't interested in sci-fi. This nameless man finds himself running for his life underground when various groups suddenly decide they want him for their purposes. The End of the World is about a man who suddenly arrives in a unicorn-filled town that is surrounded by a Wall. He doesn't know how he got there or where he was before, and he must have his shadow cut away from him in order to live within the Wall. The novel goes back and forth between each half, which eventually start to tie together.It's kind of similar to Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, but that comparison will only take you so far. Murakami's nameless protagonists are more introspective than Gaiman's Richard Mayhew, and in the end, the focus is on what's going on within, rather than the action outside.Despite flipping back and forth between the two halves, the novel flows very well. It kept my attention so well that I was eagerly looking forward to picking it up each time I had a chance to read, which is something I haven't felt about the last half-dozen or so books I've read. The novel was written in 1985, but other than the mention of cassettes, there was no sign that it was written over twenty years ago.I'm really glad I didn't give up on Murakami after being disappointed by his first two that I read. Hopefully the rest of his books will hold some of the magic that Hardboiled Wonderland has, because I'll really feel let down if I go back to being underwhelmed again.
    • 5/5
      Great book. Reminds me of snow crash but not as much sci fi
    • 5/5
      Enjoyed this a lot. Just a nice, gentle book. no high-end action, no psychological trauma, no shock, just something easy-listening and delivered at a nice pace. Full of quirky humour and a plot that keeps you enthralled. Sweet and sad.
    • 4/5
      A book about identity and unconsciousness (and impotence and whiskey). It's humorously and cleverly written, but it takes 250 pages (the first half of the book) to get into. It has some great moments though.I don't know if it was intended, maybe just a matter of translation, but the overall style changes a lot. First it's very kafkaesque, then it's adventurous like an Harry Potter novel, later it gets a realistic touch of Dostoevsky, and in the end it has the melancholy I'd only seen from the author's colleague Yoshimoto - but it's never all at once.Certainly worth the read, it gets especially enjoyable in the end, with an unexpected ending you will meditate over quite some time.
    • 3/5
      My impression of the book was... it was weird. I have several friends who swear this is one of his weaker books. Otherwise, this would have been the only book of his I would have ever read. The book was rather disjointed. It often felt like the author was throwing something into the story because he could, and not because it would lead to a greater plot development, or had some great symbolic meaning. I rather liked the End of the World portions of the book, and was just perturbed by the Hard-boiled Wonderland chapters.Also, why didn't anyone have names? Was there a significance to the INKlings and their aversion to paperclips? And why unicorns?
    • 5/5
      Best writer ever! Hope more of his books will come here
    • 5/5
      This ismy first Haruki Murakami book and I'm in awe ??????????
    • 4/5
      The thing I love about Murakami is the way reading his books makes my brain do flip-flops. It's like the sensation I get contemplating a koan. I wonder which consciousness I would choose, had I the option.
    • 1/5
      I finshed this book. The basic story was interesting but the author was trying to be so cool or hip or American with his constant references to in music, drinking whisky, books he has read, stylish clothes, it was all like it was written by a teenager trying very hard to be a part of the in crowd. It was extremely distracting from what could be a very good book. This book was a waste of time.
    • 5/5
      A great book, mixing fantasy with cyberpunk, almost Philip K Dick vibe and sense of humour. Masterful narration too.
    • 5/5
      This is the first H.M. novel I've read/listened to. Sorry I didn't begin reading his work sooner. Enjoying every minute.
    • 3/5
      Interesting and challenging book but for me, very difficult to read. I started reading it on ebook format and got to almost half way through and was about to give in when I found the audiobook on Scribd - so the last half I listened to the audiobook. I did finish and I was pleased I had persevered - a very interesting and philosophical story but can be hard-going in places.
    • 4/5
      not bad- a curious amble of subtle revelation.
      Twas interesting hearing a japanese story translated & voiced by ...
      .. a not japanese
    • 2/5
      This is like the show *Lost*, interesting beginning, horrible stretch to the end. Eventually, there is little meaning at the end. I think Murakami had a wonderful idea, but he got lost at the end. There is some lingering philosophy at the end, but the plot holes and the convenient mysteries aren't that forgiving.I can't believe I just compared a Murakami book to *Lost*.
    • 2/5
      Ok story that could be better without the brazen body shaming - especially because it had nothing to do with the plot.
    • 4/5
      Very entertaining--very easy, quick read. The concept is just crazy; I can't imagine conceiving ANYthing like this. After this first experience of Murakami I'm eager to read more. I would recommend this to anyone who likes to be challenged and taken to someplace completely new.
    • 3/5
      Engaging, weird, peaks your interest then disappoints at the end. Perhaps I just misunderstood the whole thing...
    • 4/5
      Compelling at times, tedious at others (especially in the pseudo-scientific explanations), Murakami's writing is at least rarely boring. His novels always get me to thinking and I had a very intense dream while reading it. Worth a read if you like Murakami.
    • 1/5
      really painful,so bad
      had to stop, to bad to go on
    • 4/5
      Murakami's sentences are simple, at least in translation to English, and I sometimes feel underwhelmed as I read him, but I found the totality of this book to be moving.
    • 4/5
      This is a strange pair of stories, of forty alternating chapters, each told in the first-person, that gradually show themselves to be related. If it hadn’t been Murakami, I might not have persisted through the seventy or eighty pages it took to draw me in and would have missed this interesting novel. There are the odd-numbered chapters, each listing three things, like 'Elevator', 'Dressing', ’Nail Clippers', and the twenty chapters announcing a single concept, such as 'Golden Beasts', 'Dreamreading', 'Skulls'. One story, the odd-numbered chapters, reads sort of like hard-boiled detective fiction, and follows an operative who makes a good living using his ’split brain’ to code and ’shuffle’ sensitive documents for clients. There is a secretive government entity that oversees his work, and a another secretive and probably private entity trying to undo it. The other story is of a man who finds himself without memory of his past, in a walled city where he is relieved of his shadow, and told he will gradually learn how to be at home there. Neither man has a name, and there are few other main characters - two women, a girl, her grandfather who is a, probably brilliant, neuroscientist, a pair of hoods who may or may not be working on their own. The neuroscientist/grandfather hires the operative, and the stories begin. This character often drones on, explaining the brain, the mind, and this process of shuffling. There is much more in this novel, much to like, some scenes easily skimmed, much to wonder about, a book for the read-this-again-someday list.
    • 4/5
      I fear the profundity of this novel was lost on me - I enjoyed reading it, but I can't say I feel like I understood it. I'm also wondering about the translation - there were moments that took me out of the narrative, voices and word choices that didn't ring true. I wish I could read it in the original Japanese to come closer to the true narrative.
    • 5/5
      This was one of the last Murakami books I had left to read as I read through all his works. I'm not sure if I'm disappointed I didn't read it earlier or glad to have had it to enjoy near the end. In some ways this was very different from the rest of his books. Usually his books contain small elements of "unreality" (for lack of a better word), but this book didn't really have anything set in the real world even though one part was clearly closer to the real world than the other. But of course, the people were all real enough, which is one thing I need to have in any non reality-based story. I would say, like a lot of good plot writers, Murakami is not necessarily an ending writer, so I can't say I understood or was particularly satisfied by the ending, but I didn't really expect to be. His books are journey rather than destination, and the journey is almost never disappointing!
    • 5/5
      Didn't especially enjoy the ending, but then again, I didn't write it either. I did enjoy the dreamlike quality of the story and, breaking my own rules, I will probably search out and read other Haruki Murakami books.
    • 4/5
      Nice parallel storytelling but the novel is a bit too backlogged with worldbuilding and a plot that wears a bit. I think I liked the EOW line more than the Hard Boiled storyline.
    • 4/5
      Why does the sun go on shining
      Why does the sea rush to shore
      Don't they know it's the end of the world
      'Cause you don't love me any more

      Why do the birds go on singing
      Why do the stars glow above
      Don't they know it's the end of the world
      It ended when I lost your love

      I wake up in the morning and I wonder
      Why everything's the same as it was
      I can't understand, no, I can't understand
      How life goes on the way it does

      Why does my heart go on beating
      Why do these eyes of mine cry
      Don't they know it's the end of the world
      It ended when you said goodbye
    • 5/5
      I came to Hard-Boild after reading: 1Q84, Wind Up Bird Chronicles and Kafka at the Shore.This book is truly out there -- our hero wanders into a scene that is as absurd and silly as a comic book, and some of the wacky science is a little too much. But it's all just the vehicle for expressing a truly thoughtful and unexpected view of ones consciousness, and what has meaning, or even perhaps what -is- meaning. It has been a while since I read Sartre, Kafka, Camus and others but it recall thinking each had a surreal vision of daily reality -- characters were just foils for their ideas. This is similar in some ways.Murakami, so far has impressed me with his ability to bring wit, humor, immediacy and his own personality and loves into his writing. This makes it approachable, fun, and a little less self-important than these other great authors. This book is not one I would recommend if you're interested in starting with Murakami -- Kafka at the Shore or 1Q84 both fit that bill well. But if you are a fan, and properly prepared for the bizarre, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is a stunning and beautiful work of literature.