Books - Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

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	Books - Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (世界の終わりとハードボイルド・ワンダーランド, sekai no owari to hādoboirudo wandārando) is a 1985 novel by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. A strange and dreamlike novel, its chapters alternate between two bizarre, seemingly unrelated narratives.

Synopsis

The odd numbered chapters take place in the "Hard-Boiled Wonderland," where the narrator is a "Calcutec," a human data processor/encryption system who uses the unique characteristics of his mind as the encryption key. The Calcutecs—perhaps short for Calculating Technician—work for the quasi-governmental System, as opposed to the criminal Semiotecs who work for the Factory and who are generally fallen Calcutecs. The relationship between the two groups is simple: the Calcutecs protect data while the Semiotecs steal it. The narrator completes work for a mysterious scientist, who is exploring "sound reduction." He works within a laboratory protected by a series of labyrinths within an anachronistic version of Tokyo's sewer system.

The other set of chapters deals with a newcomer to a strange, walled-off town far away from other civilization—it is depicted in a map as being surrounded by forest—and called "the End of the World". The character, in the process of being accepted into the village, has his shadow "cut off." He becomes the resident "dreamreader" and goes to the Library every evening to read dreams from the skulls of the unicorns that live in the city with the help of the Librarian.

The two storylines eventually merge to tell a single story, exploring the concept of double consciousness, in this case "two cognitive systems existing within the same person."

Characters

In both narratives, none of the characters are named, which is somewhat typical of Murakami’s work. They are referred to by their occupation or a general description, such as "the librarian" or "the big guy."

Hard-boiled wonderland

The narrator - a Calcutec who, aside from his unusual profession, lives the life of a typical Tokyo yuppie. Although very observant, he gives little thought to the strangeness of the world around him. This may be due to his mind’s reprogramming.
The old man/the scientist - an absent-minded scientist who hires the narrator to process information. He is researching "sound reduction" and is convinced that the voices of unicorns can be understood by studying their skulls. He is intensely paranoid of others stealing information from him.
The granddaughter - the old man’s assistant, caretaker and granddaughter, described as attractive but chubby. In the beginning of the novel, the old man "reduces" her sound, leaving her unable to speak. She tries, without any seductive language, to convince the narrator to sleep with her.
The librarian - a librarian who helps the narrator research unicorns. Because of a gastronomical disorder, she is always hungry but eats plentifully without gaining weight. She becomes the narrator’s lover.
Junior and Big Boy - two thugs who, on unknown orders, harass the narrator.
INKlings - sewer-dwelling people who have developed their own culture and religion. The old man is deathly afraid of them stealing his research.

End of the world

The narrator - a newcomer to the “end of the world.” As an initiation into the village, his shadow is cut-off. He is given the job of “dream reader” and “reads” the dreams of unicorns from skulls in the library. His eyes are slit to give him this ability, making it difficult for him to see in daylight. The reader does not know the exact reason he has come to the place and it is indicated that he cannot remember much of his own history.
The gatekeeper - the guardian and maintenance foreman of “the end of the world.” He instructs the narrator of his duty, cuts off his shadow and slices two slits into his eyes. He also keeps the narrator’s shadow and leads it and other isolated shadows in maintenance work around the village.
The librarian - the village’s librarian who keeps the unicorn skulls and assists the narrator in his work. She claims that her mother brought her to the village but she was driven to the edge of the woods when she kept her “mind.” The librarian claims that she lost her mind after loosing her shadow.
The colonel - an old man who lives in the village. He plays chess with the narrator and gives him advice.
The narrator’s shadow - the narrator’s shadow shows some consciousness and pleads with the narrator to reunite with him.

Possible influences

As its name indicates the "hard-boiled wonderland" owes much to American hardboiled detective fiction. Murakami has often stated his love of Western literature and particular admiration of hardboiled pioneer Raymond Chandler . The setting also borrows heavily from cyberpunk, which is often considered a modernization of hard-boiled detective fiction.

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