Summer reading update
I finished After Dark the other night, reading in bed (me and my trusty headlamp) long after Billy and the baby had fallen asleep. Its Murakami, so Id approached the book wanting to love it. Expecting to love it. I didnt love it. Its a departure from the style Im accustomed to from him, so that takes some getting used to. Fine. But its not just a matter of a different style. Its a different style that doesnt quite work with his voice. Not yet, anyway. Hes trying on a new skin, I guess, and its still a bit ill-fitting. Its admirable that he continues to stretch himself as a writer, but its hard for his admirers to watch when he falls short. Hes fallen short with this one. Its just not that good. There, I said it. You can see the seams in this book. You can see him working really hard. (Usually his books seem effortless. Like they fell from the sky into his computer.) The good news is that hes apparently working really hard. Ill anxiously await his next book. If After Dark is a first step in a new direction for him, by the next book hell likely have worked out a lot of the kinks.
If youre new to Murakamis work, check these books out:
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Norwegian Wood
Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World
I liked Kafka on the Shore as well. Have you read The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro? I’m trying to get through it for the second or third time – I enjoy it, and yet don’t feel compelled to keep reading. I’ve never gotten past the first 50 pages or so. There’s nothing wrong with it – it just hasn’t sucked me in. I wonder if it’s the “voice” of Japanese authors that I find appealing and yet not compelling.
Posted by: Jenn
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is one of my favorite books of the last bunch of years. It’s just so ridiculously great. I was sad when I finished it. If i didn’t have a massive stack of books waiting to be read, i’d go back and re-read it.
Posted by: regina
Oooh, thanks for alerting me! I think this has been out in the Japanese for ages but I didn’t realise the English edition was out. I haven’t read Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman either – looks like I have some catching up to do!
Posted by: Sarah
Oh, thanks for the suggestions. I’ve been meaning to read him, but when I went to the book store, there were so many that I knew I would pick the worst one.
Posted by: rach
wind up bird is one of my favorite books of all time. i always cry when i read it. it’s so brilliant.
Posted by: gleek
The only Murakami I’ve read so far is Norweigian Wood, which, I understand, is not typical. Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World is on my shelf waiting, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. For the last month or so I have been trying to plow through the expanded edition of A People’s History of the United States, which I enjoy but man, its a biggish project and you have to be in the right mood. But everyone should read it! Really!!! So I read it because its got to be good for you.
Plus its excellent bathtub reading. Just fyi.
Posted by: Pippy
I believe you are the person who initially introduced me to Murakami, so I just wanted to say thanks. 🙂
Posted by: jen.
I was introduced to Murakami through Wind-Up Bird but I fell in love with him after Hardboiled Wonderland. I really liked Wild Sheep Chase and Dance, Dance, Dance as well. (They go together but I don’t remember the order.)
Check out Banana Yoshimoto too! Another good and quirky Japanese writer…
Posted by: Sarah
I liked Kafka on the Shore as well. Have you read The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro? I’m trying to get through it for the second or third time – I enjoy it, and yet don’t feel compelled to keep reading. I’ve never gotten past the first 50 pages or so. There’s nothing wrong with it – it just hasn’t sucked me in. I wonder if it’s the “voice” of Japanese authors that I find appealing and yet not compelling.
Posted by: Jenn
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is one of my favorite books of the last bunch of years. It’s just so ridiculously great. I was sad when I finished it. If i didn’t have a massive stack of books waiting to be read, i’d go back and re-read it.
Posted by: regina
Oooh, thanks for alerting me! I think this has been out in the Japanese for ages but I didn’t realise the English edition was out. I haven’t read Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman either – looks like I have some catching up to do!
Posted by: Sarah
Oh, thanks for the suggestions. I’ve been meaning to read him, but when I went to the book store, there were so many that I knew I would pick the worst one.
Posted by: rach
wind up bird is one of my favorite books of all time. i always cry when i read it. it’s so brilliant.
Posted by: gleek
The only Murakami I’ve read so far is Norweigian Wood, which, I understand, is not typical. Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World is on my shelf waiting, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. For the last month or so I have been trying to plow through the expanded edition of A People’s History of the United States, which I enjoy but man, its a biggish project and you have to be in the right mood. But everyone should read it! Really!!! So I read it because its got to be good for you.
Plus its excellent bathtub reading. Just fyi.
Posted by: Pippy
I believe you are the person who initially introduced me to Murakami, so I just wanted to say thanks. 🙂
Posted by: jen.
I was introduced to Murakami through Wind-Up Bird but I fell in love with him after Hardboiled Wonderland. I really liked Wild Sheep Chase and Dance, Dance, Dance as well. (They go together but I don’t remember the order.)
Check out Banana Yoshimoto too! Another good and quirky Japanese writer…
Posted by: Sarah
I agree with Jenn – I loved Kafka on the Shore, which was the first Murakami I read. Then I didn’t love the next two I read half as much (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Norwegian Wood). I thought with Kafka on the Shore he hit it out of the park completely, but I personally found Wind-Up Bird Chronicle a little overlong and even, at times, fey. (I love long books, just didn’t feel that one needed to be as long as it was.)
It’s just personal taste, though – I am after my husband to read Wind-Up Bird Chronicle because I know that’s the one he’s going to love.
Posted by: YTT
Is it sad to admit that I haven’t read fiction in ages? (Shouldn’t this be a criminal offense as I WRITE FICTION?!) I find that I can’t read while I write; I tend to emulate the style of the author no matter how hard I try not to.
So I read the occasional book of essays, memoir, and who am I kidding – I usually just read knitting books and patterns!
Posted by: Aura
I just finished Kafka on the Shore- liked it very much, but it took me a while to get into.
I always wondered: if a translation of a book isn’t good, is it the writing or the translation? Would a different translator make for a better book?
Posted by: Iris
Long time reader delurking to agree with you After Dark. I looooooove Murakami but was disheartened by this last one. I’ll still buy all of his stuff but this reminds me of when Kundera started to lose his earlier voice…I’m still not quite over that 🙁
Posted by: alliwenk
I agree with Jenn – I loved Kafka on the Shore, which was the first Murakami I read. Then I didn’t love the next two I read half as much (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Norwegian Wood). I thought with Kafka on the Shore he hit it out of the park completely, but I personally found Wind-Up Bird Chronicle a little overlong and even, at times, fey. (I love long books, just didn’t feel that one needed to be as long as it was.)
It’s just personal taste, though – I am after my husband to read Wind-Up Bird Chronicle because I know that’s the one he’s going to love.
Posted by: YTT
Is it sad to admit that I haven’t read fiction in ages? (Shouldn’t this be a criminal offense as I WRITE FICTION?!) I find that I can’t read while I write; I tend to emulate the style of the author no matter how hard I try not to.
So I read the occasional book of essays, memoir, and who am I kidding – I usually just read knitting books and patterns!
Posted by: Aura
I just finished Kafka on the Shore- liked it very much, but it took me a while to get into.
I always wondered: if a translation of a book isn’t good, is it the writing or the translation? Would a different translator make for a better book?
Posted by: Iris
Long time reader delurking to agree with you After Dark. I looooooove Murakami but was disheartened by this last one. I’ll still buy all of his stuff but this reminds me of when Kundera started to lose his earlier voice…I’m still not quite over that 🙁
Posted by: alliwenk