I picked up Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood in Foyles yesterday. This is interesting to me, because I remember deciding a couple of years ago that I didn't like Murakami's writing style, after attempting to read one of his other novels.I think I purchased this book on the basis that the film adaptation is due to be released in December of this year (one of only two of Murakami's work to be sold to film). Plus, it's about time I wised up to what all the world already know- that Murakami is a literary genius.
My friend has read all his novels, and gushes over his prowess. I am now up to chapter three of Norwegian Wood, and perhaps it's too early to say. His prose is direct and not at all dense. He flips back and forth, forcing his reader to keep up with the present, and the past. He does inspire me to write, in fact I shall credit him with my 3000 words today.
5 comments:
I read so far "The Norwegian Wood" and "Dance, Dance, Dance". The next n my list is "After Dark".
He's an awesome author with a very special style. I loved the way he portraits places, characters...and he makes references very often to american/english music (he names exactly what the characters listens at a specific moment, or sometimes even the characters' opinions on certain bands).
It's very hard to tell exactly why I like his novels. There are so many contrasts in his work. It can get depressing (I needed some time between these two books, they left a strong impression on me)and sometimes it's hard to understand the meaning of some symbols he's obsessed with (sheep...), but on the other side his writing is somehow delicate, comforting, clear and at the same time hard to get through. I also caught myself laughing at some paragraphs. I'd call him a melancholic with a fine sense of humor ;). My opinion...
So there's going to be a movie? Cool.
P.S.: i like your posts very much
That's really interesting that you say his writing is melancholic with a sense of humour, as that's the natural default to my writing, and to what I read.
I'll take your comment with a word of warning about the heaviness of his work- sometimes it's hard to remain distant from novels, though the best are always the most intense and draw us in. I'm excited to really get my teeth into this one now!
Thanks for the lovely comment Brioche.
Well literature is like perfumes... what works for me may not be good for you. Comments are to be taken with a grain of salt, even if sincere. Go on reading, and if you'll hate it feel no guilt - at least you know it's not your cup of tea ;)
It often happened to me to start reading smth generally hyped, really wanting to like it, but it ended just like a wrong date. I guess it's just not working out the same for everyone.
I'm quite a fan of Murakami. And notice that most people either tend to love him or just not get into him at all. Very rarely does anyone feel ambiguous about him. I think that staying mindful of the different cultural sensibility while reading his work is important since we're very, very used to American and European fiction. For instance, I know that going through school, I was never exposed to anything from the Asian literary canon, so I have very little idea of how Asian literature has evolved.
We're used to fiction/films/music validating the way that we see and experience the world on at least some basic level. I think that when I first started reading Murakami, I was completely enchanted by his prose style. It seemed, whimsical and otherworldly in a way that I'd never really encountered before. And that was the initial novelty of him for me (and I think it is for most people reading his English tranlations), it seemed so 'different'. Once people get over that novelty though (and it will happen to everyone at some point), I think they'll either fail to see the further benefit in continuing to read him, thinking "it's all just the same" because it's just not a style that they're used to OR they'll decide there must be more to it and decide to push on and explore the reasons why (and fall in love while they're at it most likely).
I think it depends on what you're looking for in fiction, or what you try to express as a writer/artist/communicator/human-being-in-general or whatever. At the core of it all for me, is an exchange of ideas and intrigue about how it feels to exist and be in the world (and implicit in that is then empathy, for the goings on of everyone both around and not around you). And in contemporary fiction you're always looking for the most culturally relevant thing. From what I can figure, Murakami is one of Japans most important postmodern writers, who really nails that way of expressing how it feels to exist and be in the world, in the contemporary voice of where he's from.
The melancholy in his work is loneliness. Why and how do people feel lonely in a society when we are supposedly more 'connected' than we've ever been? I personally believe that this will always be the question for us since we will always at some point feel trapped in our own bodies, it's just going to always be the question in such different and increasingly complicated and sprawling ways as we evolve and expand.
I found that reading 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' was so awesome in getting an insight into his life and how he operated and where he's coming from. I recommend! He talks about how he used to own a jazz bar and all and just decided to quit and take up writing one day. Very inspiring!
x
I love that you're so passionate about this Belle. I guess I was reserving comment until I've actually finished the book, though I wanted to say 'Thanks for the comment'.
I am noticing however, that his work does not feel like it has been produced in Asia. It's been a relatively smooth transition, going from European fcition, to Asian fiction. I guess this demonstrates the universal appeal of teenagers.
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