Haruki MurakamiEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

Haruki Murakami (b. 1949) is one of the rare writers who combines literary admiration with widespread appeal. Host Jacke Wilson is joined by lifelong Murakami fan Mike Palindrome to discuss what makes his novels so compelling, so mysterious, and so popular. Works discussed include The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle , Norwegian Wood , Kafka on the Shore , and many others. Special Bonus Quiz: Can you tell the difference between famous quotes by Murakami and YA novelist John Green? PLUS Jacke takes a look at the #17 Greatest Book of All Time, To Kill a Mockingbird , by Harper Lee. Note: The Haruki Murakami episode, which has been unavailable for several years, was originally released on April 1, 2018. Join Jacke on a trip through literary England (signup open through the end of September)! The History of Literature Podcast Tour is happening in May 2026! Act now to join Jacke and fellow literature fans on an eight-day journey through literary England in partnership with ⁠John Shors Travel⁠ . Scheduled stops include The Charles Dickens Museum, Dr. Johnson's house, Jane Austen's Bath, Tolkien's Oxford, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, and more. Find out more by emailing jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or masahiko@johnshorstravel.com, or by contacting us through our website ⁠historyofliterature.com⁠ . Or visit the ⁠History of Literature Podcast Tour itinerary⁠ at ⁠John Shors Travel⁠ . The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠gabrielruizbernal.com . Help support the show at ⁠patreon.com/literature ⁠ or ⁠historyofliterature.com/donate ⁠ . The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discussion Notes: With The Beatles This week’s story: With the Beatles by Haruki Murakami Next week’s story: Zero Meter Diving by Jim Shepard Rated: Clean Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “With the Beatles” by Haruki Murakami. This melancholy story is about a man who remembers two young women from his younger days. Our hosts grappled with the meaning but it eluded them. Have thoughts on this story? Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group The Literary Roadhouse Readers . Support us on Patreon <div class="elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-53fc4d19" data-id="53fc4d19"

This is Haruki Murakami's first speaking engagement ever, and his conversation with Jay McInerney covers many of the topics that have obsessed Murakami's fans since he first began to publish, from the influence of American culture and literature on his work to the genesis of the typical Murakami protagonist to the development of his style. Murakami and McInerney also discuss Japanese culture, hardboiled crime novels, Raymond Carver, and why earn turn up so often in Murakami's books.