Any one read Haruki Murakami? I’ve heard differing opinions on his work.
Any one read Haruki Murakami? I’ve heard differing opinions on his work.
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Any one read Haruki Murakami? I’ve heard differing opinions on his work.
yes, I’m a big fan of his work. If you like magical elements and riddles in novels you’ll love his books. let alone the beautiful character build and detailed description. You may begin with something like “a wild sheep chase” or “kafka on the shore”
Yes, I love his work! The first one I read was Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and it had me hooked at once. Read too many Murakami’s in a row and the magic will start to fade though – but you can spread them out over a lifetime (: Enjoy!
I’ve read only one of his books— Norwegian Wood. It was beautifully written and since I like coming-of-age novels, so it’s for me. Murakami plays with words effectively, and really if you read his books, you have a lot to highlight (so many good verses). I love him!
All his books are on my tbr
One of my favorite authors. I’ve read all of his books. I started with the slim book of short stories, After the Quake. My favorite novels are Kafka on the Shore, 1Q84 and The Windup Bird Chronicle. But they’re all great, IMO.
LOVE his works. strongly recommend The Wind-up Bird Chronicle. 😛
Love love love
I’m a big fan of his. The first book that I read? Norwegian Wood.
me too
Murakami is brilliant. I consider him the greatest writer alive. I recommend either Kafka on the Shore or The Wind Up Bird Chronicle to start.
Huge fan – but I agree with an earlier response that says spread them out. They are to be savoured.
I read IQ84 and although I liked the premise of the story I thought it was entirely too long and too much time was spent on irrelevant sexual stuff.
They can be dense but they are good. I know it’s a book but he goes into detail on almost everything. But I love his writing.
One of my favorite authors whose books offer subtle and mesmerizing surrealism. My favorite is Wind-up Bird Chronicle. Murakami is not for everyone though.
Recently read Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and I loved it! He’s a great writer.
I’m reading Norwegian Wood at the moment. Beautifully written.
Read a Wild Sheep Chase and it was beautifully written, it was one of the strangest books I have ever read.
I’m not a fan
my favorite author ??
I’ve tried… not sure what the fuss is about?
1Q84. LOVED it.
I listened to the audiobook for Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and really enjoyed it.
I read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle awhile back. I remember liking it but feeling really morose the whole time.
I read After Dark. It was sort of interesting, but I didn’t love it.
Love. I especially love Wind Up Bird Chroniclr and Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage.
I read 1Q84 and enjoyed it. I question some of his choices relating to young girls in the book, but I’m definitely curious to read more by him in the future.
Love him although I can see how he’s not for everyone. You have to kind of suspend disbelief and just go with it! Great writer
I read one of his books and finished it in a state of confusion. Definitely not for me.
Meh, not my kind of author.
I’ve only read Norwegian wood and it was awesome. I added some of his books to my TBRL. 🙂
1Q84 was amazing. Couldn’t put it down. Now reading his ‘Kafka on the Shore’.
Yes. ❤
I love his memoir, actually, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.
To be clear, his memoir is VERY different from his novels.
I once read an interview by him where he said that he never knows how the book will end while he’s writing it. I think that sums up his whole writing style. His novels are like improvisational jazz pieces – the individual components can be beautiful, some general themes persist, but what you read at the beginning might turn out to be completely irrelevant to the end. I find that frustrating, on the whole – i keep wanting to get resolutions and answers to all the questions, and most of the time they never materialize. On the other hand, that seems fairly reflective of life too, so… i suppose it’s all just a matter of preference.
Yes! But he’s an acquired taste. I loved 1Q84 interesting strange and wonderful
Love him.
I read his 6 of his books, among which the two best were: Norwegian wood and Sputnik Sweetheart. His is kind of easy writing writer. If you are into intense love story things you will definitely like his books
Norwegian Wood -my first book of his, and I hated it.
10 years later, I read it again and loved it.
Sine then, I’m a big fan of Murakami.
Love!
I love his books. I read 1Q84 and could not put it down. Just finished What I Talk About When I am Running where I learned more about him. I am now reading Kafka on the Shore and really enjoying it.
In general I love his style but understand why he might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Yes, start with Norwegian Wood I think…, he is a genius
I love the ones I have read. Dance Dance Dance is my favourite. 🙂
I’m not fond of his novels, but I really like his non-fiction. So if you try him, try both.
Yes, more or less all of him. You love him or you hate him, he has his own universe which I find fascinating and many others also but, one’s taste is personal …
Well, I’ve read quite a lot of Murakami, in English, but never experienced the awe that other readers describe. As I had bought quite a few of his books, I donated all but one of them to my eldest son (my youngest son is a keen Murakami reader). The one I kept really impressed me. Perhaps that I will reread it one day: The Windup Bird Chronicle.
I loved The Wind Up. Bird Chronicles! Most of his others are on my tbr, but for some reason I hesitate to read them.
I love him!
Kafka on the Shore was amazing. Very out there but still a compelling story. Next up from his is the Wind Up Bird. I’ve heard great reviews on that one.
I tried but he’s just not for me. I read, in this order, 1Q84, Kafka on the Shore, and Norwegian Wood. The latter was the least weird but I still didn’t care for it. I’m done but at least I can say I tried.
Norwegian Wood is one of my favourite books, so well written but you have to be in the mood. Dance, Dance, Dance and Sputnik Sweetheart had some beautiful writing passages from what I remember. He lost me at Kafka on the Shore and the Windup Bird…I loved those books more because I love music and it’s referenced a lot and I was into Japanese modernist culture at the time. I can’t remember why, but when I think of his male characters, they remind me of a Catcher in the Rye or Beatnik feel to them. A little bit lost, bruised, finding their way in life and love. Touch of melancholy.
I still have never had Cutty Stark and kind of want to try it. I also have a strange affinity towards the thought of climbing into an abandoned well despite my claustrophobia.
It’s Cutty Sark (named after the famous British clipper), but also appears to be Murakami’s favourite brand. Have never tasted it myself either.
I am obviously not a whisky drinker 🙂 Or bourbon. Or whatever it is.
Katy, Cutty Sark is a scotch (whisky), but there are so many of them, both blended and single-malt. I like whisky, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to taste them all! 🙂
Love him; 1Q84 is awesome.
I read Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and I really like the absurdity of his writing, but there was that one [*spoiler?*] skin-peeling scene that made me puke, and I’ve been scared of reading other books of his. ?
great author, his latest is not my favorite but the old stuff are all master pieces
I think I have read all his books available in English and/or Spanish, plus various Granta short stories, etc…. which says how much I like it. And still I can try to be objective and admit it’s not for all, various books feel repetitive if read in a row or that his style has not evolve much in the last few years. In any case he is an ‘author’ (meaning, like in art or film directors, with particular styles and recognizable patterns, particularly touching surrealistic scenarios that throw many people beyond their suspension of disbelief tolerance. Best titles to my taste in no particular order are Hard-boiled wonderland and the end of the world, Norwegian wood and The Wind-up bird chronicle.
His latest book is not coming out in English until Nov’18 (let’s see if we can use the bing card there). This is about 18 months after Japanese release, I don’t get that knowing he has a huge fanbase. If you read Japanese, he translates Raymond Chandler into Japanese too. Publishing one more this year.
I tried but not a fan. May try again someday but right now there are too many that I WANT to read.
If you liked authors like Franz Kafka and Thomas Mann, you’ll like Murakami.
Yup love him. Everyone has different tastes though. I say try one for yourself, maybe start with Norwegian Wood.
Yes, I just finished ‘Kafka on the Shore’, brilliant 🙂 every book has something interesting 🙂
Kafka on the Shore is my favorite. I tend to prefer his more outrageous ones, so Norwegian Wood didn’t interest me much.
In theory, his work should be perfect for me, but I just can’t seem to get into his books. I have no qualms about his writing – in fact, I think he’s a fantastic writer. I do think he goes into more detail than needed, so my mind kind of drifts off in particularly detailed scenes. I’m not giving up, though. I’m determined to make it through at least one of his books!