Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is a strange book, I'm just going to come out and say it. It lays on a strange three way intersection of Science Fiction, Detective Noir, and Absurdist Fiction. And the really odd thing is, you get it. Haruki Murakami is able to craft an eye brow raising narrative and plot while still maintaining its accessibility and comprehensibility. You empathize with the characters and the events, despite them being strange to the point of unbelievable.

. . .

The plot is split into a duel narrative, one taking place in a somber dreamland town, focusing on a amnesiac man separated from his shadow, the other in an a hard boiled modern Japan with two massive entities waging a secret info-war, and a human cypher who works for one of them. Despite this seemingly epic sounding plotlines, the entire thing is surprisingly charming feel to it, thanks to the quirky and detail oriented narration of the main character.

Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is a good read, though odd. Its not wacky or bizarre but it is absurd, so be ready for it.