Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World: A Novel (Vintage International)

This is a narrative particle accelerator that zooms between Wild Turkey Whiskey and Bob Dylan, unicorn skulls and voracious librarians, John Coltrane and Lord Jim. Science fiction, detective story and post modern manifesto all rolled into one rip-roaring novel, "Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World" is the tour de force that expanced Haruki Murakami's international following, tracking one man's descent into the kafkaesque underworld farce, compassion and detachment, slang and philosophy. The result is a wildly inventive fantasy and a meditation on the many uses of the mind. The Last Surviving Victim Of An Experiment That Implanted The Subjects' Heads With Electrodes That Decipher Coded Messages Is The Unnamed Narrator. Half The Chapters Are Set In Tokyo, Where The Narrator Negotiates Underground Worlds Populated By Inklings, Dodges Opponents Of Both Sides Of A Raging High-tech Infowar, And Engages In An Affair With A Beautiful Librarian With A Gargantuan Appetite. In Alternating Chapters He Tries To Reunite With His Mind And His Shadow, From Which He Has Been Severed By The Grim, Dark Replacement Consciousness Implanted In Him By A Dotty Neurophysiologist. Both Worlds Share The Unearthly Theme Of Unicorn Skulls That Moan And Glow. Elevator, Silence, Overweight -- Golden Beasts -- Rain Gear Inklings, Laundry -- The Library -- Tabulations, Evolution, Sex Drive -- Shadow -- Skull, Lauren Bacall, Library -- The Colonel -- Appetite, Disappointment, Leningrad -- The Wall -- Dressing, Watermelon, Chaos -- A Map Of The End Of The World -- Frankfurt, Door, Independent Operants -- Woods -- Whiskey, Torture, Turgenev -- The Coming Of Winter -- End Of The World, Charlie Parker, Time Bomb -- Dreamreading -- Hamburgers, Skyline, Deadline -- The Death Of The Beasts -- Bracelets, Ben Johnson, Devil -- Gray Smoke -- Holes, Leeches, Tower -- Shadow Grounds -- Meal, Elephant Factory, Trap -- Power Station -- Encyclopedia Wand, Immortality, Paperclips -- Musical Instruments -- Lake, Masaomi Kondo, Panty Hose -- Hole -- Fares, Police, Detergent -- Shadow In The Throes Of Death -- Rainy-day Laundry, Car Rental, Bob Dylan -- Skulls -- Nail Clippers, Butter Sauce, Iron Vase -- Accordian -- Lights, Introspection, Cleanliness -- Escape -- Popcorn, Lord Jim, Extinction -- Birds. Haruki Murakami ; Translated By Alfred Birnbaum. ADP41.tmp......Page 0 Haruki Murakami......Page 2 Elevator, Silence, Overweight......Page 3 Golden Beasts......Page 10 Rain Gear, INKlings, Laundry......Page 14 The Library......Page 28 Tabulations, Evolution, Sex Drive......Page 33 Shadow......Page 44 Skull, Lauren Bacall, Library......Page 50 The Colonel......Page 63 Appetite, Disappointment, Leningrad......Page 67 The Wall......Page 79 Dressing, Watermelon, Chaos......Page 82 A Map of the End of the World......Page 86 Frankfurt, Door, Independent Operants......Page 91 Woods......Page 106 Whiskey, Torture, Turgenev......Page 111 The Coming of Winter......Page 122 End of the World, Charlie Parker, Time Bomb......Page 127 Dreamreading......Page 133 Hamburgers, Skyline, Deadline......Page 136 The Death of the Beasts......Page 146 Bracelets, Ben Johnson, Devi!......Page 149 Gray Smoke......Page 163 Holes, Leeches, Tower......Page 169 Shadow Grounds......Page 177 Meal, Elephant Factory, Trap......Page 183 Power Station......Page 201 Encyclopedia Wand, Immortality, Paperclips......Page 206 Musical Instruments......Page 212 Lake, Masatomi Kondo, Parity Hose......Page 216 Hole......Page 228 Fares, Police, Detergent......Page 232 Shadow in the Throes of Death......Page 242 Rainy-Day Laundry, Car Rental, Bob Dylan......Page 246 Skulls......Page 253 Nail Clippers, Butter Sauce, Iron Vase......Page 258 Accordion......Page 269 Lights, Introspection, Cleanliness......Page 272 Escape......Page 278 Popcorn, Lord Jim, Extinction......Page 284 Birds......Page 292 HARD-BOILED WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD.doc -1 ADP41.tmp 1 HARD-BOILED WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD 2 by 2 Haruki Murakami 2 Elevator, Silence, Overweight 3 Golden Beasts 10 Rain Gear, INKlings, Laundry 14 The Library 28 Tabulations, Evolution, Sex Drive 33 Shadow 44 Skull, Lauren Bacall, Library 50 The Colonel 63 Appetite, Disappointment, Leningrad 67 The Wall 79 Dressing, Watermelon, Chaos 82 A Map of the End of the World 86 Frankfurt, Door, Independent Operants 91 Woods 106 Whiskey, Torture, Turgenev 111 The Coming of Winter 122 End of the World, Charlie Parker, Time Bomb 127 Dreamreading 133 Hamburgers, Skyline, Deadline 136 The Death of the Beasts 146 Bracelets, Ben Johnson, Devi! 149 Gray Smoke 163 Holes, Leeches, Tower 169 Shadow Grounds 177 Meal, Elephant Factory, Trap 183 Power Station 201 Encyclopedia Wand, Immortality, Paperclips 206 Musical Instruments 212 Lake, Masatomi Kondo, Parity Hose 216 Hole 228 Fares, Police, Detergent 232 Shadow in the Throes of Death 242 Rainy-Day Laundry, Car Rental, Bob Dylan 246 Skulls 253 Nail Clippers, Butter Sauce, Iron Vase 258 Accordion 269 Lights, Introspection, Cleanliness 272 Escape 278 Popcorn, Lord Jim, Extinction 284 Birds 292 Elevator, Silence, Overweight Golden Beasts Rain Gear, INKlinkgs, Laundry The Library Tabulations, Evolution, Sex Drive Shadow Skull, Lauren Bacall, Library The Colonel Appetite, Disappointment, Leningrad The Wall Dressing, Watermelon, Chaos A Map of the End of the World Frankfurt, Door, Independent Operants Woods Whiskey, Torture, Turgenev The Coming of Winter End of the World, Charlie Parker, Time Bomb Dreamreading Hamburgers, Skyline, Deadline The Death of the Beasts Bracelets, Ben Johnson, Devil Gray Smoke Holes, Leeches, Tower Shadow Grounds Meal, Elephant Factory, Trap Power Station Encyclopedia Wand, Immortality, Paperclips Musical Instruments Lake, Masatomi Kondo, Panty Hose Hole Fares, Police, Detergent Shadow in the Throes of Death Rainy-Day Laundry, Car Rental, Bob Dylan Skulls Nail Clippers, Butter Cause, Iron Vase Accordion Lights, Introspection, Cleanliness Escape Popcorn, Lord Jim, Extinction Birds In this hyperkinetic and relentlessly inventive novel, Japan's most popular (and controversial) fiction writer hurtles into the consciousness of the West. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World draws readers into a narrative particle accelerator in which a split-brained data processor, a deranged scientist, his shockingly undemure granddaughter, Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, and various thugs, librarians, and subterranean monsters collide to dazzling effect. What emerges is simultaneously cooler than zero and unaffectedly affecting, a hilariously funny and deeply serious meditation on the nature and uses of the mind. From the Trade Paperback edition Hyperkinetic and relentlessly inventive, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is Haruki Murakami’s deep dive into the very nature of consciousness. Across two parallel narratives, Murakami draws readers into a mind-bending universe in which Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, a split-brained data processor, a deranged scientist, his shockingly undemure granddaughter, and various thugs, librarians, and subterranean monsters collide to dazzling effect. What emerges is a novel that is at once hilariously funny and a deeply serious meditation on the nature and uses of the mind. A clerk in a Tokyo of the near future works in an organization that controls the flow of information to society--employing electronic brainwashing and other insidious techniques--a job that contributes to his increasing sense of dehumanization By the author of "A Wild Sheep Chase", which won the Noma Literary Award for New Writers, this novel combines science-fiction, satire and a warning of the dangerous powers of corporations. The contemporary and the mythic collide in this hard-boiled tale of computers and conspiracy theories, unicorns and ancient lands Haruki Murakami ; Translated By Alfred Birnbaum. Translation Of: Sekai No Owari To Hādo-boirudo Wandārando.