Week 4- Pre-emptive strike...talking about an unfinished book

Just so the week doesn't pass unblogged, a few preemptive words on Haruki Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. At present I'm not very far in (i.e. a bit over 100 pages of a 600 page novel) but I have a long train trip this arvo so will be further in by the end of the day.

Many of you may be asking who is Haruki Murakami and why would Clare choose a book by a Japanese author for her month (now three months) of novel reading fun. Those of you in the know will consider these stupid questions as why wouldn't you want to read a Murakami novel. Murakumi is one of Japanese most popular writers and his novel, Norwegian Wood, is one of the most widely read Japanese novel in both Japan and internationally (the film adaptation will be out later this year and having seen it at this year's Sydney film festival, I can say it is a pretty good interpretation of the text and definitely worth seeing). Norwegian Wood, which I read whilst overseas last year, was not the first Murakami novel I read. The first Murakami novel I read was the truly beguiling Kafka on the Shore and if you asked me why I was drawn to read it, I honestly couldn't tell you. Full of magic realism (at times even magic surrealism (claiming ownership of that term from the get go by the way- need to find a way to work it into the thesis)), heartfelt and just brilliantly written, it blew me away and I've been committed ever since then to reading more Murakami- a word of warning before you all rush out and buy Kafka on the Shore, there is a scene in the novel that is beyond traumatising for animal lovers and which counts as the only time I've had to put a book down and take a breather because it was just too stomach churning (yes good ol' super desensitised to violence me who powered through Clockwork Orange without pause and loves her Tarantino films). Norwegian Wood with its simple yet beautiful love story without an obvious touch of the surreal was a bit of a surprise when I read it. Unlike Kafka on the Shore it is novel that I would recommend to anyone as it is highly accessible and quite emotionally gripping.

So there is the main answer to any who ask why Murakami. The other shorter and less meaningful answer is that there is a $12.95 Vintage Classics edition of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

At this early stage, I've already discovered that The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is more in the vein of Kafka on the Shore than Norwegian Wood. It is quite strange at present but not in a bad way. It continues Murakami's obsession with water- which plays a central role in Kafka on the Shore and a minor role in Norwegian Wood- and cats- again central in Kafka on the Shore. The main character is a bit of an everyman (albeit an unemployed everyman) but the other characters are an odd mix. Most of the odd characters the main character has encountered thus far are female which will likely prove interesting- Norwegian Wood had an intriguing bunch of female characters but Kafka on the Shore was mainly about men ...and cats so it will be fun to compare. 

So far I'm enjoying the book and I must say I adore the idea that the book takes its title from- that there is a bird that lives near the main character and his wife that makes a noise that sounds like it is winding up for the spring. Can't wait to get to the end and see if like Kafka on the Shore, it becomes a book that is profound but deeply confusing and which I have to make a mental note to reread in order to understand better (Murakami has said that the key to understanding Kafka on the Shore is to reread it many times).

Next time, more on Murakami and maybe a bit of Conan Doyle.