I’ve just finished reading Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami. What a beautiful, crazy, sorrowful, funny, poetic book! I’ve been told for some time that I should read some Murakami, but it was only recently that I found myself with a good reason to go and read this particular novel. I may write a review later, but for now I can happily say that he’s joined my stable of top writers, beside Michael Chabon, Neal Stephenson and several others.
Adrian Hon
mssv 
I have in fact read quite a substantial part of Murakamis works, but not this one yet. If it’s like any of the others (and I don’t doubt it ) it must be good. And incidentally, Chabon is wonderful as well. Unfortunately, I’ve only read one book by Stephenson, “Snow Crash” , but I liked it.
I’ve got the Wind Up Bird Chronicle on my next Amazon Shopping Basket. As for Stephenson, try The Diamond Age or Cryptonomicon; I’d say those two are his best novels so far and are much better than Snow Crash. His Baroque Cycle books, while impressive, are a little laboured and overlong.
Adrian, how did you like The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle? I read it before Hard Boiled Wonderland… and actually think it’s the best fiction I’ve read by Murakami. (I also liked his Underground, but that’s nonfiction.)