The City and Its Uncertain Walls
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The City and Its Uncertain Walls
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Narrated by:
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Philip Gabriel - translation
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Brian Nishii
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By:
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Haruki Murakami
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
The breathtaking new novel about the boundaries between worlds and individuals, from the internationally bestselling author of 1Q84.
When a young man’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes, he sets his heart on finding the imaginary city where her true self lives. His search will lead him to take a job in a remote library with mysteries of its own.
When he finally makes it to the walled city, a shadowless place of horned beasts and willow trees, he finds his beloved working in a different library – a dream library. But she has no memory of their life together in the other world and, as the lines between reality and fantasy start to blur, he must decide what he’s willing to lose.
A love story, a quest, an ode to books and to the libraries that house them, The City and Its Uncertain Walls is a parable for these strange times.
'It’s safe to say that there’s no one like Murakami' Literary Review
'No other author mixes domestic, fantastic and esoteric elements into such weirdly bewitching shades' Financial Times
'Murakami is a master storyteller and he knows how to keep us hooked' Sunday Times
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What listeners say about The City and Its Uncertain Walls
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ren
- 18-01-25
Dream like
If you like Murakami, I think you’re prepared for the unknown, and for the lack of resolution. This was not my favourite Murakami, but I still really enjoyed it and all it’s characters. I think I read someone describing it as like a child’s bedtime story and I agree.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Martin
- 15-12-24
Heard it before but new
Different version of a previous story, for that the start was in anticipation if this was a repetition or something else and even though somewhat predictable the narrative got better and better and kept me listening until the end..
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Grace Feakes
- 15-01-25
The ending was a let down
I didn’t like the translation. I think it wasn’t direct from Japanese to English so the language seemed quite basic. This book was very long without getting much resolve. I also find it frustrating that the two love interests of the protagonist never even got names? Only one woman in this entire book was given a name.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Moray33
- 04-02-25
The weaving of the two strands of the tale is magical.
An excellent listen very well read. Beautifully constructed and a must for any Murakami fan.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- M Stuart
- 09-02-25
Not his best work
If I could turn back the clock without hands, I would.
This novel felt indulgent to me, lacking the character and interest level of it's closest counterpart: Hard Boiled Wonderland.
I'd think twice before reading more Murakami after this, having enjoyed almost all of his prior works.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Beryl Bokor
- 24-12-24
Fantastic
Incredibly creative and cosy to listen to - reminds one of childhood. I would highly recommend this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 17-01-25
just what I needed
Murakami always seems to echo or speak to, just what I need at that time.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vampvision
- 24-03-25
Brilliantly bonkers
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, with its twists and turns and philosophical view of the world and how we exist within it. You'll need to just go with it but it reminded me of being read fairy tales by my mother as a child, whilst at the same time taking me back to studying philosophy at uni. Written in Murakami's lovely lyrical style, it is a dreamy book in every sense. Great performance by the narrator too.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 07-02-25
Not his best work
His work often jumps hither and thither but this novel did so in a ragged way. Also the ending was dissapointing. The narrator had a pleasant voice but the characiters' accents were too similar and too variable. This should not be the first book of Murakami that you read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- N16
- 20-12-24
Classic Murakami. More accessible than some.
As always, the reader enters a fever dream from which they are abruptly ejected, unsure of what is or was real or imagined.
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