haruki murakami

[Dillinger4]

i am almost finished reading sputnik sweetheart, and i have read a lot of his other books too, and have found every single one excellent..

what does everyone else think?

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

I've only read The Wind -Up bird chronicles, but that was excellent

 

[Dillinger4]

he is one of those authors that once i reach a certain point in the book, nothing in the world will make me put it down until i have finished.

in almost all i have read there is poetic surrealist mystery that i just have to know.

dance dance dance is my favourite, the part with the lift in the hotel sent tingles down my spine

 

[cymrukid]

I read 'Norwgian Wood' first. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, bout I don't think its as awesome as every fucking review said it was. In fact, it was so 'average' its inspired me to write, since (somewhat cockily) if that can get published, then so can I. Apparently, his other stuff is far superior, so I will give that a go

 

[tastebud]

what does everyone else think?

This:

have found every single one excellent..

 

[The Groke]

Love him, love him, love him.

The 3 best are:

Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World,
Windup Bird Chronicles and
Kafka on The Shore.


But they are all good.

 

[The Groke]

Apparently, his other stuff is far superior, so I will give that a go

Go with my list above for recommendations.

Start with Wind-up Bird.....

 

[AllStarMe]

I started Norwegian Wood, but got bored and gave up.
I really wanted to like that book because Id heard such good things about him, but I just couldnt get into that book.
Might give one of his other books a try at some point though...

 

[maximilian ping]

just finished wind up bird chronicle and it was fascinating - i love stories within stories.

very surreal, left me a bit but i suppose that's the point

 

[maximilian ping]

just read this first line of a review and think its right:

"a mess, but a glorious, addictive, compulsively readable mess"

 

[cymrukid]

I really like a bit of surrealism so I'll give em a crack, thanks for the recommendations.
In all honesty though, do you think a lot gets lost in the translation? As i've said, i've only read 'Norwegian Wood', but at a few points I thought the English interpretation was terrible.

 

[tastebud]

In all honesty though, do you think a lot gets lost in the translation? As i've said, i've only read 'Norwegian Wood', but at a few points I thought the English interpretation was terrible.

Yep. Definitely. I've thought that a few times actually: with KOTS and TWUBC. Also that the Americanisms tend to be a bit annoying. That's the only negative thing I have to say though.

 

[maximilian ping]

I really like a bit of surrealism so I'll give em a crack, thanks for the recommendations.
In all honesty though, do you think a lot gets lost in the translation? As i've said, i've only read 'Norwegian Wood', but at a few points I thought the English interpretation was terrible.

there was no probs wuth translation in this book (ie, it in no way felt stilted)

 

[Dolly Dimple]

I really like a bit of surrealism so I'll give em a crack, thanks for the recommendations.
In all honesty though, do you think a lot gets lost in the translation? As i've said, i've only read 'Norwegian Wood', but at a few points I thought the English interpretation was terrible.

I've read somewhere before that Random House in the US told Jay Rubin (the translator of TWUBC) that he had to keep his translation below a certain word-limit (I think I read 'no more than 800' pages, but not sure). He was obviously a bit about that and submitted two versions, the full translation and the 'abridged' version. RH went for the latter.

So the English language version of TWUBC isn't the full version, which might explain certain plot-holes and inconsistencies

 

[maximilian ping]

I've read somewhere before that Random House in the US told Jay Rayner (the translator of TWUBC) that he had to keep his translation below a certain word-limit (I think I read 'no more than 800' pages, but not sure). He was obviously a bit about that and submitted two versions, the full translation and the 'abridged' version. RH went for the latter.

So the English language version of TWUBC isn't the full version, which might explain certain plot-holes and inconsistencies

the one i read is translated by Jay Rubin and published by Vintage, so i reckon this random house shenanigans does not apply to all english translations

 

[citydreams]

in almost all i have read there is poetic surrealist mystery that i just have to know.

sorry, sounds great and everything but what does that mean?

 

[Dillinger4]

there is a poetic surrealist twist in just about every one of his books that i have read so far.

up to a point his stories seem fairly normal, but take this mysterious turn that means i have to finish it, because i need to know.

 

[Dillinger4]

i finished sputnik sweetheart last night, so i went and bought kafka on the shore this morning and am now about half way through it.

i love reading obsessivly!

this book is bizzarre

 

[mod]

Have read...

Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Windup Bird Chronicles

...both are fantastic. Superb writing and how they (they being Murakami and his translators) manage to keep the poetic essence of the books 'after' translation is beyond me.

I'd put him up there with Gunther Grass and Jack London.

 

[hotvans]

Half way through wind up bird chronicles - had never come across him before but getting pynchonesque and auster vibes - like it

 

[mod]

Has anyone read South of the Border West of The Sun. I started it this morning. I think there are autobiographical elements to this one.

 

[Dillinger4]

Has anyone read South of the Border West of The Sun. I started it this morning. I think there are autobiographical elements to this one.

that was the first one i read, and probably still my favourite.

as far as i know, there are quite a few autobiographical elements in it.

 

[mod]

Running a jaz bar being one.