5 Top Murakami Books To Read For Beginners: From Realistic To Surreal Picks To Not Miss!

Books are a man's best companion. They offer solace on the bad days and cheer you up even more on the good days. Books are not only for educational purposes but can also be for entertainment purposes. A good book can make you get lost in its compelling story. A novel of your choice would not only entertain you with its story but also increase your reading skills and make you want to read more. We have picked these beginner-friendly Murakami books with compelling stories for you to begin your reading journey and get lost in a world of books.

A Guide For Beginners To Find The Perfect Book For Them
When you are shopping for a book to begin your reading journey, you should look for

• Genre: You should start with genres you would be interested in; it could be romance, thriller, fantasy, horror, etc. 
• Reading level: You should begin with simple books that are not too difficult to understand before proceeding towards complex books.
• Purpose: If you are looking for motivation, you should look for motivational books; if you want entertainment, you should look for books with engaging stories. If you are looking for books to increase your knowledge, you should get books that provide it.

We have handpicked a list of books for you to choose from to make things easier for you. These finds from us are from the renowned author Haruki Murakami, ranging from surreal picks to realistic stories.

Norwegian Wood

This is a million-copy bestseller book by Murakami. It is a good book for beginners to start with, with lots of positive reviews. It is a romance and literary fiction book. This book talks about the haunting love story of Murakami that turned him into a literary superstar. It dives into Toru Watanabe's life and talks about his struggles, love, grief, and loneliness. It portrays a realistic view of a college student's life and the stages of emotions he goes through. It is a book one can relate to on an emotional level. It has such a compelling story. You would want to read more after reading a page of this book. Get this book now, available online.

Men Without Women

Men Without Women is a bestselling collection of stories from the Japanese author Murakami. It is a take on stories that are deeply reflective. These short stories revolve around the lives of men who find themselves at a stage in life where they feel alone. These stories have been written from a male perspective. Each story focuses on a man and how they have somehow become distant from the women in their lives. It is a take on the philosophical look at loneliness. This book also has the same wry humor that Murakami adds to every book of his. This is an enjoyable and beginner-friendly read for all book enthusiasts. You would relate to some of the stories in one way or another. It has seven short stories, each revolving around a different emotion.

Kafka On The Shore

This one from Murakami is a fantasy and literary fiction. It has themes of magical realism. It explores the story of Kafka Tamura, a teenage boy, and Nakata, an elderly man. It is a novel that has two narratives working in parallel. In this story, Kafka runs away from home to escape his father's dark prophecy. Meanwhile, Nakata finds his otherwise simple life suddenly becoming bizarre. This story has elements of fantasy with cats conversing with people and fishes tumbling down the sky. It also has ghost-like creatures, soldiers from World War 2. There is also a killing that happens in the story, and it is a mystery who the victim and killer are. It is a complex book, but beginners with a preference for reading fantasy novels would like it. 

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

In this book, Murakami shares his own life experience as a long-distance runner and a writer. It has been written in a calm and conversational tone. You would feel like somebody is actually telling their story, directly addressing you. It is an autobiography of the author himself. It talks about how Murakami began running to keep fit after selling his jazz bar. He talks about how running has had an impact on his life. He shares how he completed a course from Athens to Marathon. He also mentions how he has run a dozen races and participated in the 2005 New York Marathon as well. It is a must-read for sports enthusiasts, with themes of sports writing in the book. 

The City And Its Uncertain Walls

This book is one of the fantasy-themed books by Murakami. It explores the love story of a man whose girlfriend suddenly vanishes. The boundaries of reality and fantasy blur in this book. The man, after losing his girlfriend, is bent on finding her. His search for his girlfriend leads him to a remote town with a library, with its own mysteries. He finally makes it to the walled city and finds mysterious creatures there. At last, he finds his beloved working in a different library, but she doesn't remember any of their life together. This book is a must-read for beginners with a compelling storyline. It would make you eager to know what finally happens and if the girl finally remembers their life together, or if it was all the boy's imagination stemming from his grief.

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Conclusion: 
These books from the renowned author Haruki Murakami are some of the best picks from us for beginners to start their reading journey. We have created a list of books ranging from surreal fantasies to autobiographies suitable for all.  There are also other books available online for book enthusiasts to choose from, ranging from crime thrillers to romance stories. You can check out books from authors like J.K. Rowling, Margaret Atwood, Stephen R. Covey, Mike Omer, Suzanne Collins, and more.