The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I am not sure what to make of this short book. Modern fable? Twilight Zone-like tale. If I could give it half stars, it would be 3.5 stars. In some ways, I feel that the story is simple enough, but still eludes me. A young boy goes to a library to return borrowed books before they are overdue and winds up being trapped in an underground labyrinth where he is forced to study arcane text. When he is done, his brain will be eaten as a delicacy by his captor. With help, he tries to escape and does. He has had to abandon his new shoes, which his mother never mentions to him once he returns home, but then she doesn’t mention his absence from home for several days, either. In some ways, it’s a modern Hansel and Gretel tale. After finishing the book, I was left with a strange feeling of wanting just a little more, but maybe that just means I am not quite the right person for this story.
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