The eagerly-awaited new novel from Haruki Murakami set for release this week will have an initial hardback printrun of half a million copies, the Japanese publisher said, according to AFP.
The new novel is expected to hit bookstores on Friday April 12 with major outlets planning to open early at 8:00 am (2300 GMT, Thursday), while at least one large seller in Tokyo will fling open its doors at midnight.
Online book giant Amazon Japan had received more than 20,000 pre-orders for the new novel as of Saturday, faster than any other book by Murakami, publishing house Bungeishunju Ltd said.
Half a million copies is the largest initial hardback printrun for the Japanese publisher, one of the country's biggest.
The new book's title is only available in Japanese for now: "Shikisai wo Motanai Tazaki Tsukuru to Kare no Junrei no Toshi". An unofficial translation renders it: "Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and the Year of his Pilgrimage".
It will be Murakami's first work in three years after the final installment of "1Q84" — a three-part novel containing the usual Murakami mixture of parallel universes, bizarre characters and surrealist happenings as the lives of a female murderer and a male novelist intertwine.
"1Q84", which can be read as "1984" in Japanese, proved a worldwide phenomenon.
