Haruki Murakami’s Latest Novel, 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls,' Released in French

The long-awaited translation explores themes of memory and imagination, revisiting a story the author has reworked over decades.

The French translation of Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' was released on January 2, 2025, following its original publication in Japan in April 2023.
The novel reimagines an earlier short story of the same name from 1980, which Murakami felt was incomplete, expanding it into a multi-layered narrative.
Murakami describes the book as a blend of fantasy and reality, featuring dreamlike elements and themes of memory, imagination, and personal growth.
Translator Hélène Morita, who has worked on numerous Murakami novels, noted the challenges of capturing the fluid shifts between past and present in the story.
Critical reception has been mixed, with some praising its ambition while others critiqued its familiarity to Murakami's previous works.