Japanese author Murakami's new book explores walled city and shadows

Murakami, who debuted with a 1979 story 'Hear The Wind Sing', says the original version of his new novel contained the key elements of the wall and the shadow but it also had potential that was too complex for a second-year novelist to handle. Photo: AP

Haruki Murakami wrote a story of a walled city when he was fresh off his debut. More than four decades later, as a seasoned and acclaimed novelist, he gave it a new life as The City And Its Uncertain Walls.

It was three years ago when he felt the time had come to revisit the story that he thought was imperfect but had important elements, such as the wall and the shadow, and tackle them again based on what he was feeling on his skin.