A child of Japan's post-war baby boom, Haruki Murakami grew up, much to the chagrin of his parents, immersed in Western culture. The unhappy and unmotivated student didn't begin writing until he was twenty-nine years old. Through engaging narrative, full-color photographs, and thoughtful direct quotations, readers will be inspired by the life story of this celebrated novelist, whose works have been translated into more than fifty languages.