Sorry, I’m late
I was supposed to post a billet about Norwegian Wood today, following the schedule of our book club meetings. Work has been a bit hectic these last weeks; I’m too tired to read Murakami at night. The weekends have been busy and the truth is I haven’t finished the book. I don’t think anyone woke up this morning thinking “I’m looking forward to reading Emma’s billet on Murakami today” so I should let myself off the hook. Who cares? Unfortunately, meeting deadlines is part of my cultural and professional DNA. So I’m uncomfortable with it and I can’t help it, no matter how much rational thinking I put into it.
Anyway. What about Murakami? Hmmm, I might be exhausted but I believe the book would be finished by now if I really liked it. I’m starting to think that Murakami is a literary Depardieu. Excellent but some way he starts writing some Murakami instead of writing books, just as Depardieu plays Depardieu instead of roles now. Do I make sense? We’ll see if I get more thrilled by the second half of the book than I am now.
I hope this billet finds you well and I’ll tell you more about Norwegian Wood by the end of the month.
Book Around the Corner 
“the book would be finished by now if I really liked it.” I know what you mean. Just recently I read a short book (Winesburg, Ohio) that seemed to take much, much longer then I would have expected. Looking back, I enjoyed it…but it was harder going than it should have been. It wasn’t what I was expecting and that threw me off.
I must admit I’ve never been interested in reading Muakami, so I’m curious to see what you make of him.
“Depardieu plays Depardieu” – they say this about De Niro these days as well.
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Where did I heard about that book? Did you mention it already?
There are two Murakami reviews on my blog, if you’re interested.
It’s strange how actors come to caricature themselves sometimes.
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Not sure Emma, but it fits in with the “small town USA” thing that was mentioned in your Watson review. This is the prototypical “small town” book, a series of tales about the people and doings of a fictional midwestern spot in the early 20th century. Well worth a look.
I’ll check your other Murakami reviews.
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I remember now, thanks.
I have mixed responses to Murakami.
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Talking about how actors can become caricatures of themselves, I was talked into watching The Expendables and was told that one of its chief merits is its tongue-in-cheek treatment of seasoned action heroes. I couldn’t take it and found it absurd even though that is supposedly one of the film’s many charms.
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Leroy: I started Trollope’s The Vicar of Bullhampton last month. It’s over 600 pages and I’m reading a chapter at night. Just enjoying it slowly
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I also feel with some books that no matter how tired, they’ll somehow manage to grab me anyway. I’ve only read two Murakami’s so far and didn’t come to the same conclusion yet but I think I know what you mean. Repetitive elements used to make sure we know he is very original. Sort of?
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More repetitive elements from one book to the other.
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You make perfect sense, Emma.
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I rather like Murakami, but I admit my favourite of his didn’t contain a single weird or surrreal element. It does sound like this one isn’t connecting.
When I’m exhausted then no matter how much I may like a book I can’t finish it. There’s been times that damaged my reading of books I rated very highly indeed. I try to plan for it now, but one can’t always of course.
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This one doesn’t have surreal elements, but I find it rather dull.
I try to plan it too. No Proust for me at the moment, I’d like to read La prisonnière though. So I pick short books and I’m going to turn to easy crime fiction.
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I see that you’re signed up for the Japanese Literature Challenge 6, and that makes me so happy! I’m here to officially welcome you, and I look forward to your thoughts on Murakami as well as whomever else you may read. I, also, have to get to Norwegian Wood.
I know what you mean when you say he writes Murakami, it’s true! He sometimes loses me in his thoughts, but then I once read an interview with him where he said the reader should be ‘wide open to possibility’ and that comforted me. The teacher in me didn’t have to look for the correct answer any more. 😉
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Thanks for your message, Bellezza.
That’s not how I feel about Murakami but I’m going to write the post, I finished reading it now.
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Depardieu is one of many of a long list of actors who now “play themselves” I never thought of this in terms of writers. I have not yet read Murakami but I am pondering as to who else might qualify. As much as I love him perhaps Philip Roth.
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I wouldn’t say that about Philip Roth. He doesn’t remind me of a Depardieu, more of a literary Woody Allen.
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