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[DISCLAIMER: This review contains spoilers]
Haruki Murakami is one of the best magical-realist authors out there. Every single one of his books, immerses the reader in a world that appears ordinary at first but then beautifully grows more engaging, fantastical, and mysterious at every page turn.
His writing in ‘South of the Border West of the Sun,’ flows so smoothly, that a fascinating plot emerges without there even really being a plot in the beginning, so to speak. To better describe it, it’s more like a build up of the hopes, dreams and actualisations of the protagonist, Hajime that start to form the plot. This is a style Murakami uses for most of his books that leaves the reader questioning two things:
- What was part was illusory and what part was real?
- And, what on earth did I just read?
After finishing ‘South of the Border West of the Sun,’ I frantically searched online for what other readers had to say about the ending, but I wasn’t satisfied with any of them. Did Hajime actually die at the end? Was Shimamoto real?
So, I developed my own theories about the peculiar ending of events between Hajime and Shimamoto. Here’s my review and theory on Murakami’s ‘South of the Border West of the Sun.’
‘South of the Border West of the Sun,’ follows the life of an only child, Hajime, from boyhood into adulthood. It goes into detail about his first love as a teenager, Shimamoto, who was also an only child. The two bonded over this and Hajime soon found himself enamoured by her peculiar beauty, interests, and habits. Though, after she moved away they lost contact. Hajime grew older, but never forgot about her and didn’t know how he would ever find her again. He was forced to move on as life did too. With that came a list of his empty sexual encounters with women, which resulted in the breakdown of precious relationships all in search of something comparable to his first love, Shimamoto. He is suddenly rejoined with her one day and everything he has known and established for so long is again stirred up by her presence, leaving him to make a rash decision. Should he leave his wife and children for Shimamoto? or should he be content with the happiness he currently has with his family? But the ending ultimately leaves the reader with more questions than answers.
As I said before, soon after reading I quickly went online in search for explanations but i wasn’t satisfied with any of the answers. So I was forced to develop my own. I think Murakami actually enjoys leaving this up to the readers. Ultimately , guessing between what was real and what was illusory. But to him the two run parallel and so they exist at the same time. For Murakami, ‘South of the Border West of the Sun,’ is just as real as it is illusory.
1. Did Hajime die at the end?
I believe, the river where Shimamoto spread her deceased son’s ashes marks a place where someone goes to when they are finally laid to rest at peace. Since, Hajime was ready to accept his life for what it is and stopped chasing a life that could have been with Shimamoto, he was finally at peace after feeling dead inside for so many years without her. In the final scene of the book, Hajime says he felt like ‘he couldn’t move’ and then describes the scenic river — meaning Hajime may have died at peace with what his life became of.
2. Was Shimamoto real or illusory?
Or on that note, perhaps the whole novel was more symbolic. Shimamoto represented an ideal, his idea of a fulfilled life which he would forever chase. After all ideals are exactly what they are — illusory. On Google ideal (adj.) is defined as:
‘existing only in the imagination; desirable or perfect but not likely to become a reality.’
This, theory on Shimamoto being more illusory than real is more fitting. Maybe, Murakami uses Shimamoto’s character as a symbolic representation of Hajime’s ideals. There are also lots of hints throughout the book that she didn’t actually physically exist.
- the money in the envelope disappearing.
- no one at the bar raises eyebrows about his flirty behaviour with Shimamoto, even though they know he has a wife and children.
- He imagines Shimamoto with a broken leg walking and chases after her in the street, but when he saw Izumi, (a real person, and relationship he ruined and probably represents him being dragged down to real life again) Hajime then completely looses sight of Shimamoto.
- Hajime was staring at a glass with Shimamoto’s lipstick smeared on it, to ensure she was real, but there’s no mention of him keeping the glass. This doesnt really make sense, because if like before Hajime didn’t want to wash his face after they had kissed to remember Shimamoto it’s likely he would have wanted to keep the glass to remember her by too. He also owned the bar so it wouldn’t be too weird for him to take it. But, I think he didn’t do it because if the lipstick stain disappeared it would be clear evidence that she wasn’t real. Maybe, Hajime also feared this and didn’t want to face that reality.
As much as I want Shimamoto to be real, I honestly don’t think she existed. I think she was illusory meant to represent the heightened exciting happy life Hajime, always imagined for himself. As an only child, this is likely a void he made up, which he thought needed to be filled by ‘this happier life’ with Shimamoto his best-friend and first love. She made him feel like he didn’t even need a sibling as she was already everything he wanted and more. Hajime is also often referenced comparing his children having siblngs to play with, to his lonely family dynamic growing up as an only child. All in all, I think it’s more fitting to view Shimamoto as his illusory best friend, first love, and ideal who he no longer needed after coming to peace with his life for what it was.
