Anyone read 1Q84?

[MixMasterLar]

Title says it: Anyone here heard/read this? I have and it's an interesting read (Although admittedly maybe not for the reasons the author intended

Haruki Marakami's 1Q84---and the few other books I've read of his---have the absolute most kickass premise, and is so good in setting up the scenarios and plot that I resent the fact that the writer clearly never knows how to end a story. I find them interesting in that they show how to make someone care about what's going on while still highlighting what NOT to do while writing a book. This, and Spuknik Sweetheart, where actually good reads although they are not good stories.

thoughts?

[infinity.]

i read after dark, don't know if that's relevant, but murakami is always pushing boundaries, dude was a sick runner too ++

[MixMasterLar]

I just got that one in the mail! Can't wait to have a good solid afternoon to read it.

I've only read 1Q84, Spuknik Sweetheart, and South of the Border West of the Sun. I have After Dark and that's the next novel that gets read (And then Ayn Rand). He has a collection of short stories that I want to get.

I know Kefka on the Shore is considered his best, but I haven't even seen it yet.

[infinity.]

Originally Posted by MixMasterLar

I just got that one in the mail! Can't wait to have a good solid afternoon to read it.

I've only read 1Q84, Spuknik Sweetheart, and South of the Border West of the Sun. I have After Dark and that's the next novel that gets read (And then Ayn Rand). He has a collection of short stories that I want to get.

I know Kefka on the Shore is considered his best, but I haven't even seen it yet.

kafka (unless there are multiple ways to spell/pronounce it), but iunno if a single work has ever been universally attributed as his best. kafka and the wind-up bird chronicle are typically his two most well known, and i'd say they're both definitely worth reading.

after dark is a super fast read and incredibly fulfilling. i wrote an essay for school on how the japanese concept of ukiyo, or floating world played into the story, might be something cool to think about while you're reading

oh also COLOR and MUSIC are incredibly important themes that might be skipped unless carefully observed

have you read any kawabata or oe? those would be natural progressions to follow up on after murakami.. infinite jest too :P

[MixMasterLar]

I haven't read any of them, don't think I've heard of them lol (But Oe is vaguely familiar to me) I'll have to look for them though.

After Dark is fulfilling? Awesome. Kind of was expecting the ending to suck kind of like some of the others lol. I love the stories, but they don't end too well.

[infinity.]

Originally Posted by MixMasterLar

I haven't read any of them, don't think I've heard of them lol (But Oe is vaguely familiar to me) I'll have to look for them though.

After Dark is fulfilling? Awesome. Kind of was expecting the ending to suck kind of like some of the others lol. I love the stories, but they don't end too well.

so murakami like most japanese authors isn't one to really close the knots, but that can be part of the beauty of the story.. after dark's ending is particularly engaging so that'll be good

and yeah, just some stuff for whenever you may have time. what are some of your other authors you read?

[MixMasterLar]

I can't say I was ever much into reading so they are very limited. I tend to just buy books by different authors or read the classics.

I will admit, as mainstream it is to say it I am a Stephen King fan. Man truly knows his craft. I also enjoyed Jules Vern's unedited ones back in the day. O.S Card had a decent run, but he's more hit-and-miss. (I LOVE the hell out of Speaker for the Dead, but for some reason Xenocide just didn't make me care. It is time I tried it again though. Sometimes I just have to wait on a book for it to be enjoyable)

Otherwise I am much more familiar with video games lol

[infinity.]

Originally Posted by MixMasterLar

I can't say I was ever much into reading so they are very limited. I tend to just buy books by different authors or read the classics.

I will admit, as mainstream it is to say it I am a Stephen King fan. Man truly knows his craft. I also enjoyed Jules Vern's unedited ones back in the day. O.S Card had a decent run, but he's more hit-and-miss. (I LOVE the hell out of Speaker for the Dead, but for some reason Xenocide just didn't make me care. It is time I tried it again though. Sometimes I just have to wait on a book for it to be enjoyable)

Otherwise I am much more familiar with video games lol

japanese lit is a good place to start then (if you plan to get into reading) -- typically very modern and existential, might help wain into some american contemporaries like salinger or faulkner

but there's a lot to say about tying in video game interests to literary tastes, the games you like to can say much about what you'd like to read.

[smartdude1212]

Originally Posted by MixMasterLar

I am a Stephen King fan. Man truly knows his craft.

Amen to this. I somehow still haven't read The Dark Tower series though eeeuurgh (after I catch up with ASOIAF maybe, on book 4 now).

I just read a brief synopsis/summary from Wiki about this novel -- enough to be intrigued (which didn't take very long, admittedly). I think there's only one novel I've read that could be classified as "Japanese lit" but I suddenly don't remember what it was... I borrowed it from my friend in grade 12 because he wanted me to read it. I'm certain it had a bright pink cover. Regardless, I enjoyed it.

Besides, I love reading tomes.

[MixMasterLar]

hm... Battle Royale had a red cover, that count? lol. Read that book like 15 times when I was in high school. Shame you read anything about it first: I read it simply based off a friend saying "Get this, has elements of supernatural but grounded in reality" and enjoyed it from there. I can of feel like I'm spoiling a decent chunk by just saying what the two characters do for a living...


As far as games go, The First Metal Gear Solid was great. I like the plots and characters of some of the Final Fantasies but the translations always mess with me. Also Xenogears. ohhhhh I love almost everything about that game. Except Chu. F*ck Chu.

[smartdude1212]

Asked my friend, and it was No Longer Human that I read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Longer_Human

Sadly, I don't recall much about the book. I did enjoy it, though.

[MixMasterLar]

Originally Posted by MrPopadopalis25

I have it in my possession but I haven't gotten a chance to read it yet. I want to read 1984 first since I know the two are somewhat related.

I won't stop a man from reading Orwell but I will state that "somewhat related" kind of gives the connection too much credit. You can honestly have no clue what 1984 is and you'll still get the story. It's more of a "Hey Orwell is really good guys" kind of thing IIRC.

When they do draw any correlation, they kind of do so in the Japanese tradition of "This" ---> "so in other words" ---> "so what we got was". You'll be fine.