One Minute Murakami

[asgarddrambo]

1.12

[yodwadre]

Syla !!

[AngelofHell1311]

I started two days ago with Afterdark, the story was so intense , but once you have started you feel like floatng a river. The story left a deep impression on myself, that i am still shaked by it in the very moment^^

[goatcheeseism]

Personally I think that this book isn't a great way to start raeding Murakami. but it's a good book :)

[o0Affinity0o]

My favourite was After Dark. I just love the feel of the story....how each short story connects to the next to create an almost novel like effect. He is a very talented writer, that's for sure.

[jamiswallis]

Bearly know each other? Are they not married?

[gomika]

I had the same exact version of "The Elephant Vanishes" in my hands on one of my trips to USA but I didn't have enough money and had to drop it at the last minute. I hadn't been able to buy any Haruki Murakami books until a few days ago when for my birthday a friend got me the spanish translation of Kafka on The Shore. I'm loving it so much and your video reminded me of the short story collection and I'll try to get it online now. =) Thanks!

[applish]

thanks for the video, I absolutely love his stuff. I've been looking around but haven't found anybody near his writing. Any authors to recommend?

[IchigoNoShoujo]

This is the next book I'm going to read. I absolutely adore Murakami.

I've started with "Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World", then I read "Kafka on the Shore", which was really great. "South of the Border, West of the Sun" was also fantastic, but what I liked even more was "Norwegian Wood". This story is absolutely amazing, I could read it again and again.

I'm curious about the vanishing elephant now, but I'm sure it'll be wonderful too. :D

[siprevolution]

i really loved this book.

i liked the story of the elephant factory and dancing dwarf the most.

[Paul186]

Just discovered the cat-will check out that book.

Thanks! Good review!

[jmeexun]

my favourite is "dance dance dance"

[vivaskove]

good intro! I started with his norwegian woods. it was a long reading I had to say, not only the pace of the story was slow, but also it was very into oneself, kinda seperating oneself from the real world to look at it...very chill...it really relaxed your mind, there was always the sea breeze, moody jazz, black humors and echos of the mind. I've read this bakery story, one of the funny ones, my fav would be "sputnik sweetheart", "kafka on the shore", now reading his blind willow, sleeping woman

[CrashSolo]

I started Kafka on the shore last year, but i was very busy at the time, and had to set it down for a couple weeks, and then i had kind of lost the thread of it, so I decided that I would simply wait until I could dedicate some time to it - now that you've reminded me of it, I'll have to shift it to the top of my to read pile again!

[tiestoisu]

@vivaskove you need to read The Wind Up Chronicle! I personally think it's his best one. When he talks about Imperial Japan in China, it leaves me breathless.

[isecret]

thanks! i'm going to check this out..i'm currently reading Kafka On The Shore...and read Norwegian Wood last year. im interested in reading more of his work.

[1Chime]

the dancing dwarf, tv people, the little green monster are my most favourites from the book ♥

[KingSizedSarah]

I'm reading this book for my world literature class. So far, I really like Barn Burning and TV People.

[wolsod]

Almost every novel I've read.His words is guide leading you

[wolsod]

I love murakami and u looks like sylar

[CrashSolo]

I look like Sylar. Thanks... i think...

[khoihq]

Murakami's collection of short stories are all intersting and some set the background for his novel

[sgtpepita]

nice

[jettyke]

my favourite is burning the barns and dancing dwarf. nice thing that you are doing these videos, thanks. although i have read all his books available in english:D

[CrashSolo]

Thanks for the comment - the barn burning story was another one that I particularly enjoyed, and I'm thinking it might be time to go back and read through some of my favorite stories again!

[CrashSolo]

I've heard of Yukio Mishima, but not the other two - I'll have to look and see if my library has any of their works - I'm always looking for good authors!

[mitsubishi777]

In that book, I like "The Wind-up Bird And Tuesday's Women" best.

I guess Murakami's literature more fits with English than Japanese. At least, his style in English is more natural than original edition. I'm not good at Englsh very much, though.

[CrashSolo]

That's the story that later became "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle," correct? I haven't read that one yet, but I loved that story and everyone says it's one of his best novels. Who are your favorite Japanese authors?

[mitsubishi777]

Correct. I also haven't read that one yet, though. I am going to read it late in my life.

My favorite Japanese authors are Yukio Mishima, Takeshi kaiko, Haruki Murakami, and Ryotaro Shiba. Ryotaro Shiba is not famous in foreign countries. He is a historical novelist. His style is similar to Frederick Forsyth in a way.

[CrashSolo]

This is something I've always found a little convoluted about books by Japanese authors, that the surname and first name are in the opposite order than in the West, so if my name is Crash Solo here, it's Solo Crash in Japan. Sometimes the original order is maintained when an author's work is translated, and sometimes it isn't. For my purpose - to introduce Western audiences to Haruki Murakami, it almost doesn't matter - he'll be on the shelf at Murakami, surname or not. Thanks!

[sleeperx9]

You know, of course, that his surname is not Murakami, but Haruki.

[KekOffensive]

you butcher his first name

[CrashSolo]

ah, well - that's a risk i always take, i suppose - how would you pronounce it?

[cutiepie36atlc]

It's pronounced like "ha-ru-ki" with the 'r' sounding like an l/d. When you pronounce the 'r,' your tongue touches the back of your teeth. Does this make sense?

[dandredger]

check out my adaptation of 'on seeing the 100% perfect girl". let me know your thoughts.

[CrashSolo]

Thanks for your video response - it's the first one I've ever gotten to a post. It's a nice adaptation of the story - there appear to be many adaptations of this story floating around out there, short films, manga, etc. I'm curious about the copyright on the story - I'm not familiar with Japanese copyright law regarding translations and adaptations, but the proliferation of adaptations would lead me to think that it's not as restrictive as US law in that regards. Anyone know?

[anasghost]

I love this! One minute critic.

I haven't read that one. I'm reading "Kafka on the shore" at the moment.

Murakami's books are so beautiful.

"friendsofthefruitsof": please get a life and stop writing posts on videos of Murakami if you don't like him.

[Bambolina07]

I loved almost ALL of Murakami's books and stories.

[CrashSolo]

Thanks for the comment - most people who discover Murakami seem to have that same opinion, though obviously there are those who dissent. Ah, well! Thanks for watching!

[noframeofreference]

Dance dance dance is excellent. Love his books but tend to leave a long time between reading them, if read in quick succession can seem a bit similar. Far better than last years vastly overated British novel "The raw shark texts" which read like a Murakami rip off.

[CrashSolo]

Thanks for the comment - i haven't read Dance Dance Dance yet, but I'll put it on my list (which is getting far too long - i need a vacation so i can read them all.)

[friendsofthefruitsof]

wow someone is ripping off the rip off? You should read Abe Kobo for a truly mind bending experience. you will suddenly think Murakami is vastly over rated and over discussed.

[CrashSolo]

I started reading the Abe story about the guy with radishes growing out of his shins, and it looked mind-bending, but I wasn't in the mood, so I put it down again. Depending on your perspective, literature is all rip-offs - Shakespeare stole many plots and some of his lines from other playwrights, but he improved upon them so we forgive him. Every author builds on those that came before - even Abe, I imagine.

[TheSullenWallflower]

haven't read any of his short stories yet. i'm really glad i came across his books though, he writes very beautiful and surreal-like stories.

[CrashSolo]

Thanks for commenting - i agree, Murakami does an excellent job with the surreal. My favorite of his novels so far is "Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End Of The World," but i have "The Wind Up Bird Chronicle" on me to-read list.

[friendsofthefruitsof]

how many times can his characters' love interests be un-memorable and neither good not bad jsut average? He tends to repeat everythign and grates by the 5th story, if you can actually get that far. For a better read try "Beyond the Curve, a far more engrossing read and a little more to gnaw on, and fill you up.

[CrashSolo]

I don't find the love interests of Murakami's characters to be unmemorable - quite the opposite. Murakami does an excellent job working with the absurd and the banal, layering familiar situations and themes with odd, fantastical environments and characters. Another of my favorites in the book is the story "Sleep," in which a young wife discovers she no longer needs sleep. The story explores her psyche in subtle, chilling ways and the abrupt ending is more memorable than most thrillers.

[friendsofthefruitsof]

Ha that one her husband is "strange looking" yet no discernible features. it is trite. he just recycles his little scenes. his works are very formulaic and light weight. Try reading Beyond the Curve. Once you read a few of Japans heavy hitters, you ought to grow out of your Murakami phase.

[CrashSolo]

You're welcome! He's one of my favorites - i'll have to review some more of his soon.

[rodgerswan]

indeed, i love murakami and this is a great collection of work to get introduced to this wonderful author. thanks for spreading the good word!