Haruki Murakami

**MissyO** · 11-04-2007, 10:38 PM

So, I caved and bought one of his works, "After Dark". So far, a whole 15 pages in, it seems compulsively readable.

Figured I may as well start a thread so that we can crap on about him since quite a few of us have read his work.

**MissyO** · 11-06-2007, 08:29 AM

Awww...... Come on you bastards, say something!

**Ophelia** · 11-06-2007, 08:31 AM

Whats the book about?

**MissyO** · 11-06-2007, 08:35 AM

"From Publishers Weekly
Murakami's 12th work of fiction is darkly entertaining and more novella than novel. Taking place over seven hours of a Tokyo night, it intercuts three loosely related stories, linked by Murakami's signature magical-realist absurd coincidences. When amateur trombonist and soon-to-be law student Tetsuya Takahashi walks into a late-night Denny's, he espies Mari Asai, 19, sitting by herself, and proceeds to talk himself back into her acquaintance. Tetsuya was once interested in plain Mari's gorgeous older sister, Eri, whom he courted, sort of, two summers previously. Murakami then cuts to Eri, asleep in what turns out to be some sort of menacing netherworld. Tetsuya leaves for overnight band practice, but soon a large, 30ish woman, Kaoru, comes into Denny's asking for Mari: Mari speaks Chinese, and Kaoru needs to speak to the Chinese prostitute who has just been badly beaten up in the nearby "love hotel" Kaoru manages. Murakami's omniscient looks at the lives of the sleeping Eri and the prostitute's assailant, a salaryman named Shirakawa, are sheer padding, but the probing, wonderfully improvisational dialogues Mari has with Tetsuya, Kaoru and a hotel worker named Korogi sustain the book until the ambiguous, mostly upbeat dénouement. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved."

After Dark at Amazon

**Ophelia** · 11-06-2007, 08:42 AM

Holy...lord that sounds crazy and interesting and who can resist a book that includes an amateur trombonist, Denny's, the netherworld, overnight band practice, hotels and prostitutes?

**MissyO** · 11-06-2007, 08:46 AM

Exactly what I thought when I saw it. It was either this or the cheaper and larger short stories, but this sounded so f*cking good that it over-rid my normally tight-assed, ADD afflicted book buying style.

Apparently its a modern take on Sleeping Beauty or something, too. And aren't we all still in love with fairy tales?

**Ophelia** · 11-06-2007, 08:51 AM

YES! Now, I'm excited I've got storytime at the library at 10:30 - while the little dude is being entertained I can browse.

**MissyO** · 11-06-2007, 08:52 AM

That's the spirit! And let me tell ya, if I can get engrossed on a friggin suburban bus with 65 children screaming in the middle of the day, I tells ya, its worth browsing for!

**Ophelia** · 11-06-2007, 08:53 AM

Missy - I can't remem exactly what was going on with the cat killer in Kafka on the Shore, but I'm trying...I own that one so I'll dig it up and see if my memory gets jarred.

**Ophelia** · 11-06-2007, 08:54 AM

I swear I can read in the middle of anything...it annoys the hell out of my husband.

**MissyO** · 11-06-2007, 08:55 AM

Na, don't worry babe. Beefy and the chick I bought this book from already warned me to steer clear.

Speaking of which, where the hell is Beefy?

**Ophelia** · 11-06-2007, 09:00 AM

I dunno and he hasn't asked me to marry him in like a week so I'm a little concerned. Oh yea...he was in the sports thread a bit yesterday.

Josh loves Murakami btw - just thought I'd throw that out there before I split.

I love this forum!

**MissyO** · 11-06-2007, 09:04 AM

^ And I love you. Hey, I'll offer to marry you if you're going through withdrawls. But no funny business. I'm not into that shlt.

And what does Josh recommend? Has he ever picked a fav?

Jocasta · 11-06-2007, 09:44 AM

Missy, part of an interview with Josh;

**MissyO** · 11-06-2007, 09:49 AM

^ AH, I remember seeing that before. Thanks for the hook up, its like Josh is a part of our new forum here, giving us great reviews like that!

And from the little I've read of "After Dark" I'm seeing it as perfect for being made into a movie.

Jocasta · 11-06-2007, 10:01 AM

Thanks! It's nice to have another man in the Book Club.

**MissyO** · 11-06-2007, 10:09 AM

He's definitely an honourary member.

**Ophelia** · 11-06-2007, 01:33 PM

*sigh* that article is.so.hot.

**MissyO** · 11-07-2007, 04:07 PM

Ophelia, did you end up checking it out? I'm half way through, and still enjoying it immensely. It's light reading for me, but good.

**Ophelia** · 11-07-2007, 05:58 PM

I checked out something else out by him, not that they didn't have it so I ordered it. Can't remem the name of what I got. I did get Farewell to Arms.

11-04-2007, 10:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
MissyO Perennially Disgruntled Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,051 My Profile	Haruki Murakami So, I caved and bought one of his works, "After Dark". So far, a whole 15 pages in, it seems compulsively readable. Figured I may as well start a thread so that we can crap on about him since quite a few of us have read his work.

11-07-2007, 05:58 PM	#20 (permalink)
Ophelia JOHO Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Joshtopia Posts: 6,893 My Profile	I checked out something else out by him, not that they didn't have it so I ordered it. Can't remem the name of what I got. I did get Farewell to Arms. Last edited by Ophelia : 11-08-2007 at 08:09 AM.

11-06-2007, 08:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
MissyO Perennially Disgruntled Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,051 My Profile	Awww...... Come on you bastards, say something!

11-06-2007, 08:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
Ophelia JOHO Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Joshtopia Posts: 6,893 My Profile	Whats the book about?

11-06-2007, 08:35 AM	#4 (permalink)
MissyO Perennially Disgruntled Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,051 My Profile	"From Publishers Weekly Murakami's 12th work of fiction is darkly entertaining and more novella than novel. Taking place over seven hours of a Tokyo night, it intercuts three loosely related stories, linked by Murakami's signature magical-realist absurd coincidences. When amateur trombonist and soon-to-be law student Tetsuya Takahashi walks into a late-night Denny's, he espies Mari Asai, 19, sitting by herself, and proceeds to talk himself back into her acquaintance. Tetsuya was once interested in plain Mari's gorgeous older sister, Eri, whom he courted, sort of, two summers previously. Murakami then cuts to Eri, asleep in what turns out to be some sort of menacing netherworld. Tetsuya leaves for overnight band practice, but soon a large, 30ish woman, Kaoru, comes into Denny's asking for Mari: Mari speaks Chinese, and Kaoru needs to speak to the Chinese prostitute who has just been badly beaten up in the nearby "love hotel" Kaoru manages. Murakami's omniscient looks at the lives of the sleeping Eri and the prostitute's assailant, a salaryman named Shirakawa, are sheer padding, but the probing, wonderfully improvisational dialogues Mari has with Tetsuya, Kaoru and a hotel worker named Korogi sustain the book until the ambiguous, mostly upbeat dénouement. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved." After Dark at Amazon

11-06-2007, 08:42 AM	#5 (permalink)
Ophelia JOHO Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Joshtopia Posts: 6,893 My Profile	Holy...lord that sounds crazy and interesting and who can resist a book that includes an amateur trombonist, Denny's, the netherworld, overnight band practice, hotels and prostitutes?

11-06-2007, 08:46 AM	#6 (permalink)
MissyO Perennially Disgruntled Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,051 My Profile	Exactly what I thought when I saw it. It was either this or the cheaper and larger short stories, but this sounded so f*cking good that it over-rid my normally tight-assed, ADD afflicted book buying style. Apparently its a modern take on Sleeping Beauty or something, too. And aren't we all still in love with fairy tales?

11-06-2007, 08:51 AM	#7 (permalink)
Ophelia JOHO Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Joshtopia Posts: 6,893 My Profile	YES! Now, I'm excited I've got storytime at the library at 10:30 - while the little dude is being entertained I can browse.

11-06-2007, 08:52 AM	#8 (permalink)
MissyO Perennially Disgruntled Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,051 My Profile	That's the spirit! And let me tell ya, if I can get engrossed on a friggin suburban bus with 65 children screaming in the middle of the day, I tells ya, its worth browsing for!

11-06-2007, 08:53 AM	#9 (permalink)
Ophelia JOHO Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Joshtopia Posts: 6,893 My Profile	Missy - I can't remem exactly what was going on with the cat killer in Kafka on the Shore, but I'm trying...I own that one so I'll dig it up and see if my memory gets jarred.

11-06-2007, 08:54 AM	#10 (permalink)
Ophelia JOHO Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Joshtopia Posts: 6,893 My Profile	I swear I can read in the middle of anything...it annoys the hell out of my husband.

11-06-2007, 08:55 AM	#11 (permalink)
MissyO Perennially Disgruntled Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,051 My Profile	Na, don't worry babe. Beefy and the chick I bought this book from already warned me to steer clear. Speaking of which, where the hell is Beefy?

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

11-06-2007, 09:00 AM	#12 (permalink)
Ophelia JOHO Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Joshtopia Posts: 6,893 My Profile	I dunno and he hasn't asked me to marry him in like a week so I'm a little concerned. Oh yea...he was in the sports thread a bit yesterday. Josh loves Murakami btw - just thought I'd throw that out there before I split. I love this forum!

11-06-2007, 09:04 AM	#13 (permalink)
MissyO Perennially Disgruntled Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,051 My Profile	^ And I love you. Hey, I'll offer to marry you if you're going through withdrawls. But no funny business. I'm not into that shlt. And what does Josh recommend? Has he ever picked a fav?

11-06-2007, 09:44 AM	#14 (permalink)
Jocasta Joshtopian Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 17,424 My Profile	Missy, part of an interview with Josh;

11-06-2007, 09:49 AM	#15 (permalink)
MissyO Perennially Disgruntled Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,051 My Profile	^ AH, I remember seeing that before. Thanks for the hook up, its like Josh is a part of our new forum here, giving us great reviews like that! And from the little I've read of "After Dark" I'm seeing it as perfect for being made into a movie.

11-06-2007, 10:01 AM	#16 (permalink)
Jocasta Joshtopian Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 17,424 My Profile	Thanks! It's nice to have another man in the Book Club.

11-06-2007, 10:09 AM	#17 (permalink)
MissyO Perennially Disgruntled Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,051 My Profile	He's definitely an honourary member.

11-06-2007, 01:33 PM	#18 (permalink)
Ophelia JOHO Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Joshtopia Posts: 6,893 My Profile	sigh that article is.so.hot.

11-07-2007, 04:07 PM	#19 (permalink)
MissyO Perennially Disgruntled Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,051 My Profile	Ophelia, did you end up checking it out? I'm half way through, and still enjoying it immensely. It's light reading for me, but good.