nicolaholmes

Moving and poignant account of life in France under Nazi occupation. I loved the variety of characters and the way the book captures the atmosphere of rural France. This edition includes an appendix of Irene's last letters to her family, which are heartbreaking.

I enjoyed the "overheard underground" bits, and in fact I read it because of the Time Out column, but otherwise, I didn't enjoy this at all. The supposedly clever device of having no real narrative structure just made it jumpy and pointless. A bit of a waste of time really...

A dark and intense slice of life in Japanese "alternative" culture.

A beautiful, slow paced book about the relationship between a geisha at a mountain resort and a wealthy layabout traveller. I really enjoyed it, although the subtlety of some of the aspects of their relationship might be a bit lost on someone who doesn't know Japan or isn't familiar with how geishas work. A real contrast to Arthur Golden!

I've just finished this, and thought it was great. I'm surprised by the comments below about it being "clunky" as I thought the way the book flowed was beautiful and any awkwardness was just the nature of a thirteen year old boy.

I enjoyed the second half, but found it too light in parts- the story felt a bit insubstantial.

I think this book is wonderful, the various stories and characters weave together so well and by the end you feel they are old friends. I also love novels set in India, but it was more than just the setting that got me through this one!

This is my favourite Murakami book, and one of my favourite books ever. It's a beautiful story, and Murakami manages to make you feel a sort of familiar nostalgia, even when the story is at its most surreal.