The Song Fight Bulletin Board

this has nothing to do with the real Kafka, i think it's Japanese for 'crow'

This is the second one I've read by him so far, and for the first time I actually bookmarked a couple of pages so I could go back to them later. I really like the way he'll take a break from the storyline for a moment to mull something over, like his thoughts on the imperfections in music (Schubert's specifically, but I think I got what he meant).

The two main characters are pretty odd in their own way, and I sort of liked the way they never actually met but there's a chapter where their sidekicks meet which was cool. The things that happen in Murakami's books couldn't happen to anybody though and I liked getting this slanted perspective on all this stuff.

One other thing is that he has a tendency towards sci-fi but it's demonstrated really subtly in his books; there are a couple of occurences which frankly have no decent explanation and it's like instead of diving into this crazy 'other' world he just scratches the surface. That has the effect of maintaining the story's integrity but making you think "what exactly is going on?......maybe I'd rather not know".

I'd be interested to know if anyone's read anything by Murakami. I heard that 'Underground' was worth checking out (despite being non-fiction).

I found 'Underground' a little tedious, to be honest.

The Wind Up Bird Chronicle' is very good. I recommend it. I also have 'Norwegian Wood' (the cool edition with the two small books in the gold box), but I haven't read it.

I'd like to read 'Underground', which covers the same subject I spent a fair amount of time singing about on some early Songfight entries.

I absolutely LOVE Murakami!

I've not read Underground, or his complete short stories, but I think I've read all his US-released novels.

Wind-Up bird remains my favorite of his books, but I like them all.

Wild Sheep Chase and Dance Dance Dance (Dance Dance Dance is a sequel to Wild Sheep Chase. Sort Of) have a lot of the off-kilter "realist surrealism" of Kafka on the Shore.

Of his books, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World is the closest to being straight-up sci-fi, although, "straight-up sci-fi" it really isn't. I drunkenly declared my love for Jorges Luis Borges in another forum, and HBWaTEOTW is very Borges-esque.

Sputnik Sweetheart is another of my faves.

Nowegian Wood is good, but very sad, and less "experimental" than his other naratives.

So!

My top 5:

Wind Up Bird Chronicle
Wild Sheep Chase and Dance Dance Dance (I'm cheating...but you know)
Kafka on the Shore
Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Sputnik Sweetheart

... And read Ficciones or Labyrinths by Borges too!

"Hard Boiled Wonderland..." and "The Elephant Vanishes" are both wonderful, in my not so humble opinion.

As is Ryu Murakami's "Coin Locker Babies".

Though Kobo Abe ("The Box Man", "Kangaroo Notebook", "The Ruined Map", "The Ark Sakura", and more) is the author I return to again and again, when I'm in the mood for that freaky groove.

Rabid Garfunkel wrote:"Hard Boiled Wonderland..." and "The Elephant Vanishes" are both wonderful, in my not so humble opinion..

Should it ever be revived, I reccommend seeing the complicite stage version of 'Elephant Vanishes' - now there's a ride and a half -so dynamic, half theatre, half installation art.

[/shocking arty-art reference. For now.]

I haven't seen the stage version of the Elephant Vanishes... but I did see a decent play that combined two of his short stories from After the Quake. It was pretty good, although one of the actors was kinda weak. If the Elephant ever manages to disappear from Portland, I'll definitely check it out.

But that's not really why I wanted to post! It occurs to me in the midst of this Murakami musing that I meant to ask over in the movie forum if anyone had seen the Murakami adaptation "Tony Takitani" yet. If so, is it good?

Thanks for the other Japanese lit Rec's RG! I'll add them to my "grocery list."

Sounds like it's time for another trip to Powells!

I was hoping this would give me some ideas for what to read next. Wind-up bird Chronicle it is.

Thanks for the Borges recommendations, guys. I'm in the middle of Ficciones right now, and it's beautiful stuff. So fastidious, so precise.