This novel's hero, whose life was contented and even envious, one day happened to meet a childhood friend. Since then, he was intrigued by her mysterious world which gradually invaded his mind and tried to wipe off his successful life... Just the same as his former successful novel "Norwegian Wood", loneliness in each character's mind was openly and naturally expressed, which I liked the most. Another point I loved was the implied idea that free market capitalism was substantially imperfect from the aspect of morals, which I thought seemed to predict the recent worldwide financial catastrophe. Interestingly, the hero was to some extent the author himself because both were jazz club owners and this book whose title was taken from one of the jazz music seemed to me itself like an LP record.

恥ずかしながら、満足がいくまで読みきるのに３年の歳月を要した。
日本語版「国境の南、太陽の西」は、今まで何度も読み返しているので、本編もほとんど辞書なしでも読みこなすことはできる。
ただ、英文になったことで、イメージの膨らませ方に時間が掛かった。そして、言語の差はあるが、やはり同じ世界観であるという結論にたどり着いた。
満足がいくまで読みきることができる翻訳。納得がいった。
ただ、表紙絵が気持ち悪い、★ひとつ減。

日本語では「島本さん」なのが、ｓｈｉｍａｍｏｔｏ、になっているところが唯一感じた違いでしょうか。後は何の違和感もなく、全くの村上ワールドを追体験です。彼の文章、作品のあの「感じ」が、英文を通じても余すことなく読者の胸に伝わって来るように思います。

主人公の経営するバーの静謐な雰囲気。日本人には間違いなくそう感じられると思うのですが、これが他の英語圏の人にはどのように感じられるのか、物凄く興味があります。

Many american news writer were full of the usual simplistic acclaim for Haruki Murakami. I had no problem with what they showed newsy, but the writing was white lie and meretricious anti septic acclamaion.
“Childhood love lost ”....This word is good for nothing. Meaningful relationship is like nosh. Nostalgie de la boune's nostalgist melt into your memory element. Cuz obsessionist make an idol of toots.

I personally give his works credit for their stories. And every time I read his novel that I've never read before I am moved in a big way when I get through it. This book was not. I found there were few drastic changes and tearjerker parts in it. Not so interesting as the other works of his. I didn't daydream about how Hajime would be leading his life ever after the story narrated in the book. I usually can't help doing that when I finish reading his famous works. That's why I give only two stars to this.