“Reading this book is like sitting in a home office space with Murakami and chatting with him about his experiences. Revealing, confirming, and uncontroversial.”

One would do well to enter Murakami’s comfortable talks about his writing life as more memoir than writing guide, a distinction he makes early on. While there are some general points he makes about the work life, about publishing, about balance, and focusing on character, these are largely not helpful (or uncommon) points that writers have made. So if you are looking for a strategies guide closer to King’s On Writing, look elsewhere.

If, on the other hand, you are a fan of Murakami’s works, you can find a number of interesting stories from behind the scenes on his earlier works, how he struggled into the career early on, what he imagines of readers and of critics, how he values (or does not) praise and awards, and the like. Reading this book is like sitting in a home office space with Murakami and chatting with him about his experiences. Revealing, confirming, and uncontroversial.

As a fan of his works, I was completely content to be there, relaxing in a casual conversation. For aspiring writers or occasional readers of him, however, I suspect there might be some impatient shifting back and forth on the seat cushions in anticipating its end.