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Not Every Character Needs to Be Good, and Murakami Proves It

South of the Border, West of the Sun. What a beautiful novel — and what a beautiful title.

This is the second book I’ve read by Haruki Murakami, the first being Norwegian Wood. I can’t lie, I’m not sure which one I prefer. When I read Norwegian Wood in January, I knew it was something special. I didn’t think anything would come close to topping it. And yet, South of the Border, West of the Sun is right there with it. It’s incredible.

From what I’ve seen on Goodreads, this book is a lot more divisive. Some people hate it. I am here to tell you they are flat-out wrong!

The one complaint that people have is that the main character, Hajime, is not a great person. Am I missing something here? Since when did the characters in stories have to be good people? That is the entire point of this novel. To me, it's like watching the movie There Will Be Blood, and thinking it is horrible because Daniel Plainview is a bad person!? Or finishing Goodfellas and thinking to yourself, hmmmm, I thought they were supposed to be a bunch of good fellas. They weren't. This movie SUCKS! I HATE IT! I can go on and on. Side note, Hajime is nothing like the characters in either of those films, they just sprung to mind.

Personally, I think that’s a shallow way to read any story. Characters don’t need to be role models — in a story like this, they need to feel real. And in South of the Border, West of the Sun, they do.

Murakami’s writing has this dreamlike, melancholy quality to it that I can’t quite describe — but I absolutely love it. His prose isn’t complicated or showy but rather soft, thoughtful, and emotional. Polar opposite to Cormac McCarthy's in Blood Meridian, All the Pretty Horses or even Outer Dark, but incredible in its own way. He paints scenes that feel both vivid and slightly out of reach, like memories. Both Norwegian Wood and this novel have that same magic.

And while people may dislike Hajime, I found him fascinating. Is he flawed? Of course. He’s kind of a mess, honestly. But through Murakami’s writing, you get inside his head from childhood to adulthood. It’s impressive how much depth Murakami gives him in so few pages. You understand why he makes the choices he does, even if you dread those choices. You’re not rooting for him — you’re watching him, and feeling all the tension build. It’s heartbreaking, but also very real.

Murakami also writes about music in a way I’ve never seen from any other author. He doesn’t just reference songs; he makes you feel them. The music becomes part of the atmosphere, part of the character’s inner lives. It was one of my favourite aspects of Norwegian Wood, and it’s just as powerful here.

Overall, this was such a pleasure to read. It’s quick and easy, but not light or forgettable. There’s so much emotion and thematic depth packed into these pages. It’s beautiful, sad, and thought-provoking.

If you’re new to Murakami, I’d still recommend starting with Norwegian Wood — but this one is right up there. He’s an incredible storyteller. The writing, the mood, the emotions — it’s all there. And I honestly can’t believe these books were written in Japanese, the translations are so good, nothing feels lost.

South of the Border, West of the Sun was a fantastic read. I’d highly recommend it!

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