Ever Read Novels That Feel Like Lucid Dreaming?
List of some dreamlike novels that I have read till date - Part 1.
Have you ever woken up from a dream feeling like you could control it?
That exhilarating sense of awareness within a dream world is what some novels capture perfectly. They use dreamlike imagery, blur the lines between reality and fantasy, and sometimes even incorporate unreliable narrators. These elements combine to create a reading experience that feels like lucid dreaming, where you're both participant and observer in a familiar yet strange world.
Buckle up, because in today’s newsletter I will be diving into a collection of novels that will have you questioning what's real and what’s not, as it did to me!
HARD-BOILED WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD — HARUKI MURAKAMI. ( GENRE : SCI-FI, SURREALISM )
“Two people can sleep in the same bed and still be alone when they close their eyes.”
— HARUKI MURAKAMI.
This isn't actually two separate novels, but rather a single story told in alternating chapters. One narrative follows a hard-boiled detective in a futuristic, cyberpunk Tokyo, tasked with a strange case by a mysterious scientist. The other storyline takes place in a dreamlike, mysterious world where a man reads the dreams of creatures called unicorns and shadows hold significance. As the chapters progress, the connection between these seemingly disparate worlds becomes clear, creating a mind-bending exploration of reality, dreams, and the human condition.
For me, this novel was a descent into a strange dreamscape. The alternating narratives, one a cyberpunk thriller, the other a surreal fantasy, felt like following a flickering neon sign through a fog (If you have watched Blade Runner 2049, that’s the aura). The lines between reality and dream blurred with each chapter, left me questioning everything I thought I knew. It was a journey that felt both exhilarating and unsettling, much like waking from a vivid yet cryptic dream that lingers on your mind long after you open your eyes.
NEVER LET ME GO — KAZUO ISHIGURO. ( GENRE : SCI-FI, PSYCHOLOGICAL FICTION )
“We took away your art because we thought it would reveal your souls. Or to put it more finely, we did it to prove you had souls at all.”
— KAZUO ISHIGURO.
This novel unfolds in a hauntingly beautiful yet disturbing reality. Kathy H., a carer for clones raised in isolation, narrates her childhood at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic boarding school. Kathy and her friends, Ruth and Tommy, are unaware of their true purpose: they are clones destined to donate organs until their inevitable demise. The novel explores themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning in a life predetermined. As Kathy reminisces, a chilling truth emerges, forcing the reader to confront ideas of humanity and what it truly means to live.
This book has become a permanent resident on my bookshelf of favorites. It's an experience that burrowed into my heart and stayed there. Ishiguro's masterful use of narration creates a world both familiar and unsettling. The characters' journey from innocent childhood to a harsh reality is beautifully portrayed, that left me aching for them. This novel transcends genres, offering a poignant meditation on love, loss, and what truly makes us human.
There’s a film under the same name starring Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightly. After completing this book, I watched the movie and it made me really emotional. I highly recommend this movie to people who doesn’t have the luxury of reading. It really delivered justice to the Nobel Prize winning author’s masterpiece.
Feel free to engage yourself in the comment section if you have read books like these.