South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami
This novel depicts a simple touching story of the love-life of Hajime. Hajime, an only child, befriends another only child, Shimamoto. At the age of 12, they shared an innocent love life by spending time together listening to music-records in Shimamoto’s living room. Their love culminates when Shimamoto grabs Hajime’s hand fleetingly for 10 seconds sparking a love that will last their entire lives.
Unfortunately shortly after, Hajime moves away to another town and they drifted apart. The story continues with Hajime’s tender adolescent relationship with Izumi who he ruins forever by having a passionate sexual affair with her older cousin behind her back. Hajime then limps through his twenties lonely and bored working in an educational publishers firm.
Finally he meets and falls in love with Yukiko. They got married and he became the father of two girls. Hajime worked hard and he became the successful owner of two jazz clubs. However one day, 25 years after they last saw each other, Hajime met the beautiful Shimamoto. Hajime is catapulted into the past risking everything that he has built in the present…
‘South of the Border, West of the Sun’ is a beautiful thought provoking novel on the complexities of love.
This novel is a story of romance told from the perspective of a man, from his relationship with his childhood sweetheart to the in-between love affairs and finally to his marriage. ‘South of the Border, West of the Sun’ is a typical story that almost all men who have fallen in love can relate to.
Murakami wrote this novel with such great and in-depth details, that it allows the readers to experience and live through the life of the main character, Hajime. It’s really amazing how Murakami is able to write about the various changes and emotions that most men would experience as they grow up and mature to become better human beings. This novel is also good for women as it allows them to understand the various difficulties and the unavoidable changes of emotions that may bound to happen in any relationship. On that note, this novel, has a subtle surreal after taste. It really makes me ponder upon what is real, and what is not.
Below is a short quote of what I feel as a beautiful way to put forth something so close to reality, something that appears so real to me today.
“No one will weave dreams for me – it is my turn to weave dreams for others. That’s what I have to do. Such dreams may have no power, but if my own life is to have any meaning at all, that is what I have to do.” - South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami
A definite must-read for all! (:
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