Andrew Post 1

I read a Buzzfeed article that describes Murakami's style as "normcore" and I found that to be hilariously accurate. Ironing shirts, cooking, drinking beer, tidying up the apartment: on the surface, Murakami's characters don't spend their time so much as they simply pass it. Their lives are filled by a series of routines and obsessive habits. And yet, I've never felt like Murakami's books really condemn the relatively normal lives (aside from the whole surreal metaphysical journey bits) of their main characters. There's no telling how much of the strange odyssey's Boku and his like embark on are results of their own inner lives as opposed to external forces. It's why the final chapters of A Wild Sheep Chase feature Boku largely alone, girlfriend gone, winter swiftly approaching in the mountains, his only company a dead friend who may or may not exist. Yet this is the point where the novel shines brightest, where Boku does little more than cook, read, and occasionally question the fundamentals of existence. It highlights the reason why I think so many people are drawn to Murakami's works again and again: he tells stories that value the maintenance and exploration of colorful inner lives. 

Here's a link to the article: http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/missing-and-finding-the-magic-of-haruki-murakami#.kt93rNxzx