The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

Title: The Strange Library
Author: Haruki Murakami
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: Fantasy, Literary Fiction
Year of Publication: 2014
Date of Publication: December 2, 2014
Pages: 96
ISBN-10: 0385354304
ISBN-13: 978-0385354301

Summary

The Strange Library is about a young boy who visits his local library to return some books. But things shift quickly when he asks for a recommendation and is quietly pointed toward a room he’d never seen before.

Inside waits a strange librarian, who soon lures the boy into a bizarre underground labyrinth. When asked what kind of book he’s after, nerves take over, and he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind: tax collection in the Ottoman Empire. He’s handed three massive volumes—The Ottoman Tax System, The Diary of an Ottoman Tax Collector, and Tax Revolts and Their Suppression in the Ottoman-Turkish Empire.

From that point on, the story unravels into something surreal. The boy is told he cannot leave unless he memorizes all three books within a month.

He is led through winding corridors to a cold reading cell, and what follows is a strange, sometimes whimsical, sometimes terrifying journey filled with fantastical characters like a mute girl and a sheep-like man. As time stretches on, he dreams of escape, wrestles with fear, and begins to question what’s real and what isn’t.

Main Themes

The novel is about confinement, the thirst for knowledge, and the boundaries between reality and imagination. It highlights the human tendency to seek understanding even in the face of fear and absurdity. Murakami also examines the psychological effects of isolation, and the resilience required to confront the unknown.

Writing Style

Haruki Murakami’s writing creates a story in a dreamlike setting that pulls readers into the worlds he conjures. He captures the mind of a teenager navigating isolation, fear, and confusion. As a reader, you can truly feel the fear the boy is experiencing. But for me, what even made the book even more special is that he uses illustrations in addition to text to enhance the reading experience.

It is also important to point out that this book is quite short, only 96 pages, and so you can quickly go through it.

Impact of The Strange Library

The novel sparks discussions about the nature of storytelling, memory, and the subconscious. 

What are your thoughts on this book? Have you had a chance to read it? Let us know in the comments!