Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
A government worker, or ‘calcutec’, is sent on an assignment to a mysterious underground laboratory and finds himself involved in a bitter infowar between two organisations. What is his role in this and the ‘End of the World’? Meanwhile, in another reality, one man is trapped inside a strange walled town from which there is no escape: why did he have to give up his Shadow and read old dreams at the local library of this strange and wondrous place?
This is one of the first full-length novels Murakami had published, so it is a slight surprise to see that it has a very unusual approach to the narrative. In order to convey the parallel nature of the two settings for the story, the near-future Tokyo and the End of the World, the chapters alternate between the two. This is at first confusing but as the story unfolds the reasoning behind this gradually becomes clear. It is therefore fair to say that the novel is two separate halves of the same story: the sci-fi themed thriller with its calcutecs, INKlings and modern setting, and the timeless fantasy setting of the End of the World. This also gives a variation in events that are taking place, and encourages the reader to keep up with a story that has its fair share of twists and turns.
While the likes of The Wind-up Bird Chronicle and Dance Dance Dance have wry and quite hard-hitting social commentary aspects, Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is more far-removed from the world that we know. The ‘Hard Boiled Wonderland’ half of the story is set in a near future in which humans use their brains as living computers, and throws in numerous pieces of technical jargon for good measure. The ‘End of the World’ half of the story is set in a timeless, fantastical walled town, with its strange beasts and population of inhabitants who have lost their memories. Even for those familiar with Murakami’s writing style and themes, this book is a refreshing surprise and unlike any other.
While the halved narrative is pretty easy to get used to and not in the least bit gimmicky, the technobabble associated with the infowar in which the hero is involved is difficult to grasp and as a result it might require a second reading to fully understand what is going on. Of course, this very effectively conveys his own bemusement at the situation he has found himself in, and ably demonstrates the author’s ability to write an entertaining science fiction tale that leaves the reader deep in thought.
In Summary
An imaginative blend of seemingly unrelated science fiction, fantasy, psychological and philosophical themes, Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is a thought-provoking novel that is brimming over with originality. Chances are you will not look at the workings of your mind in the same light again. Needless to say it is probably not to everyone’s taste.
Leave a Reply