Did you know that there is a story by Haruki Murakami in this week's New Yorker? (feb. 13-20)
I won't spoil it for you, but I can see how someone would hate him now!
I love Murakami. If I could suddenly become a skilled writer, I would write like him. What I mean is, we share the same views and style. I wouldn't really call the elements 'random.' It's more of a Vonnegut meets Kafka kind of random, which isn't really random at all but simply complex. (Oxymoron!)
I've read Norwegian Wood before, and I'm now finishing The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle... I liked the former, but did not ponder overmuch. However, the latter made me think of Tim Powers a lot...
Murakami's work is great. I love "dance, dance, dance" most.
In his story a surrealistic event often happens, but he portrays it as if it is quite normal thing.
He is very good at giving reality (feeling of everyday life) to conceptual, fantastic world.
>>12
Murakami isn't as popular in Japan as he is overseas. He himself has admitted that he writes his Japanese in a way that lends itself to easy translation. That would amount to doing things such as not using certain difficult-to-translate idioms, presenting the story in a more Western way, etc. The accusation that his writing is not "Japanese enough" is, from what I've heard, justified.
I've picked up After Dark, and am hoping to dig into that soon.
I really enjoyed Kafka on the Shore... but I really don't care for his style. I like meaty works; metaphysical, well-written, poetic, etc., and I just feel like he delivers any of these (except metaphysics, I suppose).
I'm a really big fan of Murakami.
My first one was After Dark.. I've seen the cover and thought "I need to read this book" (..the german Cover is way cooler than the english one)
Really? Damn- when I hear his name [or read it in this instance] I get shivers- I really like his styles and how he writes- I've read After Dark as my first book- and was previously interested but didn't remember what his name was when my friend started reading his works- I need to pick up more of his things.
yoshitomo banana
>Since childhood, Murakami has been heavily influenced by Western culture, particularly Western music and literature. He grew up reading a range of works by American writers such as Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Brautigan, and he is often distinguished from other Japanese writers for his Western influences.