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Aside from a few classics, I prefer reading original novel to translated novel.  Why would one want to depend on the quality of translation?  Sometimes, the translated version feels like something amiss.   This book “Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of pilgrimage” by Haruki Murakami (村上春樹) recounts a remarkable story of Tsukuru, that shines from the original Japanese version to the English translation.  And how often is a book related to such a beautiful musical piece of the “Years of Pilgrimage” by Franz Liszt?

The main character Tsukuru had 4 of his closest friends (2 girls, 2 boys) in his high school at Nagoya. Just like their last names, his friends have a color and character of their own.  Tsukuru, as its name in Japanese implied, enjoys doing things and he loves (building) train station.  This group of 3 boys and 2 girls knitted such a tight friendship that transcended romantic possibilities common for youth of that age. As they graduated from high school, Tsukuru moved to Tokyo and his 4 friends staying in Nagoya for colleges; they relished their reunions whenever Tsukuru showed up in Nagoya.  One summer as he visited Nagoya, his friends did not return his calls, and when finally reached one of them, he was told that none would see him again.  He was disowned by the group and had no friends.   For the next few months, he gave up living and thought about death all the time.

Years later, he made a living in building train stations, had a few relationship, but none worked out.   In his mid thirties, he met someone who made him contemplate his (still) bleeding heart; and started on his journey to the past and to the far.

It is a story of discovering the past to mend the present.  It is a story of friendship, love, heartbreak and love again.  Just like many of his books, it goes beyond the storyline and is sprinkled with equally captivating expressions of deep feelings towards the relationships, towards the dreams and towards the life of the main characters.  As Tsukuru finds his group years later, he not only discovers why he has been disowned, but also many more, that the readers can resonate with.

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