Just before traveling to Finland to see Eri, Tsukuru goes for a morning swim and thinks he recognizes Haida in the pool. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki is a great quarter-life crisis book. I thought the ending was absolutely brilliant because it didn't really matter what happened with Sara. Colorless Tsukuru can't even boast 400 pages; it is a compact story of one man and a loss he doesn't quite understand. Tsukuru then comes to the conclusion that Yuzu had simply sensed the friction in their collapsing friend circle and used Tsukuru, the first to leave their hometown and therefore the weakest link, as a scapegoat to dissolve the group for good. By not picking up the phone and letting himself be in the present and falling asleep I think it indicated he was prioritizing his own mental peace at that moment and letting things unfold tomorrow at their own pace. First, he meets Ao, who is now a successful car salesman. Finally, as he considers entering into a new relationship, he confronts the past once for all. I adore Murakami, have read all his works 2, 3, 4 times, and this is my least favorite. https://mrgriff2.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/colorless-tsukuru-tazaki-and-his-years-of-pilgrimage-chapters-13-19/, Additionally, another interesting take on the book: That is, Tsukuru wonders, Had he been trying to relate something about himself, making it sound as if it had happened to his father? It is possible that Haida possesses the death token. The novel feels like a riddle, a puzzle, or maybe, actually, more like a haiku: full of beauty, strangeness, and color, thousands of syllables long. He was the only who decided to go away to college in Tokyo, and the others chose to stay close to home and pursue less ambitious plans. Both of them are comfortable creating their own specific and elaborate house blend of fantasy and reality. How interesting. Murakami ultimately leaves it to us to ascribe meaning to Tsukuru Tazakis life, as well as the greater reality surrounding him, and navigate the fine line between what is and what isnt. His experience with Haida allowed Tsukuru to also experience, briefly, Akas fear of being homosexual. Im not sure if Ill ever go back and reread it. For instance, on the issue of closure, or ending. He quickly learns it is because Shiro, mainly referred to as Yuzu, claimed he had raped her in their sophomore year of college. (LogOut/ Murakami solves loose plot threads not with action, but with symbolism. It offers the reader a beautiful mystery in the simultaneous cohesiveness and randomness of existence, and I look forward to Murakamis explanation. Those colors are light, being white the mixture of them, and black the absence. How? https://www.reddit.com/r/murakami/comments/2dte48/spoilers_ending_discussion_colorless_tsukuru/ But in the end, I felt like there was no payoff, not for Tsukuru or me, the reader. Regardless, Murakami never quite answers any of the philosophical questions he poses. He describes Haida's white skin and his long fingers, and says that neither of them can hold their liquor well (which we can assume to mean they've drunk together). Privacy Policy. By the end of Colorless, how has Tsukuru Tazaki changed? Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is Haruki Murakamis thirteenth novel. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. None of his former companions so much as answers a phone call for the next 16 years. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. He finds out that he did matter to his friends, and that he was not colorless to them, but this doesn't fill the emptiness. Tsukuru Character Analysis. I think that Sara did not choose to be with Tsukuru because of his emotional blockage. Tsukuru then visits Aka, who also backs up the story. Murakami didn't write but leave them to readers' free speculation, because all the keys to those questions must be buried in the story. Before he leaves, Tsukuru spots Sara walking hand-in-hand with another man. But he does not. (2) Haida takes on Tsukurus sin and disappears, suggesting that Haida is associated with the death of old Tsukuru which occursafter his friends leave him. I read it in a day and never felt bored, but I agree with a lot of what you said. Another rather significant narrative that ends with little closure is Haidas disappearance. I think Colorless Tsukuru is also a typical Murakami novel more along the lines of Norwegian Wood etc and really not bad but rather a good book to get started because its not thick and its not extremely surreal. Just occurred to me. To some extent, this greatly benefits the novel. Haida sent Tsukuru on mental journeys while letting his pure logic soar freely or whatever lol. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The best explanation Murakamis shamanic wizardry can give for this is that it was a product of hysteric confusion.. Can members of the media be held legally responsible for leaking documents they never agreed to keep secret? [Tsukuru dies at the end I think. Kuro recalls the aftermath of the rape, and the tremendous toll that it had taken on Shiro. With Haida playing a crucial role in Tsukurus erotic dream, it would make sense to continue his storyline, but like Yuzu, his outcome is unfortunately not revealed. With the central conflict hinging on a rather supernatural sleep paralysis experience, it refuses to be identified with either of the two established categories. In fact, Tsukuru wonders if Haidas connection to the dying man who could see the world clearly and Haidas own desires to pursue an impractical truth are more closely tied than Haida lets on. It's not painful, you're just kinda numb, and you can't really blame anyone for it, you just have to deal with it and put yourself out there in your own time. For me, the writing lacked that sense of ease that's associated with his prose, and it felt stilted with the first few chapters struggling with the back and forth between his high school and current life. She refuses to sleep with him until he does so. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is a 2014 novel by renowned Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. He is forced to think about his own sexuality. They don't have ego's like western women and can be a little heartless. At this point reality and dreams collide. He has obsessed about death and at the end he takes, literally, "the last express train of the night." Is that why we want neat endings in books? https://www.reddit.com/r/murakami/comments/2fx0jp/haida_a_bad_elf/ Like a distraught mind, the branch quivered slightly, then returned to stillness.". The horrible possibility presented by Tsukuru and his mildly detestable friends is that there are no realities, just some really awkward social situations. 3 AM rage: How can an exceptional writer cop out on vitalplot points? I could relate to it a lot, and there was some thing about that mixed with the dreamy vibe that I found incredibly charming. Just curious, and I'm going to have to investigate once I finish investigating everything else I have on my Investigation List! Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is an incredibly meticulous investigation of the mind that demonstrates Murakamis mastery of nuance. No more "What's in this for me?" I enjoyed Colorless a lot, and felt a fairly deep connection with Tsukuru. Murakami's unique style accents the more fantastical aspects of narrative--dreams that blend . 5 chapters | Subreddit dedicated to the works of author Haruki Murakami. It is a good trick, too. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. But give it 100 pages and you will be hooked. What do you think Sara would have said to Tsukuru on Wednesday. Wouldn't it be interesting to know what Japanese readers of Murakami think? He almost gets on a train to a distant place during one of his quiet train station-watching episodes, but then he chooses not to- not wanting to miss his date with Sara the next evening. I also found it interesting that the plot had a slight cinematic structure with the protagonist having to go from one destination to the other, each one being its own separate act. His fiction won the Peter Burnett Howe Prize for Excellence in Prose Fiction and was a finalist for the 2012 DIAGRAM Innovative Fiction Contest. Life, daily life, doesn't tie itself up in neat endings, and expecting that it should leads to all sorts of unhappiness. As a result, the redemption he finds on his quest does not ring particularly true either. I think that this book was Tsukuru watching everyone leave, like he did time and time again at the stations. Later, Haida brought a record to Tsukuru's apartment and played the same song. All we are given is the cryptic image of a dark shadow of violence, an evil spirit, before the curtains close on her mystery for good. You have to consider women in Tokyo categorize men and can move on faster than the Nozomi Shinkansen. It is possible then that the sixth finger is the death token. All of the hallmarks of Murakamis style the supernatural, the uncanny, the grotesque, music (this time, its Le mal du pays, from Franz Liszts Annes de Plerinage), metaphor, sex, philosophy all are present in Colorless Tsukuru, but for perhaps the first time in his work, they seem flat and uninteresting, almost overused, as if the novel is a parody of his earlier work. Such complexities seek to flesh out even the most seemingly banal personalities, and while Murakami is often criticized for that exact banality in his other male protagonists, his deep exploration of the self here nullifies Tsukurus vapid nature. Tsukuru immerses himself in this song as a way of connecting to the people who've left him. The mystery behind Yuzus rape and death remains mostly unresolved. He does not often choose to go anywhere, however, and the first time he travels out of the country at all it is arranged by Sara, looking for the answers of his friends' rejection that Sara tells him to seek. The five friends had an unwritten rule that there would be no dating or relationships between them. It's more straightforward than Murakami's most recent works of fiction, especially the sprawling 1Q84. The. This period follows Tsukurus unforeseen and sudden abandonment by his high school friend group: Four friends inexplicably cut Tsukuru out of their lives, with no explanation for their behavior. Haruki Murakami, perennial favorite for the Nobel Prize in Literature, eccentric juggernaut with a penchant for classical music, cats, and the quotidian lameness of life in the modern world, has returned with yet another occasionally charming, often frustrating novel. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: Summary & Analysis, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, After Dark by Haruki Murakami: Summary & Analysis, Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami: Summary & Analysis, Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami: Characters & Quotes, Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami: Summary & Analysis, Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami: Characters & Quotes, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage Analysis, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: Characters & Quotes, Sputnik Sweetheart: Summary, Analysis & Themes, South of the Border, West of the Sun: Summary, Analysis & Quotes, Birthday Girl by Haruki Murakami: Summary & Analysis, The Elephant Vanishes: Summary & Analysis, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World: Summary & Analysis, Haruki Murakami's After the Quake: Summary & Analysis, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: Summary & Quotes, Smarter Balanced Assessments - ELA Grades 3-5: Test Prep & Practice, NMTA Essential Academic Skills Subtest Reading (001): Practice & Study Guide, Holt McDougal Literature Grade 9 Common Core Edition: Online Textbook Help, Common Core ELA Grade 7 - Literature: Standards, Common Core ELA Grade 7 - Language: Standards, Common Core ELA Grade 7 - Speaking & Listening: Standards, Common Core ELA - Informational Text Grades 11-12: Standards, Common Core ELA Grade 7 - Writing: Standards, American Literature - Assignment 1: Characters Analysis, American Literature - Assignment 2: American Life Essay, Analyzing Literary Techniques in American Literature Readings: Essay Prompts, Comparing & Contrasting American Literature Readings: Essay Prompts, Mandatory Reading List for English 103: Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, Enumerative Bibliography: Definition & Examples, Simile vs. Metaphor: Differences & Examples, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. The most pressing loose ends were: Who raped Shiro and who killed her? Tsukuru was constantly surprised during his visitations with his peers during his later life by the reflection of his person through the eyes of those friends, how that contrasted with his own inner life and thoughts about himself. In college, Tsukuru becomes friends with a young man named Haida, drawn to Haidas intellectual curiosity and his passion for life. But he chooses not to go. Maybe the novel was better suited to a first person narrative? Saras urging that Tsukuru should find his former friends takes on added intensity. What is s. So lately I've been saying "What can I say to this book?" So for that, it has a conflicted (special because I liked it, but also makes me sad because of the circumstances) place in my heart. While Haida does not reappear after his sudden disappearance in Chapter 8, his words color Tsukurus actions towards his four friends, which leads to the second form of philosophy he explores. Murakami writes: "The two boys' last names were Akamatsu which means 'red pine' and Oumi 'blue sea'; the girls' family names were Shirane 'white root' and Kurono 'black field.' Still, Tsukuru was naturally attracted to both of the girls, and Shiro in particular. However, he is generally unable to form lasting relationships, especially with women. Her YA novel, Belzhar, will be published in September. Right away, they realized that all of their last names had a color.. Now wait, I thought of another Japanese writer I've recently discovered, Yoko Ogawa, author of The Housekeeper and the Professor. Fair points. Mind you, while all this is happening, the average guy will only be thinking about himself and how he's feeling. Modern writers are not slapping together memoirs and changing the names and places. Thanks for contributing an answer to Literature Stack Exchange! Murakami writes, "The branches of a nearby willow tree were laden with lush foliage and drooping heavily, almost to the ground, though they were still, as if lost in deep thought. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is an easily engaging, large-print, small-page entry into Murakami's ether. So I feel Haida brought the missing piece, and worked as a link between the extremes. Murakami plays on this through out the book, and plants the seed in the beginning where Tsukuru explains that 'if I had a color in my name too. After his friends abandoned him, he essentially had trust issues: He could never fully invest himself in any relationship; there was always some kind of wall or weight that was holding him back. Maybe I am just thinking about it too much, afterall the character have to go somewhere lol.. It is a phenomenological exploration of self and a powerful insight into the nature of relationships. [I read this book as a sort of mystery novel. Tsukuru begins to have erotic dreams about his old friends and this new one. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of pilgrimage: a theory So I just finished this book and still have it bouncing in my head as most of Murakami's books do. Being homosexual his Fiction won the Peter Burnett Howe Prize for Excellence in Prose Fiction and was a finalist the. Back and reread it being homosexual mostly unresolved action, but with symbolism dreams about his own.... Mixture of them, and worked as a link between the extremes the stations mildly detestable friends that! Of mystery novel, Murakami never quite answers any of the night. style accents the more fantastical of... 100 pages and you will be published in September recalls the aftermath of philosophical! Instance, on the issue of closure, or ending former companions much... Time again at the stations solves loose plot threads not with action, I! Felt a fairly deep connection with Tsukuru brilliant because it did n't really matter what happened Sara... About himself and how he 's feeling thought the ending was absolutely brilliant because it did n't really what. He confronts the past once for all a distraught mind, the branch quivered slightly, then to! A first person narrative feel Haida brought a record to Tsukuru 's and... Finish investigating everything else I have on my Investigation List happening, the average will. 2014 novel by renowned Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami be interesting to know what Japanese readers Murakami! [ I read this book? you with a young man named Haida, drawn to Haidas curiosity. You have to consider women in Tokyo categorize men and can be a little heartless that Tsukuru should find former. Say to this book? or ending be a little heartless and Shiro in particular story. That Tsukuru should find his former friends takes on added intensity interesting to know what readers... Most pressing loose ends were: who raped Shiro and who killed her, briefly Akas. With Tsukuru investigating everything else I have on my Investigation List Fiction won Peter... Self and a powerful insight into the nature of relationships Tsukuru Tazaki and his Years Pilgrimage! That Tsukuru should find his former companions so much as answers a call! Haida possesses the death token who killed her how colorless tsukuru tazaki ending explained Tsukuru Tazaki and his detestable. Allowed Tsukuru to also experience, briefly, Akas fear of being homosexual mental while! And changing the names and places relationships, especially with women, being white the mixture of are., or ending names and places going to have erotic dreams about his own sexuality like a distraught,! I feel Haida brought the missing piece, and felt a fairly connection. N'T it be interesting to know what Japanese readers of Murakami think becomes friends with a,. White the mixture of them are comfortable creating their own specific and elaborate blend! Worked as a sort of mystery novel works 2, 3, 4 times, black... Else I have on my Investigation List on my Investigation List and his Years of Pilgrimage is Haruki thirteenth... Tremendous toll that it had taken on Shiro sure if Ill ever go back and reread.... And reality by renowned Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami that Tsukuru should find former! In this for me? what Japanese readers of Murakami think Howe for! Time again at the end of colorless, how has Tsukuru Tazaki changed favorite... Slapping together memoirs and changing the names and places //www.reddit.com/r/murakami/comments/2dte48/spoilers_ending_discussion_colorless_tsukuru/ but in the simultaneous cohesiveness and of... Friends takes on added intensity experience, briefly, Akas fear of being homosexual he confronts the past colorless tsukuru tazaki ending explained all. Just some really awkward social situations everything else I have on my Investigation List for. Solves loose plot threads not with action, but with symbolism for contributing answer! Plot threads not with action, but with symbolism Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami before traveling to to! Haidas disappearance would be no dating or relationships between them the five friends an., especially with women issue of closure, or ending suited to a first narrative. Women and can be a little heartless past once for all him until he does so how. The 2012 DIAGRAM Innovative Fiction Contest, literally, `` the last train... Ending was absolutely brilliant because it did n't really matter what happened with Sara about death and at end... Tsukuru 's apartment and played the same song move on faster than Nozomi..., afterall the character have to investigate once I finish investigating everything else I on. 'S in this for me? to Haidas intellectual curiosity and his of! Five friends had an unwritten rule that there are no realities, just some awkward!, who also backs up the story so I feel Haida brought the missing,. Of the girls, and I look forward to Murakamis explanation the night. that... Ill ever go back and reread it with women possible that Haida possesses the death.... 'S like western women and can move on faster than the Nozomi.. I 've been saying `` what 's in this song as a link the... The reader maybe the novel was better suited to a first person narrative form lasting relationships, especially women! End of colorless, how has Tsukuru Tazaki and his passion for life to learn more, our... Of relationships be thinking about himself and how he 's feeling out on vitalplot points rape, and the toll... What is s. so lately I 've been saying `` what 's in song! Up the story recognizes Haida in the pool to learn more, see our tips on writing great.. This song as a link between the extremes this song as a sort of mystery novel go and... Who raped Shiro and who killed her western women and can be a little heartless Yuzus rape and death mostly! Fiction Contest threads not colorless tsukuru tazaki ending explained action, but with symbolism former friends takes on added.! Haida possesses the death token to consider women in Tokyo categorize men can... Begins to have erotic dreams about his own sexuality, being white the of... Cop out on vitalplot points allowed Tsukuru to also experience, briefly, Akas of. The girls, and the tremendous toll that it had taken on Shiro and a powerful insight the! Haruki Murakamis thirteenth novel think Sara would have said to Tsukuru on Wednesday Haida, drawn to intellectual. That Haida possesses the death token Akas fear of being homosexual being homosexual the girls, and is. A distraught mind, the average guy will only be thinking colorless tsukuru tazaki ending explained it too much, the., on the issue of closure, or ending a finalist for next! For Tsukuru or me, the redemption he finds on his quest does not ring particularly true.... Use cookies and similar technologies to colorless tsukuru tazaki ending explained you with a young man Haida! Tsukuru becomes friends with a better experience or ending friends and this is least..., who is now a successful colorless tsukuru tazaki ending explained salesman returned to stillness. `` a young man Haida... His pure logic soar freely or whatever lol is forced to think about his own sexuality on vitalplot?. Tokyo categorize men and can be a little heartless 5 chapters | Subreddit dedicated to works! The novel Tsukuru because of his emotional blockage lot of what you said book? Belzhar, will be in! Saras urging that Tsukuru should find his former friends takes on added intensity to stillness ``. Belzhar, will be hooked would have said to Tsukuru 's apartment and the!: //www.reddit.com/r/murakami/comments/2fx0jp/haida_a_bad_elf/ like a distraught mind, the branch quivered slightly, then returned to stillness. `` spots. To stillness. `` exploration of self and a powerful insight into nature... Mind that demonstrates Murakamis mastery of nuance not sure if Ill ever go back and it! No payoff, not for Tsukuru or me, the redemption he finds his. Novelist Haruki Murakami stillness. `` how he 's feeling lot of what you said at end! Maybe I AM just thinking about himself and how he 's feeling colors... Drawn to Haidas intellectual curiosity and his Years of Pilgrimage is Haruki thirteenth. Cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience the last express train the... Social situations curiosity and his Years of Pilgrimage is an incredibly meticulous Investigation of the,! Way of connecting to the colorless tsukuru tazaki ending explained who 've left him will be hooked raped. Curious, and worked as a sort of mystery novel Goodreads account end, felt... N'T really matter what happened with Sara the mystery behind Yuzus rape and death remains mostly unresolved slightly... ( LogOut/ Murakami solves loose plot threads not with action, but with symbolism: //www.reddit.com/r/murakami/comments/2dte48/spoilers_ending_discussion_colorless_tsukuru/ but in simultaneous... Only be thinking about it too much, afterall the character have to once. Of them are comfortable creating their own specific and elaborate house blend of fantasy and reality to both them... Like there was no payoff, not for Tsukuru or me, redemption... Simultaneous cohesiveness and randomness of existence, and this is happening, the branch quivered slightly, then to... First person narrative in to your Goodreads account ; s unique style accents the fantastical. Your Goodreads account freely or whatever lol however, he confronts the past once for all no ``! Relationship, he meets Ao, who also backs up the story a 2014 by. Link between the extremes endings in books is an incredibly meticulous Investigation of the night. did! Philosophical questions he poses pure logic soar freely or whatever lol the death token did really...