[Book Sip] Haruki Murakami: "This Novel Was a Thorn That Constantly Bothered Me"

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a connection with the book. We introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from books.

This is Haruki Murakami's new work released after six years. It is the first time in 43 years that a novel he debuted with has been published as a standalone book since its initial appearance. Since his debut in 1979, Haruki has published all his novels that appeared in various literary magazines as books. However, the novel "The City and Its Uncertain Walls," which was published in the 1980 literary magazine Munhakgae, remained an exception, arousing curiosity. Taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was able to revisit and newly complete the buried work. He confessed, "This work has always been a fishbone stuck in my throat, bothering me," and "Honestly, I feel very relieved to be able to refine and rewrite this work once again in a new form." The novel tells the story of "I," a seventeen-year-old male high school student, who suddenly pursues "you," a disappeared female high school student, and heads toward a mysterious world that manages dreams.

"You just have to want it. But truly wanting something is not that simple. It might take time. You might have to give up a lot in the meantime. Things precious to you. Still, don't give up. No matter how long it takes, the city will never disappear." - p.15

Were we lovers? Can we simply call it that? I do not know. In any case, you and I, at least during that period, for nearly a year, connected our hearts purely and without blemish. Eventually, we created and shared a special secret world of our own?a mysterious city surrounded by high walls. - p.33

To you, dreams were almost on par with events that actually happen in the real world, not something easily forgotten or erased. Dreams were like a precious source of the heart that conveyed many things to you. - p.43

Perhaps that is one problem eternity holds. Not knowing where to head from now on. But what value does love have if it does not pursue eternity to some extent? - p.80

"Sometimes I feel like a shadow of something, someone," you say as if revealing an important secret. "The me here has no substance, and my real self is somewhere else. The me here now looks like me at a glance, but in fact, it is just a shadow reflected on the floor or wall... I can't erase that thought." - p.111

Time passed very slowly, yet it never stepped backward and passed through me. Exactly one minute per minute, exactly one hour per hour. Though slow, it never goes backward. That was the fact I realized physically at that time. It is obvious, but sometimes the obvious holds the most important meaning. - p.137

How much do we know about the secret dark river flowing through the underground maze beneath the solid ground we stand on? How many have actually seen it, and how many have seen it and returned to this side? - p.223

I remembered that sadness very well. A deep sadness that cannot be explained in words and does not disappear with time. A sadness that quietly leaves invisible wounds in invisible places. How on earth should one deal with what cannot be seen? - p.280

"There is only one thing I can say here and now?you must not lose your faith. If you can strongly and deeply believe in something, the path forward will naturally become clear. By doing so, you can prevent the intense fall that will come next. Or at least greatly soften the impact." - p.452

A concrete imprint accompanied by pain that can transcend the boundary between one world and another. I will probably live the rest of my life cherishing it as part of my existence. - p.667

The City and Its Uncertain Walls | Written by Haruki Murakami | Munhakdongne | 768 pages | 19,500 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.