Wonderful Murakami Covers from All Over the World

Today is the birthday of one of the world’s best-loved writers, Haruki Murakami, whose most recent novel, 1Q84, has just been released in English to much acclaim (in case you, um, haven’t heard). The cover art gracing American editions of his books is some of the most colorful and iconic in contemporary book-cover design, and it’s no wonder — they’re (at least for all relatively recent editions) designed by two of our all-time favorites: the hardcovers by Chip Kidd, the complementary paperbacks by John Gall. And true to form, 1Q84 has gotten quite a lot of attention for its amazing design as well. But since our experience with Murakami is so connected with the visual experience of his novels and collections (there’s a certain scene we flash on every time we see that Chip Kidd bird eye, without fail), we wondered how the rest of the world might see him, so we’ve put together this collection of wonderful Murakami book covers from other parts of the world — some beautiful, some strange, some inexpressible. Click through to check them out, all arranged by book for comparative viewing, and let us know your favorites in the comments.

The Wind Up Bird Chronicle