In the foreword for his first book, Hear the Wind Sing (1979), Japanese writer Haruki Murakami describes it as less a novel and more of a novella; and I tend to agree. Slightly bigger but nowhere near as thematically dense or nuanced as After Dark, Hear the Wind Sing stands out among other books by the famed writer.
Given that it was his first time putting pen to proverbial paper, it was only natural if Murakami stumbled a little when writing Hear the Wind Sing. But funnily enough, he didn’t. Not that much at least. And while it isn’t as refined or descriptive as what we’d come to expect from him, it is unmistakably Murakami.
But Hear the Wind Sing was not always so fully formed. Written over the course of six months while he was still running a jazz bar with his wife, Murakami’s first draft was hollow and unfocussed. Truth be told, he simply didn’t know how to write a contemporary Japanese novel, spending whatever down-time he had reading Russian Literature and American noir classics. Looking to inject some life into his otherwise lifeless first attempt, Murakami decided to throw out the rule book, opting for a deliberately restrictive approach this time around. He decided to rewrite the entire book in English. But with only a limited grasp of the language, Murakami had to keep his writing sharp and to the point, laying the foundation for what would eventually become his trademark style. Once he was done, Murakami wrote the new draft back into Japanese, making sure to keep the simplistic prose intact. This approach yielded a more intimate second draft, something that reads more like a series of diary entries than a simple novel.
While Hear the Wind Sing does show plenty of promise, it is an ultimately flawed first outing by Murakami. While the writing is simple and direct, it lacks the substance we would come to expect from Murakami, with chapters in the book covering only one or two pages. Murakami clearly lacked confidence at this stage of his career.
There is a general sense while reading this book that a lot is being left unsaid.
But considering the limited time he had to write and his lack of experience, it is only natural that the book feels somewhat empty and unfinished.
But Murakami’s sporadic writing schedule actually helps the story, lending some authenticity to the journal-like style of the book. Each chapter is almost a glimpse into the protagonist’s life. Sitting down at his desk after a long day, he pours his heart and soul out onto the page. Working through the mismatched thoughts and memories in his head, it is, more or less, how Murakami approached writing Hear the Wind Sing: working into the wee hours of the morning after his gruelling day job.
While I am a big proponent of Murakami’s smaller books, I would not recommend Hear the Wind Sing to first time readers. It is a competent but ultimately flawed first attempt by the now famous writer. While the prose itself is direct and to the point, the book lacks the necessary substance and depth to make it effective. As a result, Hear the Wind Sing borders on being bland.
The novel covers a period of 18 days, moving back and forth between the not so distant past and present. Back home from university for summer break, our unnamed protagonist spends his days drinking at J’s bar with his friend, the Rat. Listening to the radio one summer evening, our protagonist hears a song dedicated to him by mysterious woman. This kicks off a period of self-discovery and self-reflection for the young man. He looks back on his days in high school and the three women he had romantic encounters with, suspecting that one of them dedicated the song to him. On his way to track down another copy of the record he misplaced in high school, our protagonist meets a cantankerous, slightly stand-offish record store clerk. While they don’t get off to the best of starts, they grow closer throughout the book, developing an intimate relationship.
The Rat, unsurprisingly, is the most interesting and well-written character in the book. Murakami has the unfortunate habit of making his supporting characters more interesting than his main ones, injecting them with more life and personality. We see arguably more growth within this side character than the bland protagonist, who floats through the narrative with little to no direction. Closed off and hostile when we first meet him, the Rat softens over the course of the book, becoming far more open to the world around him. Fed up with his pampered life in the seaside town, the Rat wants to leave it all behind and forge his own path. Initially adverse to reading, the Rat comes to love Russian literature, devouring several books while drinking at J’s bar. This newfound love and appreciation for the written word ignites a fiery passion within the Rat, compelling him to write a book of his own.
