Recent readings - Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami - what a discovery! He was probably read a lot in Asia and before coming here I had no idea who this man was. I've read two novels recently and both were page turners. His descriptions of things are so vivid, there's suspense, sex, science-fiction, sheep men, Johnny Walker and so much more weird yet interesting elements. Also very interesting is how he always mentions music in his books; if you're familiar with the songs (classical or pop) it adds an element to the reading. There is symbolism to be found that is for once not annoying to me. It's pop literature at its best - and you don't need to be Japanese to appreciate it either!

	Kafka on the Shore (2002) Kafka, 15 years old, leaves his father's place to find his mother and sister. Nakata, whom we follow in the even chapters, is an old man that talks to cats and sets himself a mission to find lost cats. Both souls will somehow connect / converge as the novel progresses and we are not sure if any of it is real. Surprisingly enough, it's those moments of unreality that makes the novel so interesting. We are constantly wondering what the message is (if any!) while being entertained.
	Dance Dance Dance (1988) A commercial writer, a sheep man, a one-armed poet, a thirteen year old girl with the gift of clairvoyance, lots of sex and murder as well! Really a novel about alienation, finding love and human connection. Enjoyed it and I felt that Murakami had fun writing it too!
	Norwegian Wood (1987) Toru Watanabe hears the song Norwegian Wood (Beatles song by the way) and reminisce about the 60s and his university days. He befriended two girls, both very different from each other. One, Naoko, ends up in a sanatorium following the suicide of one of their close friend, while the other, Midori, is this girl that has no inhibitions whatsoever! A novel about finding love and the meaning of it, about alienation and sticking to your principles. There are many references to music and literature in this novel. I often felt the need to either find the song and listen to it (and believe me there are many) and also learn about some books that I've never read (like The Great Gatsby).