I draw a lilac girl building a universe. A couple of days later I read about a lilac girl who is the universe to a little boy... in Murakami's latest book.
"The Strange Library" is a very odd little book, weird and wonderful at the same time.
The reason I love Murakami's stories so much is that he has the ability to break open all that is
natural and real – and let loose all the magic and weirdness in the world. "The Strange Library" is
no exception.
The story itself is simple: a young boy stops by his local library on his way from school, in order to return books and check out others. What happens instead is that he's locked up in the library's reading room by an evil old librarian. He must face all his worst fears and find a way to escape, or else face a terrible death in the hands of the scary old man. It is the type of plot you would find in a children's book and in fact, it easily reads as a children's novel. However, a lot of elements of previous Murakami stories are present, twisting the story to a dark mystery.
What I loved most about the book was, naturally, the quirky illustrations. They turn the book to a beautiful visual diary, adding much value to the reading experience... which is no more than half an hour or so. Perfect for your weekend read... and a keepsake for your Murakami collection.
