Haruki Murakami

In the end it boiled down to choice rather than choices becasue the 3 for 2 offer finished before I could make my mind up. It was 'A Wild Sheep Chase'. I tried to read it while moving house, etc., so I couldn't really get into it and I didn't finish it. What I liked best about it was the drawing of a sheep. Looking upthread I see it is a man in a sheep costume. That encourages me to finish it one day. Also looking upthread I see you are all very well informed, perhaps to the point of lunacy.

Sorry this is such a damp squib of an answer.

At least two posters upthread have read it ... anyone else? What'd you think compared to later things?

I have just finished 'A Wild Sheep Chase'. I thought it was very good. The last bit made me sad and I don't know why. I suppose this is quite clever. It is a game of three halves. I wish I understood Japanese.

I look forward to reading more.

i like murakami, and don't think he is as lightweight as is oft suggested, but referencing kafka in the title is seriously stepping up to the plate, isn't it?

I was attempting the movie adaptation in my head enthusiastically while reading DANCE DANCE DANCE, which remains my favorite, but the darkness seemed to present problems.

I need to finish the copy of Norwegian Wood I've had out from the library the entire summer but I've been hesistant to subject myself to the sadness.

not with the sony cinealta!!

Wind-Up was the best when it came to the individual strands, but it really didn't seem to hang together and the ending felt forced. Dance Dance Dance was probably my favourite, just for the sheer feeling of joy it inspired - much needed after the end of Wild Sheep Chase.

Which should I read next? I was thinking about The Elephant Vanishes but Norwegian Wood is tempting me as well.

For myself, I'm putting more and more of my thoughts on recent reading on the Brown Wedge on FT -- but that said, I'm definitely concentrating on nonfiction reading first and foremost. I think this is partially down to the fact that in many cases I'd rather be writing fiction than reading it!

As for the Elephant Vanishes dramatisation, I saw it when it was on. it was great fun - lots of Mcburney trickery without losing the murakaminess of the stories.

My POV obviously, but I fail to see how this makes Murakami better than Lynch. I find mysteries more rewarding if I have to make an effort to solve them.

But it would be brilliant if it was actually Apache Indian.

Patrick 'Picard' Stewart was in the audience (I had a good view of the crowd), I wanted to shout out "Hey Picard! Dude! Make it so!", but I didn't. I kond of regret it now.

Anyway, bearing in mind Chronicle is my favourite, is Wonderland a good next move?

Also can anyone who's read the first two novels tell me more about the girl who dies at the beginning of Wild Sheep Chase?

definitely, if you like the more surreal side (i do, and its my favourite).
i read 'hear the wind sing' yesterday, its very short but a nice preamble to the wild sheep chase/dance dance dance books. he mentions 3 girls in it, one of who may be the girl at the start of AWS, i'll have to reread the start of that to remind myself.

Was hoping this might be bumped with an update on the English language version of The City and Its Uncertain Walls, but thanks for that!

For some bilingual authors it seems like translation is like mastering a record, they could do it themselves but prefer to get a fresh perspective, or maybe they're just sick of working on it by that point.

I love the collection of Japanese fiction that Birnbaum edited, Monkey Brain Sushi (1990)

There is a magic to his translations of Murakami, but he was also lucky in the Murakami’s output during that era was just superior, too. Birnbaum says that he would decline to translate Murakami’s new works

Reading “ Norwegian Wood” and of my god, the woman the protagonist gets involved with at university is so profoundly unlikeable that I’m repulsed. But I’m gonna finish this thing

I think what bothers me is that I can be a lot like the protagonist- overly agreeable, easily persuaded, eager to make the tiger person happy

The movie adaptation is free on Tubi, currently.

Not sure it's a great film but god some of the cinematography is so goddam romantic.

I like Greenwood's score (and the CAN tracks) but the film is a dud for me.

Seeing this in the Seattle Library catalog - 街とその不確かな壁 (Machi to sono futashika na kabe). Google translates to “The City and its Uncertain Walls”. Would figure translating/refining now for 2024 release?

Browsing at the bookstore and overheard this young woman berating Murakami for his sexism to this guy. Did giggle but I do think this stuff will sink without trace quite quickly.