I Like __ A Lot
I like Haruki Murakami a lot
First off, I do think Murakami is over-rated, but that doesn’t mean he’s not good. I only like two of his books, but I like them immensely: Wind-up bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore. His ideas are sometimes corny, but overall I think he’s onto something.
His other books, especially the ones like Norwegian Wood where he goes on about Jazz and girls, I think is stupid—like he’s trying to be F. Scott Fitzgerald, sentimental or even self-satisfied about his lifestyle.
I much more like it when Murakami tries to be Pynchon or Borges. I say ‘tries to be’ because I think Murakami is not original, but he takes existing ideas or methods about/in fiction and his mark is his ability to make it seem like he invented the style. At the same time, he’s not trying to be post-modern the way Delillo tries, or Barth tried. His style is re-appropriation and the audacity to not be ironic about it. He’s an ‘earnest original fraud,’ and I like him a lot.
WUBC starts off with a guy making spaghetti and listening to the radio when the phone rings. I’ve read that part over many, many times and I don’t understand how he did it, but that scene is just as grotesque as Gregor Samsa waking up as a bug. It’s like there’s something ‘wrong’ with the scene. Murakami’s genius is his ability to evoke feelings that are completely uncorrelated with the actual printed words. His novels ‘happen’ outside the words.
KOTS uses alternating chapters to describe two narratives, which is gimmicky I know, but he handles it very well. Near the middle of the book I said, “wait a minute — this is the same story, merely synopated,” that the odd chapters somehow melded into the chasms introduced in the even chapters. It was like entropy: a closed system with two parts, each of which began permeating into the other. I’m usually skeptical about the device of ‘dreams’ in fiction, but KOTS was itself a dream — like the logic was not rational yet made sense, the way we accept random images in our dreams. It lacks Gaddis’s intricacy, but is yet is formally resolved. Murakami, at his best, transcends the formal constraints of time, lineage, narrative, character, etc. His books are dreams that make sense, while not relying on ‘dreams’ to resolve the formal disparities. I can’t describe how he does it, it’s just Murakami.
Whenever I want to be confused and feel like there are Japanese people everywhere, I either go to Japantown or read Murakami. I like him a lot.
Tags: Haruki Murakami, the asian F. Scott Fitzgerald
I’ve read his short stories in the new yorker and harpers ( i read those magazines, which i know is uncool.) I always find them impressive. he wrote this non-fiction thing he wrote about being a runner that i loved. he’s fascinating for sure. maybe today is japan day? you and jereme posting about japanese things.
and thanks for the dogzplot post pr. dogzplot is japanese for ‘sex with smelly kitties’
and thanks for the dogzplot post pr. dogzplot is japanese for ‘sex with smelly kitties’
I love you Barry. If you want to have sex with smelly kitties, I have four of them here for you. In fact, I’ve been angry all day at how bad my house smells. Some days are worse than others….two fartastic kittens, and two 15 yr old incontinent fucktards. But I would be so lonely without them. and without you barry…
pr:
you will never be lonely without me… i am yours forever
pr:
you will never be lonely without me… i am yours forever
i love harpers, it’s my favorite magazine.
too bad it’s uncool.
it’s always japan day, in japan.
i love harpers, it’s my favorite magazine.
too bad it’s uncool.
it’s always japan day, in japan.
i taught WUBC to a bunch of nurses then realized that book is an unholy mess with some pretty interesting parts. that stuff about Noburu reminded me on the second read of the guy from A Swiftly Tilting Planet who’s threatening to blow up the world, Mad Dog Branzillo. i swear there’s a scene lifted from The Shining (the novel) as well. the last quarter of that book–WUBC– is really kinda silly . . .
there’s a bunch of stuff around (internet) about how Murakami’s work gets butchered, and also re-edited at times, when it’s Englished. perhaps somebody Englished the book in a weird way . . .
i taught WUBC to a bunch of nurses then realized that book is an unholy mess with some pretty interesting parts. that stuff about Noburu reminded me on the second read of the guy from A Swiftly Tilting Planet who’s threatening to blow up the world, Mad Dog Branzillo. i swear there’s a scene lifted from The Shining (the novel) as well. the last quarter of that book–WUBC– is really kinda silly . . .
there’s a bunch of stuff around (internet) about how Murakami’s work gets butchered, and also re-edited at times, when it’s Englished. perhaps somebody Englished the book in a weird way . . .
Do you know why his story was published in 2006’s Best American Nonfiction if he’s not American and it’s translated from the Japanese?
Do you know why his story was published in 2006’s Best American Nonfiction if he’s not American and it’s translated from the Japanese?
Murakami is a great guy who convinced a lot of people that his nonsense was worth a lot of attention. I saw him speak once. I would love to have a beer with him. His self-admitted method is to write without having any idea what he is writing about and what he wants the end result to be. Some people call that “cool” and “interesting”. I find that it creates books like The Wind Up Bird Chronicle – fun, and engaging, but dear lord if the author had actually paid attention to what he was doing it might have been a lot better.
Also, the reason he includes making and eating spaghetti in his writing is because he likes to eat spaghetti when he writes. At least according to him. Some guy took five minutes or so to form some kind of question involving the deeper significance of spaghetti in his works. The translator had to explain to Murakami what Dickwad McGilroy was saying. Murakami responded by saying – I might not have it exactly, but it’s pretty close – “I like to eat spaghetti when I write”.
The end.
Murakami is a great guy who convinced a lot of people that his nonsense was worth a lot of attention. I saw him speak once. I would love to have a beer with him. His self-admitted method is to write without having any idea what he is writing about and what he wants the end result to be. Some people call that “cool” and “interesting”. I find that it creates books like The Wind Up Bird Chronicle – fun, and engaging, but dear lord if the author had actually paid attention to what he was doing it might have been a lot better.
Also, the reason he includes making and eating spaghetti in his writing is because he likes to eat spaghetti when he writes. At least according to him. Some guy took five minutes or so to form some kind of question involving the deeper significance of spaghetti in his works. The translator had to explain to Murakami what Dickwad McGilroy was saying. Murakami responded by saying – I might not have it exactly, but it’s pretty close – “I like to eat spaghetti when I write”.
The end.
“there’s a bunch of stuff around (internet) about how Murakami’s work gets butchered, and also re-edited at times, when it’s Englished. perhaps somebody Englished the book in a weird way . . .”
The translator for his recent works (including WUBC) was there (and was acting as his translator, duh). Apparently they have a very close relationship. His earlier works, supposedly not so much. But he seems to have found someone who can work closely with him. I seem to remember him saying that he can read English rather well. But after his first couple/few I guess he started working with this guy and likes him a lot. FWIW.
“there’s a bunch of stuff around (internet) about how Murakami’s work gets butchered, and also re-edited at times, when it’s Englished. perhaps somebody Englished the book in a weird way . . .”
The translator for his recent works (including WUBC) was there (and was acting as his translator, duh). Apparently they have a very close relationship. His earlier works, supposedly not so much. But he seems to have found someone who can work closely with him. I seem to remember him saying that he can read English rather well. But after his first couple/few I guess he started working with this guy and likes him a lot. FWIW.
he wore a t-shirt with a picture of a pickle on it and the word “PICKLE” printed beneath it.
he wore a t-shirt with a picture of a pickle on it and the word “PICKLE” printed beneath it.
I think in my heart I wanted so much to like WUBC (as much as I read it the first time) that I was almost hoping someone had just bungled it. I was hoping I had it wrong, and that the book was still wonderful in every way, just in its original language. The perfect version existed only in Japanese maybe.
Thanks for the info on the trans. I wonder if he writes, apart from translating M’s work . . .
I think in my heart I wanted so much to like WUBC (as much as I read it the first time) that I was almost hoping someone had just bungled it. I was hoping I had it wrong, and that the book was still wonderful in every way, just in its original language. The perfect version existed only in Japanese maybe.
Thanks for the info on the trans. I wonder if he writes, apart from translating M’s work . . .
“Murakami’s genius is his ability to evoke feelings that are completely uncorrelated with the actual printed words. His novels ‘happen’ outside the words.”
I think this is incredibly interesting, but I’m not quite sure I understand it . . . how is that possible? “Outside the words?”
“Murakami’s genius is his ability to evoke feelings that are completely uncorrelated with the actual printed words. His novels ‘happen’ outside the words.”
I think this is incredibly interesting, but I’m not quite sure I understand it . . . how is that possible? “Outside the words?”
matt: i guess the english ‘american’ translation was american enough. but yes, when you’re famous, people break the rules for you.
gazpromdate: ha, i like the word englished
J: i think people can academicly rip murakami apart, b/c yes, his books are a little loopy, but i think a) that’s the charm, and b) he’s really onto something new — like hammering in his own unique logic, like the way we look back at virginia woolf now and it makes sense.
matt: i guess the english ‘american’ translation was american enough. but yes, when you’re famous, people break the rules for you.
gazpromdate: ha, i like the word englished
J: i think people can academicly rip murakami apart, b/c yes, his books are a little loopy, but i think a) that’s the charm, and b) he’s really onto something new — like hammering in his own unique logic, like the way we look back at virginia woolf now and it makes sense.
gaz: by ‘outside the words’ i mean, he writes ‘spaghetti’ but means ‘something really fucked up is going to happen.’ or he writes ‘the beatles’ and means ‘i was a lonely man who tried to be happy.’
gaz: by ‘outside the words’ i mean, he writes ‘spaghetti’ but means ‘something really fucked up is going to happen.’ or he writes ‘the beatles’ and means ‘i was a lonely man who tried to be happy.’
“His self-admitted method is to write without having any idea what he is writing about and what he wants the end result to be.”
i have a hard time writing if i know what the end is going to be like. like, if i know, then why write it, i guess. i like not knowing. i dont like planning things.
“His self-admitted method is to write without having any idea what he is writing about and what he wants the end result to be.”
i have a hard time writing if i know what the end is going to be like. like, if i know, then why write it, i guess. i like not knowing. i dont like planning things.
i went to a douglas coupland reading and he said (paraphrase): “before you write, make sure you know the ending.” and people nodded, and i was like, “um, i never finished your book”
i went to a douglas coupland reading and he said (paraphrase): “before you write, make sure you know the ending.” and people nodded, and i was like, “um, i never finished your book”
i own breakfast with kafka but haven’t read it.
blake bashed it and it made me disinterested in reading it.
blake has jedi mind powers over me.
i own breakfast with kafka but haven’t read it.
blake bashed it and it made me disinterested in reading it.
blake has jedi mind powers over me.
I think Blake and I kind of agree on Kafka On The Shore:
First half is very good, marked by this odd dream logic and very interesting, methodical exploration of weird, vibrant stuff. And then, halfway through, it all kind of falls apart, and digresses into conversations about pop culture and awkward sexual experiences.
Man, the first half was great, though.
I think Blake and I kind of agree on Kafka On The Shore:
First half is very good, marked by this odd dream logic and very interesting, methodical exploration of weird, vibrant stuff. And then, halfway through, it all kind of falls apart, and digresses into conversations about pop culture and awkward sexual experiences.
Man, the first half was great, though.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with not having anything beyond a general idea.
I think if you write 500 or 600 pages without having a clue as to what you’re driving for, even if there are moments of great imagery, you’re wasting people’s time, because there’s always an un-subbed j-drama out there that can accomplish about the same effect.
“J: i think people can academicly rip murakami apart, b/c yes, his books are a little loopy, but i think a) that’s the charm, and b) he’s really onto something new — like hammering in his own unique logic, like the way we look back at virginia woolf now and it makes sense.”
Maybe. I think he just makes it up as he goes along, and he seemed to confirm that to me when he said… pretty much that. He explains it by way of his love for improv jazz. If we read more into it than is actually there, it’s not really the author that accomplished that, it’s our own creativity. Like I inferred above, while that might be valuable, there are a lot of less expensive venues for us to find that sort of release. As it is, even though he appeared to be a great guy, he seems to skew the signal to noise ratio in our particular field of interest. If nothing else, he at least does it better than most.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with not having anything beyond a general idea.
I think if you write 500 or 600 pages without having a clue as to what you’re driving for, even if there are moments of great imagery, you’re wasting people’s time, because there’s always an un-subbed j-drama out there that can accomplish about the same effect.
“J: i think people can academicly rip murakami apart, b/c yes, his books are a little loopy, but i think a) that’s the charm, and b) he’s really onto something new — like hammering in his own unique logic, like the way we look back at virginia woolf now and it makes sense.”
Maybe. I think he just makes it up as he goes along, and he seemed to confirm that to me when he said… pretty much that. He explains it by way of his love for improv jazz. If we read more into it than is actually there, it’s not really the author that accomplished that, it’s our own creativity. Like I inferred above, while that might be valuable, there are a lot of less expensive venues for us to find that sort of release. As it is, even though he appeared to be a great guy, he seems to skew the signal to noise ratio in our particular field of interest. If nothing else, he at least does it better than most.
yeah, im talking about writing 15 pages.
if i write longer than that, i go blind.
yeah, im talking about writing 15 pages.
if i write longer than that, i go blind.
Let me try to grasp at this for just a moment longer.
You don’t have to know exactly how it’s going to end, and maybe things will change as you write, but if you don’t have any clue what you’re trying to say when you begin writing (which includes having at least a basic grasp of where you want the story to go)… then why are you writing. Is it some free-association exercise, or is it a story.
Let me try to grasp at this for just a moment longer.
You don’t have to know exactly how it’s going to end, and maybe things will change as you write, but if you don’t have any clue what you’re trying to say when you begin writing (which includes having at least a basic grasp of where you want the story to go)… then why are you writing. Is it some free-association exercise, or is it a story.
and yeah 15 pages is a different discussion altogether, though I don’t think what I’ve said is entirely void from said discussion either. I think there’s a little more leeway there, or otherwise none whatsoever. Length definitely changes the tone of discussion regarding this subject IMO.
and yeah 15 pages is a different discussion altogether, though I don’t think what I’ve said is entirely void from said discussion either. I think there’s a little more leeway there, or otherwise none whatsoever. Length definitely changes the tone of discussion regarding this subject IMO.
lol ryan. you go blind
lol ryan. you go blind
actually now that I’ve written that I’m not sure I even agree with myself. it seemed right at the moment.
actually now that I’ve written that I’m not sure I even agree with myself. it seemed right at the moment.
J,
like gay sex
J,
like gay sex
I did not choose to be gay.
I did not choose to be gay.
(I chose to love cooter)
(I chose to love cooter)
J.
i dont know? i dont have a real solid answer. i have plenty of these ‘things’ that went nowhere, that are a sentence long and nothing came out of that sentence. writing the words down lets me see what i am writing, if that makes sense. no that is dumb sounding. i mean, like, i like to think about the sentence i wrote as the start of the story instead of an idea. i dont konw how the sentence gets down on the paper though. i guess thats what youre asking about. usually i just start typing until i have a sentence. then i like to look at the sentence i wrote and think how i could add another sentence. i dont think, for me anyhow, its as simple as even knowing a general idea. if i know a general idea, then maybe i will try to write an essay or write a grocery list. i like writing stories though because i can discover something and be excited by finding something.
i think when i had planned outs tories or had a vague idea of what i was writing ‘about,’ each sentence felt like it was just a placeholder, a step on the way to the end. i dont think i liked that way of writing.
but, all of this doesnt mean im not writing stories. i think i write stories.
i am writing because i like writing.
J.
i dont know? i dont have a real solid answer. i have plenty of these ‘things’ that went nowhere, that are a sentence long and nothing came out of that sentence. writing the words down lets me see what i am writing, if that makes sense. no that is dumb sounding. i mean, like, i like to think about the sentence i wrote as the start of the story instead of an idea. i dont konw how the sentence gets down on the paper though. i guess thats what youre asking about. usually i just start typing until i have a sentence. then i like to look at the sentence i wrote and think how i could add another sentence. i dont think, for me anyhow, its as simple as even knowing a general idea. if i know a general idea, then maybe i will try to write an essay or write a grocery list. i like writing stories though because i can discover something and be excited by finding something.
i think when i had planned outs tories or had a vague idea of what i was writing ‘about,’ each sentence felt like it was just a placeholder, a step on the way to the end. i dont think i liked that way of writing.
but, all of this doesnt mean im not writing stories. i think i write stories.
i am writing because i like writing.
I agree with this post except for KOTS. Give me Wind-Up Bird and Hardboiled Wonderland
I agree with this post except for KOTS. Give me Wind-Up Bird and Hardboiled Wonderland
although the cat murdering scene in KOTS is fantastic
although the cat murdering scene in KOTS is fantastic
i only ever started “norwegian wood” at the suggestion of an ex-girlfriend. it made me incredibly bored. it did feel a lot like “this side of paradise.”
maybe i should try him again.
i only ever started “norwegian wood” at the suggestion of an ex-girlfriend. it made me incredibly bored. it did feel a lot like “this side of paradise.”
maybe i should try him again.
what do you think about his short stories? despite the one or two stories i can’t finish, i think the elephant vanishes is a pretty great book. “the dancing dwarf” is probably the worst title for a good story i’ve ever heard. that’s got to be worth something, right?
what do you think about his short stories? despite the one or two stories i can’t finish, i think the elephant vanishes is a pretty great book. “the dancing dwarf” is probably the worst title for a good story i’ve ever heard. that’s got to be worth something, right?
i only read it once, but i thought wind-up bird was really fantastic an engrossing. i also remember being super into ‘wild sheep chase’, which is much shorter and more approachable, but still very weird and exciting.
pretty much everything else i’ve read by murakami i’ve enjoyed without loving. i sometimes think his lesser stuff is kind of trashy and lacking substance, but i did not feel like that with wind-up bird or wild sheep chase. maybe it has to do with when i read each of the books. i think probably.
i only read it once, but i thought wind-up bird was really fantastic an engrossing. i also remember being super into ‘wild sheep chase’, which is much shorter and more approachable, but still very weird and exciting.
pretty much everything else i’ve read by murakami i’ve enjoyed without loving. i sometimes think his lesser stuff is kind of trashy and lacking substance, but i did not feel like that with wind-up bird or wild sheep chase. maybe it has to do with when i read each of the books. i think probably.
haha japanese people everywhere
haha japanese people everywhere
“If we read more into it than is actually there, it’s not really the author that accomplished that, it’s our own creativity.”
i think thats the point. this is a good thing, yes?
“i only ever started “norwegian wood” at the suggestion of an ex-girlfriend”
daniel”
very nice line. with all this gayness going on around html i’m glad someone is reaffirming there hetrosexuality. well done.
“If we read more into it than is actually there, it’s not really the author that accomplished that, it’s our own creativity.”
i think thats the point. this is a good thing, yes?
“i only ever started “norwegian wood” at the suggestion of an ex-girlfriend”
daniel”
very nice line. with all this gayness going on around html i’m glad someone is reaffirming there hetrosexuality. well done.
Murakami is my favorite writer, and I am in no way capable of discussing him sensibly.
Murakami is my favorite writer, and I am in no way capable of discussing him sensibly.
I recently read Hard Boiled Wonderland & the End of the World and I enjoyed the hell out of it. Its derivation was something like Brautigan’s In Watermelon Sugar mixed with Raymond Chandler mixed with I don’t know, some kind of sci-fi adventure surrealism. It was fun to read.
I recently read Hard Boiled Wonderland & the End of the World and I enjoyed the hell out of it. Its derivation was something like Brautigan’s In Watermelon Sugar mixed with Raymond Chandler mixed with I don’t know, some kind of sci-fi adventure surrealism. It was fun to read.
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