Which Haruki Murakami Book Should I Read First?

Hmmm, this is seriously a question I've been asking myself the past 4-6 weeks ever since I learned that Haruki Murakami was heavily favored to win the Nobel Prize for Literature earlier this year. In fact, I've read that Haruki Murakami has been a contender in previous years to won the Nobel Prize for Literature, but has yet to win this literary prize to date.

Then, sure enough, I come across an article on Bustle's website titled today Which Haruki Murakami Book Should I Read First? 'Norwegian Wood' Is An Ideal Starting Point by Stephanie Tapacio Long. In the article, Long writes:

If you’ve paid attention to Nobel Prize contenders in literature over the past several years, you may have noticed that the name Haruki Murakami always seems to crop up. The Japanese writer has been prolific over the past two-plus decades, turning out numerous novels, short stories, and collections worth reading. You won’t find a bad Murakami book, but those unfamiliar with his work may be wondering: which Haruki Murakami book should I read first?

Murakami is best known for his surrealist novels, but his first realist one, Norwegian Wood, is perhaps the best place to start. The book took Murakami from “cult” status to the big leagues when it came out — and for good reason. The 1987 classic features relevant, global themes, a mesmerizing narrative, and one particularly empowering, intriguing character.

So, now I have my answer and I will soon download the unabridged audio version of Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami from Audible in a couple of days. 

Previously, I'd been thinking of downloading Murakami's novels Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973 from Audible before reading the above article.