tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6571241725404229411.post8245780294226636879..comments2023-09-02T05:30:49.720+07:00Comments on Potpourri of Science Fiction Literature: 1991: Hard-Boiled Wonderland (Murakami, Haruki)2theDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795328679130917054noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6571241725404229411.post-64330608121875933552012-08-09T00:37:08.631+07:002012-08-09T00:37:08.631+07:00I second the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.... Although,...I second the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.... Although, I haven't read any of his other works so I'm not sure how it compares.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6571241725404229411.post-46078399888801203302012-08-08T18:29:44.666+07:002012-08-08T18:29:44.666+07:00"dangerously close to being the same book ove..."dangerously close to being the same book over and over again" - Yea, I read A Wild Sheep Chase early last year. It, indeed, had a similar feel and similar themes. I guess if I space the novels about 1-2 year apart, the similarity shouldn't annoy me. I hope to read <i>Wind-up Bird Chronicle</i>... if my friend ever returns it to me after a 17 month absence from my shelves :(2theDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14458136942599361822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6571241725404229411.post-44295997428467768222012-08-08T16:11:42.814+07:002012-08-08T16:11:42.814+07:00The reason why Murakami comes across comparatively...The reason why Murakami comes across comparatively well in translation is that his writing already is quite Americanized (to the point where his distractors' - he is, or at least used to be, I'm not quite up to date there, a very controversial figure in Japan - claim that he is not writing proper Japanese at all).<br />I have read everything by him up to <i>after the quake</i> and what I like best about his works are his weird and bizarre characters that he still somehow manages to keep on this side of plausible. My favourite of his is <i>The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle</i>, but it has to be said that all his novels are rather similar and sometimes dangerously close to being the same book over and over again. On the plus side, this means that if you enjoyed one of his novels, you will likely enjoy the others, too. Unless you overstuff yourself, that is, which is what happened to me. I'm sure I'll return to him eventually though, and catch up with what he's written in the meantime.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com