If you are a big Murakami fan, his first published novel is worth a read.

Hear the Wind Sing allows the reader a glimpse at what are now considered quintessential Murakami tropes, including: mysterious women, dealing with loss and weightlessness, and descriptions of food (though sadly not as captivatingly in-depth as his later work).

Unlike his later novels which tend to fall into the genres of surrealism and absurdism, this narrative is comparatively straight forward. It is still very much in the format of a meandering stream of consciousness, but events seem to be read and interpreted at face value.

That being said, compared to his other works, notably A Wild Sheep Chase (the final volume of the trilogy of the Rat), or its sequel Dance, Dance, Dance (and yes that is a sequel to the third book of trilogy, not be confused with a quadrilogy, oh Murakami), Hear the Wind Sings is admittedly well crafted but forgettable.

All in all, if you have burned through Murakami's big numbers and want more, by all means give it a read. If you are new to his work, I have to recommend starting with A Wild Sheep Chase. Truly, Sheep Man makes all the difference.