Can you recommend some surreal Japanese novels?

Surreal Japanese novels often blend the real and the imaginary seamlessly. For example, in Haruki Murakami's works, ordinary settings like Tokyo are filled with extraordinary elements such as talking cats or disappearing people. Another characteristic is the exploration of the subconscious. Characters' dreams and inner thoughts are often presented as if they were part of the real world, blurring the boundaries. Also, there is a sense of mystery. Events happen without clear explanations, leaving readers to piece together the meaning, much like in a dream where logic is not always straightforward.

One of the well - known surreal crime novels is 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler. It has a complex web of mystery and a unique noir style that often veers into the surreal with its convoluted plots and shadowy characters. Another is 'Perfume: The Story of a Murderer' by Patrick Süskind. The description of the protagonist's extreme sense of smell and the strange murders in the story create a very surreal atmosphere within the crime narrative.

One of the surreal romance novels is 'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern. It has a dream - like setting where a magical circus appears only at night. The relationship between the two main characters, Celia and Marco, is full of mystery and an otherworldly charm.

One surreal mystery novel is 'The Raw Shark Texts' by Steven Hall. It's a mind - bender with a very unique concept of a'shark' that exists in the world of ideas and memories. Also, 'City of Saints and Madmen' by Jeff VanderMeer is set in a strange, surreal city filled with mysteries and odd characters. 'Hard - Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' by Murakami is another good pick. It has two parallel storylines, one in a very strange, surreal 'Hard - Boiled Wonderland' and the other in a more desolate world, and the mystery lies in how they are related.

Sure. 'The Sandman' by Neil Gaiman is a great surreal graphic novel. It weaves together various mythologies and dreamscapes in a really unique way. The art is also very captivating and helps bring the strange and dreamy stories to life.

Sure. 'Finnegans Wake' by James Joyce is quite surreal. Its complex language and dream - like narrative make it a challenging but interesting read. Also, 'Naked Lunch' by William S. Burroughs contains a lot of surreal elements. It has a fragmented and often disturbing storyline that defies normal expectations of a novel.

I also recommend 'House of Leaves' by Mark Z. Danielewski. It has a complex and surreal structure, with text that plays with layout and form. The story within the story is full of strange and unexplained phenomena. And then there's 'The Wind - Up Bird Chronicle' by Haruki Murakami. It has elements of mystery, dreams, and a world that defies normal logic.

Sure. One of the well - known surreal detective novels is 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler. It has a complex plot filled with mystery and the detective, Philip Marlowe, has to navigate through a web of lies and danger in a somewhat surreal and seedy underworld. Another is 'Hard - Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' by Haruki Murakami. This novel combines elements of the surreal, like a strange parallel world, with detective - like exploration as the protagonist tries to figure out his own situation and the mystery of the two worlds he is caught between.

One of the well - known dark surreal novels is 'House of Leaves' by Mark Z. Danielewski. It plays with the format of the book and tells a very strange and disturbing story about a house that is bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside.

One of the well - known surreal horror novels is 'House of Leaves' by Mark Z. Danielewski. It plays with the format of the book, with text going in different directions, creating a sense of disorientation that is both surreal and terrifying. Another is 'The King in Yellow' by Robert W. Chambers, which has an otherworldly and dream - like quality to its horror elements. And 'Coraline' by Neil Gaiman also has a touch of surreal horror as Coraline discovers a strange, parallel world that is both fascinating and full of danger.