Jan 2, 2010

South of the Border, West of the Sun | South of the Border, West of the Sun

At a glance:

Author: Haruki Murakami
First Published: 1992
Type of Work: Novel
Time of Work: 1951-1988
Setting: Japan
Principal Characters: Hajime, Shimamoto, Yukiko, Yukiko’s father, Izumi Ohara, Izumi’s cousin
Genres: Long fiction
Subjects: 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s, World War II, Schools or school life, 1980’s, Adultery, Nightclubs, Japan or Japanese people
Locales: Japan

At its core, Haruki Murakami’s novel South of the Border, West of the Sun is about the central character, Hajime, who proves unable to make moral decisions and, instead, yields to various temptations. While Hajime realizes late in his teens that he is “a person who can do evil,” he is curiously passive when it comes to acting on his insights. He knows that he could easily hurt others again, including those who love him, should the opportunity arise.

Hajime presents a character who is not easily likable yet has a hauntingly complex nature. Murakami’s protagonist...

[The entire page is 1794 words long]

South of the Border, West of the Sun | South of the Border, West of the Sun

At a glance:

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