Haruki Murakami

[deathvirtuoso]

Anyone else thinks he's devastatingly overrated? Have you read any of his works yet? If so, among those that you've read, which are your favorite(s) and least favorite(s)? What type do you think he is?

I've read After Dark, 1Q84, Norwegian Wood, The Strange Library, and South of the Border, West of the Sun. The short stories I've read are Scheherazade, Town of Cats, and Kino.

My very first book is After Dark and it's my favorite. I can't decide a least favorite because they all kind of suck, in my opinion. I'd give the books an average of 3, but I think I'm just very benevolent.

I often see people highlighting certain "deep quotes" in the book, and as much as I hate to judge, I can't help but cringe. I heard he's a representative of modern day literature... My friend adores him.

Also, I've seen him typed as INFJ and INFP. What do you think he is?

 

[Ex-User (11125)]

I kinda liked Sputnik sweetheart but it was nothing special. Kafka on the shore i found terrible and dropped about halfway through
Yeah he seems overrated, also seems to recycle same plot for most of his books
He's like a less annoying japanese version of coelho

 

[A_Scanner_Darkly]

I read Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki. Thought it was pretty vanilla, though I did enjoy the glimpse into Japanese society and daily life therein. The story had a very somber feel to it, very tragic in an understated way. You'll know what I mean if you've read it. The subtlety of it all, which is yet potent in the way it perpetually creeps behind you like your shadow, makes it so much like real life.

When I think about it, it makes me sad...ah, but all beautiful things are tinged with a dab or more of melancholy.

 

[Brontosaurie]

The one about long distance running was cheesy as fuck. "Dance dance dance" was rather enjoyable.

 

[deathvirtuoso]

I kinda liked Sputnik sweetheart but it was nothing special. Kafka on the shore i found terrible and dropped about halfway through
Yeah he seems overrated, also seems to recycle same plot for most of his books
He's like a less annoying japanese version of coelho

Hell yes, I've always thought he was the less annoying version of coelho. I read Coelho's Adultery when I was 14 and felt like shooting myself.

It's so boring to read his books. If you read one or two, it's fine. But if you read anymore, you'll soon realize this dude has no originality. I heard even copies and pastes certain paragraphs... I don't get why talking about boobs, cats, misshapen heads = a unique writing style (according to his fans). His writing style is lackluster. I don't even think he has a good "style". Not the worst writer, but definitely overrated and mundane.

 

[rainman312]

I've only read Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and I thought it was decent. Probably a 6 or 7. I think he's a decent storyteller but not an excellent writer, though his writing quality is presumably hindered by translation into English. I don't know how deep or life-changing any of it is, but it's certainly a decent read if you're looking for entertainment. Certainly not as "2deep4u" as Coelho is I don't think. Coelho tries to be literary fiction desperately while sticking to crappy generic genre fiction plots that are so trite that I actually thought I had read the book before and just couldn't remember. Murakami at least has a degree of originality.

 

[Kuu]

I have 1Q84 acquiring the delicate patina of age next to some other dozen books that some distant day will be read. Any thoughts on why it should be moved forward or backward in my queue?

 

[Ex-User (11125)]

@rainboi
Well yeah I don't know if that was a fair comparison to make, since murakami is waaaaaaaaay less preachy than coehlo. i can't really put my finger on what makes them so similar, but when I first read murakami i immediately thought "ugh. Coehlo." I need to think about this for a while I guess

@kuu
Well idk. I haven't read it. but I get the impression that even hardcore murakami fans consider IQ84 to be one his weaker works. Also the length is off putting, i wouldn't take the risk of wasting time on something potentially disappointing if i were you. There's a wealth of better AND shorter japanese literature works to binge on imo

 

[rainman312]

I have 1Q84 acquiring the delicate patina of age next to some other dozen books that some distant day will be read. Any thoughts on why it should be moved forward or backward in my queue?

I've heard 1Q84 is garbage even from people who normally love Murakami. I've heard South of the Border, West of the Sun is supposed to be a pretty good read. I might read that after I finish what I'm reading now.

Well yeah I don't know if that was a fair comparison to make, since murakami is waaaaaaaaay less preachy than coehlo. i can't really put my finger on what makes them so similar, but when I first read murakami i immediately thought "ugh. Coehlo." I need to think about this for a while I guess

I think Murakami and Coelho both try to include some fairly generic and occasionally saccharine themes (especially Coelho on the saccharinity) except Coelho is way more overt about it. He'll just flat-out say shit like "the whole universe and the magical heart of the earth will conspire to help you get what you want" while if Murakami were to do something like that, he'd actually use literary metaphors to do it. Also, I got the feeling that Coelho was either doing some batshit-insane magical thinking or was just trying to appeal to people who do. I didn't really get that feeling from Murakami. Murakami was "magical realism" whereas Coelho was just "magical".

 

[Cherry Cola]

I read Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki. Thought it was pretty vanilla, though I did enjoy the glimpse into Japanese society and daily life therein. The story had a very somber feel to it, very tragic in an understated way. You'll know what I mean if you've read it. The subtlety of it all, which is yet potent in the way it perpetually creeps behind you like your shadow, makes it so much like real life.

When I think about it, it makes me sad...ah, but all beautiful things are tinged with a dab or more of melancholy.

Wow that was really accurate and well articulated, I do know what you mean.

Personally dig him. Some of his books are meh, but most are good and several are great and profoundly impactfull. Havent read Coelho and aint gonna, are they really that similar? Feels like a kind of surface level comparison. Murakami mixes bullshit spiritual fluff with a melancholy sympathy expressed via the idealisms of his characters, especially his protagonists which tend to be stoic deadbeats, he throws in far out and sometimes also kinda random weird shit for pure effect and for the sake of creating suspense via uncertainty with spot on existential realism running through it all in a mostly subtle fashion sporadically interupted by scenes of voracity. He intentionally leaves gaps and lose ends to allow room for the readers own imagination and worldview to synthesize with his works. Feels more like David Lynch mixed with Camus than Paulo Coelho to me.

Though I get that comparison if youve happened upon one of his weaker works. 1Q84 is like 80% crap 20% ace. After Dark is meh, so is Sputnik Sweetheart and South of The Border. A wild sheep chase, the Wind up Bird Chronicles, Norwegian Wood and Dance Dance Dance are superb imo. Hardboiled Wonderland and The end of The World, Kafka on The Shore, and his latest novel are also very good. His short stories are okay, enjoyable but nothing lasting.

Dno if he is NFP or NFJ but cant picture him being anything else.

 

[Cherry Cola]

I have 1Q84 acquiring the delicate patina of age next to some other dozen books that some distant day will be read. Any thoughts on why it should be moved forward or backward in my queue?

Dont. Its not good and it drags on, like really drags on. Story is weak, characters are generic. Exceptions are far and inbetween.

 

[Ex-User (11125)]

I think Ni is evident to some degree in both authors' works
Murakami=infj
Coehlo=xsfp