Reflections between literature and music

Haruki Murakami – The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (Published in Japan in 1995, latest Italian edition: Einaudi, 2007)

In his eighth novel, Haruki Murakami further expands his visionary streak, his love for mystery-laden atmospheres and symbolism. All of it delivered through plain, limpid prose — one might even call it zen — giving the impression of narrating the most unusual events as though they were perfectly ordinary. The protagonist, Toru Okada, embodies the archetypal Murakami-esque character: one of the many everymen who populate his novels, capable of the most bizarre acts while maintaining an apparently unshakeable composure.

The story is set in Tokyo, where Toru lives with his wife Kumiko. Their quiet life is upended by the disappearance of their cat, oddly named Noboru Wataya. While searching for the animal, Toru finds himself drawn into a series of paradoxical situations and encounters with eccentric characters. Among them are May Kasahara, a prickly young woman with whom Toru starts a relationship, and Malta Kano, a medium who claims she can help him find the cat. Through these encounters, elements of Toru's past come to light, forcing him to confront his own identity and personal relationships, including his bond with Kumiko, who in the meantime spends more and more time away from home, until she too disappears, leaving Toru in a state of emotional emptiness, grappling with increasingly enigmatic events.

The novel unfolds through a series of episodes in which past and present intertwine in a non-linear narrative, culminating in revelations that will profoundly change the protagonist's perception of himself. Among the most fascinating moments is the presence of a mysterious underground world, populated by bizarre figures and mythological creatures. This reality provides the perfect backdrop for probing the depths of the psyche (translated into the recesses of a well where the protagonist likes to take refuge) and for reflecting on the darker shades of existence — themes that have always been dear to Murakami.

The story of "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" explores universal themes such as love, the loss of identity and the search for meaning in life. In this context, Murakami skilfully blends elements of magical realism with traditional storytelling, creating an atmosphere that feels both familiar and surreal at once.

Colonna sonora: Eiko Ishibashi – The Dream My Bones Dream (Drag City, 1998)

Eiko Ishibashi, too, is able to put us in touch with other worlds. Known for her versatility and eclecticism, the Japanese composer has released a series of albums spanning a variety of genres, including jazz, folk, electronic music and experimentation. Her music is often marked by richly varied compositions, poetic lyrics and an ethereal voice that immediately grabs attention, sparking the listener's imagination.

"The Dreams My Bones Dream" plays out as a musical journey through the history of the artist's ancestors, with Ishibashi crafting sonic daguerreotypes populated by ghosts.

From the very first tracks you can grasp just how wide the stylistic range is, moving from the free-flowing drones of "Prologue: Hand On The Mouth" to the art-pop shuffle of "Agloe" and the motorik groove of "Iron Veil".

In the central part of the album, several instrumental moments stand out for their abstraction, leading up to the minimal simplicity of "Silent Scrapbook" and the livelier rhythms that season the wandering melody of "A Ghost In A Train, Thinking".

As the album nears its conclusion, it takes on more reflective tones; "To The East" is a jazz-pop piece with rich harmonies, while "Epilogue: Innisfree", the closing track, uses dense string sections to support a suspended vocal line, evoking a deep well that seems to lead back to the very place where Toru Okada takes refuge.

It is in this extreme attempt to engage with what lies one step from reality that the worlds of Haruki Murakami and Eiko Ishibashi coexist.

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