One of his friends plays “Le mal du pays” is one of three suits f rom Years of Pilgrimage by composer Franz Liszt. Even the mentions of music are a metaphor for movement. As Tsukuru takes the reader on his pilgrimage, we begin to see the metaphors of travel and movement - Tsukuru is a train station engineer, his “girlfriend” arranges travel (in addition to encouraging the confrontations), and his aquantiances move on from their relationships with him. It isn’t until he’s faced with the possibility of love, or at least a form of it, that Tsukuru is asked to confront the ghosts have his past and return to his hometown to figure out what happens.

But he doesn’t and instead changes, physical and mental changes and he “moves on” with his life. This lie derails Tsukuru’s life, devastates him to the point of wanting to die. It’s not until later in the novel that the reader learns that none of the friends believed the untrue accusation but cut Tsukuru out of their lives anyway. Tsukuru is accused of a heinous act against another friend, told before he returns to his hometown for a visit. The reason for Tsukuru’s ennui comes from a lie (a betrayal) told among childhood friends. And while there is some darkness, it is not oppressive, it is still and quiet. However, the book isn’t about darkness in the way a reader would expect. The first line promises darkness and sorrow. “From July of his sophomore year in college until the following January, all Tsukuru Tazaki could think about was dying.”

As the novel begins, Tsukuru Tazaki, in his 30s and a professional living in Tokyo, is a shell of a person. This is a novel about pain and how to come back from it.

It is a story of love, friendship, and heartbreak for the ages. Here he gives us the remarkable story of Tsukuru Tazaki, a young man haunted by a great loss of dreams and nightmares that have unintended consequences for the world around us and of a journey into the past that is necessary to mend the present. In actuality, this book is a test of how well you listen when art speaks.īut before we get to my review, here’s a summary of the book from Amazon:Ĭolorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimageis the long-awaited new novel-a book that sold more than a million copies the first week it went on sale in Japan-from the award-winning, internationally best-selling author Haruki Murakami. It doesn’t announce its theme or its message with a bullhorn but with a whisper. I tried reading this in 2015 but wasn’t ready. It took that long to digest it completely. It’s been weeks since I’ve read Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami.

Colorless tsukuru tazaki author