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[mouzie]

Funny thing with books, recently.

A week ago I was at my parents', and they took me to a bookstore so I could choose a birthday present for myself. On one of the shelves I noticed Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss. The author's name, the title and the cover seemed just right, so I thought that's something I'd like to read. But I decided to

Comments

[joylita]

I have always wanted to read Murakami, and I took baby steps into Jap literature just recently. Starting with Kazuo Ishiguro's When we were Orphans and then Murakami's The wind-up Bird Chronicle.

Any suggestions on how to go about with Murakami? :)

[mouzie]

I'm not sure if I read something Japanese before, except for comic books. I rarely remember writer's nationality, except for situations when it's important for the story. To be perfectly honest, even surnames and titles keep slipping from my mind. I remember only stories.

I'm reading my first Murakami's novel, Dance, dance, dance, and I can already say it won't by my last. I'm not even in the middle, and I like it very much. The story is surreal and complicated, and the main theme is (as far as I can say without finishing it) looking for will to live and joy of life. But it doesn't really matter - it's one of these funny books in which the actual plot is not of a big importance, even though it's interesting. The reason why I keep reading it with pleasure is that I simply like the main character and I enjoy his company. I like the atmosphere of this book. Reading it is like going to a place I like, which makes me feel safe and comfortable, with someone I know and like to spend time with. It doesn't matter what the conversation is

[joylita]

Actually it does.

I can vouch you will like Salim Sinai and his travails in Midnight's Children. It's connected with India's history...India gained independence at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947 and Salim Sinai was born at precisely that moment. The tale twines, intertwines, ravels and unravels and Rushdie meanders through it all with such consummate ease, I found it hard not to fall in love with the book and everything about it.

In Ground beneath her feet, it is Umeed(Urdu for hope) at the helm of affairs- a photographer in love with a childhood friend. Complexities come matter-of-factly to Rushdie; simplicity is what is left for us to find in there.

[joylita]

I'm just reading Murakami's "Kafka on the shore", my first Murakami's book and I think it's great. Although I'm only at page 400 out of 600 I can already say, that I recommend it very strongly. So I guess that the gentleman, although sophisticated, as he may have been, wasn't right about Murakami. It's different kind of literature, very unique and very Japanese at the same time, and it requires open mind. But it's defenetely worth rading.

[anonymous]

Ehmm... zeby jeszcze Rushdi sam stosowal wlasne rady. "Dzieci polnocy" do nowelek ciezko zaliczyc.;)

Y.