http://devilgate.org/blog/2006/03/03/book-notes-5-sputnik-sweetheart-by-haruki-murakami/ Warning: contains language from the outset Sat, 31 Mar 2012 10:39:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://devilgate.org/blog/2006/03/03/book-notes-5-sputnik-sweetheart-by-haruki-murakami/#comment-5969 sulis_minerva Sun, 05 Mar 2006 22:16:32 +0000 http://devilgate.org/blog/2006/03/03/book-notes-5-sputnik-sweetheart-by-haruki-murakami/#comment-5969 <p>I love Murakami, and I enjoyed <i>Sputnik Sweetheart</i> but I wouldn't say it was his best. The mesh of everyday and surreal sequences are common occurences in all his novels apart from <i>Norwegian Wood</i> which is a sweet book but not particuarly inspiring. <i> A Wind up Bird Chronicle</i> is my favourite but can be hard work,<i>Hard-boiled Wonderland.. </i>could be seen as an SF novel and is very beautiful and poignant at the end (it also has voracious librarians and who could resist that?).<i>A Wild Sheep Chase</i> is a noirish surreal tale but is one of his most accessible. I would say that Murakami was mostly (in that hackneyed term) "magic realism" because lazy critics aren't sure what box to put him in and if they call him that then they don't have be to concerned themselves by what his is actually doing. He's mostly interested in indentity and when considering the structure of his books I find it helpful to remember he's a jazz freak and it's sometimes structured spiralling and sometimes free expression.</p> I love Murakami, and I enjoyed Sputnik Sweetheart but I wouldn’t say it was his best. The mesh of everyday and surreal sequences are common occurences in all his novels apart from Norwegian Wood which is a sweet book but not particuarly inspiring. A Wind up Bird Chronicle is my favourite but can be hard work,Hard-boiled Wonderland.. could be seen as an SF novel and is very beautiful and poignant at the end (it also has voracious librarians and who could resist that?).A Wild Sheep Chase is a noirish surreal tale but is one of his most accessible. I would say that Murakami was mostly (in that hackneyed term) “magic realism” because lazy critics aren’t sure what box to put him in and if they call him that then they don’t have be to concerned themselves by what his is actually doing. He’s mostly interested in indentity and when considering the structure of his books I find it helpful to remember he’s a jazz freak and it’s sometimes structured spiralling and sometimes free expression.

]]> http://devilgate.org/blog/2006/03/03/book-notes-5-sputnik-sweetheart-by-haruki-murakami/#comment-5963 Martin McCallion Fri, 03 Mar 2006 15:04:06 +0000 http://devilgate.org/blog/2006/03/03/book-notes-5-sputnik-sweetheart-by-haruki-murakami/#comment-5963 <p>That's interesting. I read in one of the <cite>Guardian</cite> articles while I was looking for that review, that everyone who reades <cite>Norwegian Wood</cite> loves it. Your experience seems to agree. Maybe I should try that one next.</p> That’s interesting. I read in one of the Guardian articles while I was looking for that review, that everyone who reades Norwegian Wood loves it. Your experience seems to agree. Maybe I should try that one next.

]]> http://devilgate.org/blog/2006/03/03/book-notes-5-sputnik-sweetheart-by-haruki-murakami/#comment-5962 ang_grrr Fri, 03 Mar 2006 14:30:29 +0000 http://devilgate.org/blog/2006/03/03/book-notes-5-sputnik-sweetheart-by-haruki-murakami/#comment-5962 <p>Murakami unsettles me as an author. I find that I never know what is going to happen when I read a book. I either become completely enraptured (Norwegian Wood) satisfactorily bemused (Hard Boiled Wonderland and the edge of the world) or unable to finish the book (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle). I do love his descriptive style but sometimes it all gets a bit too odd for one.</p> Murakami unsettles me as an author. I find that I never know what is going to happen when I read a book. I either become completely enraptured (Norwegian Wood) satisfactorily bemused (Hard Boiled Wonderland and the edge of the world) or unable to finish the book (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle). I do love his descriptive style but sometimes it all gets a bit too odd for one.

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