I definitely see the merit in criticisms of his work for being repetitive/derivative. However I have to say that this is one of my favorite books. Read it once in high school and again in college. Each time it seems to offer something different. The way Murakami blends Eastern symbolism with Western literary structure gives the book a lot of mystery while still being really interesting. It's basically DFW without all the self-doubt and pretension.
I find a lot of parallels with Siddhartha in the whole physical/mental journey aspect. But after all I'm just a linguistics major, what do you think /lit/?
Japanese Borges is pretty ok.
>>7716156
I like it too but I still think the ending is a huge anti-climax.
Also, Hard-Boile Wonderland and the End of the World is his real masterpiece.
>>7716162
Definitely agree with the ending being anti-climactic, but I think that's part of it. Just reread the last page to remind me of it. I think it's all part of Kafka realizing that he's just a normal teenage boy. He went on the same sort of emotional/mental journey that everyone has to go through. Even if his background isn't typical (Oedipus allusions), he's symbolically killed all that. He's got the painting and the music with him on the train back to the real world--the keys to realizing his identity, which is what he set out to do in the first place.
You know, I really wish Murakami tried something "new" for once. I really like him as an author and his books are fun, but they're a little too similar to each other.
He seems healthy though so he could still churn out his magnum opus.
>>7716204
Ive read three of his books. Basically he cooks for a while, takes a nap, listens to some classical music, smells books, meets a sad girl who might kill herself, comments on pretty ears, feels sad but then everything turns out sort of ok, maybe
>>7716204
>>7716394
I think he is pretty uncreative when it comes to his main characters if I'm being honest, but I like the character he uses so it doesn't bug me that much. I just love the journeys he takes me on, Kafka on the Shore especially was so dreamlike and transcendental the whole way through.
I would love if his magnum opus was still ahead of him, but I'm afraid that he's headed downhill. I haven't read it, but from what I understand 1Q84 wasn't received too well.
I've read Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood, and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and so far Kafka was my favorite, I'm hoping that Hard Boiled or one of his others will be as good as Kafka was.
>>7716664
I thought people liked 1Q84 but not his new one?
>>7716394
dont forget the cats
