Collective title from spine : texts bound "t�ete-b�eche."

"Originally published in English in hardcover as Wind/Pinball in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York, in 2015. Originally published in Japan as two separate novellas, Kaze no uta o kike by Kodansha Ltd, Tokyo, in 1979 and 1973 nen no pinboru by Kodansha Ltd, Tokyo in 1980."--Title page verso.

"The debut short novels--nearly thirty years out of print-- by the internationally acclaimed writer, newly retranslated and in one English-language volume for the first time, with a new introduction by the author. These first major works of fiction by Haruki Murakami center on two young men--an unnamed narrator and his friend and former roommate, the Rat. Powerful, at times surreal, stories of loneliness, obsession, and eroticism, these novellas bear all the hallmarks of Murakami's later books, giving us a fascinating insight into a great writer's beginnings, and are remarkable works of fiction in their own right. Here too is an exclusive essay by Murakami in which he explores and explains his decision to become a writer. Prequels to the much-beloved classics A Wild Sheep Chase and Dance Dance Dance, these early works are essential reading for Murakami completists and contemporary fiction lovers alike"--,Provided by publisher.