Pinball, 1973

By: Haruki Murakami, Ted Goossen - translator

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

Published in 1980 by Japanese author Haruki Murakami, Pnball, 1973 is the second book in the "Trilogy of the Rat" series. It is preceded by Hear the Wind Sing (1979) and followed by A Wild Sheep Chase (1982), and is the second novel written by Murakami.

Short, strange, and memorable especially the twins who quietly steal the show.

Short, strange, and memorable especially the twins who quietly steal the show.
Another great book by My favorite Haruki Murakami

Very Murakami

This was a tough one for me to follow…I love Murakami’s writing style though. It was good but wasn’t my favorite.

Compelling, but not as good...

as his later work. It has elements of later masterpieces like Norwegian Wood, but it is still more a beginning effort.

What a talent

He had the incredibly lyrical voice right from the beginning. This could only have come from a mix of the personal/autobiographical and his unique blend of the mystical/fantastical which continues throughout his many wonderful novels. Great narration!

A story of relationships

Pinball, 1973 is the second part of the Trilogy of The Rat. Murakami begins to find his own voice in this story. Hear the Wind Sing (the previous installment) felt more like a mid-60s style of writing whereas Pinball continues along a similar path, but has a more distinct focus on the interactions between friends and lovers and pinball machines. There are hints here of Murakami’s magical realism, but published in 1980, it still feels like a typical slice of life story. A pleasure to read.