5 Best Murakami Books To Read In 2026: Top Picks Of Stories That Connect Deep

Some books may take time and some reading to get to know the depth of a story and writing, Norwegian Wood is a completely different read from that aspect as it from the beginning itself draws the attention of the reader in the most enigmatic way. Haruki Murakami writes like a cinema, frames after farmers so beautiful, raw and rich, that it feels lucid and captivating. Complex emotions written in the most relatable way. The story of Toru Watanabe would make you understand the depths of Murakami’s writing in Norwegian Wood effortlessly. It has frames of the past written in such a dreamy way, connected to the present in a clear manner that you will not be able to put down the book solely because of his writing. 

This is a collection of short stories by the writer which can be a good choice for beginners to pick, if they have not explored Murakami’s stories and writings yet.7 stories and titles altogether would keep the readers engaged in different plots and a beautiful writing that cares to explain how loneliness works amongst mankind with a subtle and unmissable humor which would keep you intrigued with every title that you read. This classic read is hard to miss and is among one of the favourite books for many to pick when it comes to Murakami stories. 

This book title by Haruki Murakami is one of the classic reads, it is different and unique. Kafka On The Shore is magical when someone reads it with elements and plots unfolding in the most bizarre and outlandish way. You would read about a character named Nakata who tracks lost cats, Kafka Tamura, a runaway, who left the house at a tender age of 15 under some dark prophecy made by his father. Readers would get to witness the beauty of fish tumble from the sky, a forest where soldiers live and are unaffected by age since the time of World War 2, a killing which is riddled as both the slain and the murdered cannot be identified. 

Once you are acquainted with the famous writings of Murakami, you can delve into the depth of other stories written by him, and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is one among them. This is the story of Toru Odaka whose simple suburban life, with all its monotony and mundanity has taken a brutal shift which forms the basic premise of this story, once the readers starts uncovering the plot with the clear, beautiful and lucid writing they find the story to be engaging and interesting, one that may even implore them to have binge reading session with the book, till they finish it. 

Explore such recommendations in our Reading Corner section.

This book is about how running and the action of sports has helped Haruki Murakami be a novelist. It is an ode to his active lifestyle. In the year 1982 the legendary author sold his business of being a Jazz bar owner so that he can focus on his writing and that is also when he began running to keep himself fit and fine, over the course of time he began a marathon from Athens. This book is where he writes about how running has shaped his artistic endeavor and has inspired him to write beautiful books that connect on such deep levels with the thoughts and philosophies of so many readers across the globe.