SOUTH OF THE BORDER, WEST OF THE SUN

Eric Loren's voices are authentic and convincing for the many characters populating the life of Hajime, Japanese author Haruki Murakami's latest creation. Loren drives the narrative with powerful urgency, taking Hajime through his childhood relationship with Shimamoto, a slightly crippled girl, to a time when, in his 30s, he's married with children, the proprietor of two jazz bars, and waxing nostalgic about days gone by. As he wistfully remembers his other youthful loves and sexual exploits, Shimamoto, now gorgeous, seductive, and mysterious, walks back into his life. Loren makes their mutual longing for the past and Hajime's willingness to throw everything aside for her seem inevitable. His honest portrayal turns mid-life-crisis-confounded Hajime into an utterly believable man in Murakami's latest, if not greatest, novel. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2013]