And the Wind Whispers -- by Haruki Murakami

Author: (Japanese) Haruki Murakami, translated by Lin Shaohua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-08-01
Features: Murakami's first novel, the first part of the "Youth Trilogy." Everything is born of chance: "I" accidentally picks up a drunken girl in a bar and later sees her working as a sales clerk in a record store. There's no need to ask more: walking together to the seaside, smelling the fragrance of the tide, hearing the distant whistle, getting lost in the evening breeze, reminiscing about summer dreams—what more could one ask for in youth? Of course, in the end, everything is irretrievable: returning from winter vacation, the girl is gone, leaving only "I" sitting alone at the old spot, gazing at the sea in longing. The melancholic tone not only fills this small book but also permeates all of Murakami's literature... Murakami began his literary career with the novella Kaze no Tani no Naisho (And the Wind Blows). The plot of Kaze no Tani no Naisho is not very complex. "I" drinks at a bar, sees a drunken girl in the restroom, and takes her home. The next day, the girl discovers she is completely naked and accuses "I" of humiliating her, leaving "I" speechless. But a few days later, the two grow closer. Unbeknownst to "I," when he returns for winter vacation, the girl is nowhere to be found, and he can only sit alone at the spot where they used to meet, staring longingly at the sea. Kaze no Tani no Naisho won the 22nd Akutagawa Prize. A critic remarked, "Every line is not overly elaborate, yet every line holds a subtle charm!" This is Murakami's breakthrough work, which has sold over 1.4 million copies in Japan.