SPUTNIK SWEETHEART: A REVIEW.

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer, who generally creates thought-provoking novels. Haruki Murakami's novels have been translated into more than 50 languages. Sputnik Sweetheart is translated into English by Philip Gabriel. And honestly, I am a huge fan of his work. His novels will surely stimulate your brain cells to delve deeper into the most basic emotions that constitutes us.

Sputnik Sweetheart is a very thin novel as compared to Murakami's other works. And carries slightly different narrative too. Because instead of being introduced to the main character K in the beginning , we are introduced to the narrator's best friend and love interest, Sumire, who is a struggling yet ambitious writer.

"The world's crawling with stupid innocent girls, and I'm just one of them, self-consciously chasing after dreams that will never come true."

The narrator meets Sumire in college, and were connected to each other because of their love for books. Their friendships run so deep that their bond become simply unbreakable.

"No matter what form the relationship might take, he was the only person she could picture sharing her life with."

The things between Sumire and K starts changing when she meets Miu, a woman who was twelve years senior to her. Sumire's desperate love for Miu brings a lot of transformations in character as a result of emotional distress and change in relationships.

"In the instant Miu touched her hair, Sumire fell in love, like she was crossing a field and bang! a bolt of lightning zapped her right in the head. Something akin to an artistic revelation."

Murakami introduces the readers to the immense sense of pain and longing that come along with love with help of his perfectly crafted beautiful lines. Murakami completely laids the emotions bare as we read through the passages that describe the pain of rejection.

"I dream. Sometimes i think that's the only right thing to do. To dream, to live in the world of dreams. But if doesn't last forever. Wakefulness always comes. to take me back."

As the story unfolds we get to know more about Miu and Sumire's relationship and how Sumire changes everything about her because of her ladylove. They even go to a trip with each other and that's when the elements of surreal fantasy begin to emerge concerning Sumire and Miu.

"And it came to me then. That we were wonderful travelling companions but in the end no more that lovely lumps of metal in their own separate orbits."

During their travels, we learn about Miu's mysterious as well as Sumire's unexpected disappearance ,the story instantly changes its course from unrequitted love to mystery that did not get solve till the end of it. K was madly in love with her but she did not feel the same way about K.

"It was hard to accept that she had almost no feelings, maybe none at all, for me as a man. This hurt so bad at times, it felt like someone was gouging out my guts with a knife. Still, in time I spent with her was more precious than anything."

Murakami's explanation of their travels through emotional passages was very captivating and beautiful. The book Sputnik Sweetheart perfectly describes the feeling of love, whether it is the love between friends, or the unrequited love. These explanations give the book an unique vibe, and makes it worth-reading.

"But falling in love is always a pretty crazy thing. It might appear out of the blue and just grab you. Who knows- maybe even tomorrow."

Murakami never fails to captivate his readers. And this book, though small and different from his other ones, is worth-reading. And this book is sure to hold your attention till the very end. And if you are new to Murakami, this hopefully is the best one to start with.

STAY BOOKED FOR MORE.

If you want to buy the book. please click on the link below.

https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/0099448475/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=3638&creative=24630&creativeASIN=0099448475&linkCode=as2&tag=ishita076-21&linkId=0840fe09bf1f5910c49b16fe87169a75