Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

I found it out only last Friday from our daily local newspaper. It was the latest published book by the contemporary Japanese writer, Haruki Murakami. It's his thirteenth novel, translated by Philip Gabriel and released in US and UK on 12th Aug 2014.

I called the nearest book store on the same day and asked if it was on the shelf now, and the staff said yes, it was. I bought it right away during lunch time with no hesitation and spent my whole Saturday reading and devoured it 'til the end.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

The story was about Tsukuru Tazaki, a colorless young man, haunted by a great loss of his four best friends from high school time, whom had names related to color. Kei Akamatsu - nicknamed 'Aka' means red. Yoshio Oumi - nicknamed 'Ao' means blue. The other two girls were Yuzuki Shirane - nicknamed 'Shiro' means white, and Eri Kurono Haatainen - nicknamed 'Kuro' means black. Tsukuru remained as Tsukuru as no color meaning related to his name.

During summer of his sophomore year in college, four of them vanished from his life. Why? He only found it out many years later, and that was also because of Sara Kimoto, a two-year older than him, his current love interest, who told him that it was time for him to find out the reason why they left him all of the sudden from their group of harmonious community.

The story jumped from the past to the present, back to the past and flew to the present time again. But most importantly, what had happened in the past, he tried to mend and solve his emotional issues in his present's life, with the help of Sara.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage - Haruki Murakami

The story was written in a simple language, very easy to understand, in a very smooth flow. It was a story of love, friendship, his own sight and thinking on who he was, which might different from what others thought him to be, most importantly, his life's journey that made him of who he was now.

Like other Haruki Murakami's book, this book was also associated with music. This time, it related to Franz Liszt's 'Le mal du pays' - which means 'homesickness' in French, from his Years of Pilgrimage suite 'Year 1: Switzerland."  It was a piano played often by one of Tsukuru's best friend, which reflected sound of sadness.

It's so far his most remarkable book that I enjoyed reading so much. It's logical. It reminds me of a friend that I once had, on why he chose the solitary life as he was afraid to lose the person he loved over and over again, as it was really really an awful feeling to have. 

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage - Haruki Murakami