Wind/Pinball: Two novels

Haruki Murakami is one of the most singular voices in modern fiction. His stories remain innately human, even as many of them wander down more fantastic and otherworldly paths, and his characters linger with you long after you’ve turned the last page. As he continues to challenge traditional storytelling conventions, he poses hard questions about the choices we make and how our words and actions can affect each other in ways you might never expect.

And now, readers have been granted the rare treat to read some of his earliest creative efforts, offering an intriguing glimpse into the development of a unique voice in literature. Wind/Pinball collects the first two short novels in his Trilogy of the Rat, Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, and although these books are unfocused — and, admittedly, a far cry from the masterpieces to follow — you can see the ingredients, the harbingers to fine works to come.