/lit/ - Literature

Empty fools falling into these traps with the idea of a love which does not exist, not just the lover themself but the entire fantasy behind the meaning of love.

You want to have a girl who is emotionally damaged to be your lover?

Of all the ways that this novel has affected me, the strangest might be that every now and then I get a craving for cucumbers dipped in soy sauce.

>>1960291
You don't?

Looking to check out Murakami. Where's the best place to start?

the movie version was better.

>>1960298
None of his books. Avoid this hack.

>>1960308

Why's that?

>>1960298
The Wind Up Bird Chronicle is probably the best place to start. Norwegian Wood is quite a bit different from his other works in that it is a pure realist story.

I'd also recommend some of his short fiction if the length of Wind Up is too intimidating. The collection "The Elephant Vanishes" is quite good.

>>1960313
Because different people have different opinions on literature. Just because I like a book doesn't mean someone else will. It's best to read and make up your own mind.

>>1960294
I'm not sure.
>>1960298
I'd suggest Wind-up or Norwegian Wood. I feel in love with the former when I first read it.
>>1960308
>Avoid this hack.

>You want to have a girl who is emotionally damaged to be your lover?

That's Naoko bro.

>the strangest might be that every now and then I get a craving for cucumbers dipped in soy sauce.

:`(

swear I've seen that girl before. I think she was in babel.

Dude, if you enjoy plot-less meandering stories with no resolution pick any of his books and get reading.

>>1960330

Will do.

>>1960330
Meandering is certainly true, but I wouldn't say Norwegian Wood is plotless. It's character driven.

And it gets resolved pretty well I thought.

>>1960327
Oh, Midori's the bookstore girl.
Scratch my previous comment.
>>1960330
>plot-less meandering stories with no resolution
Go read Twilight then, it sounds up your street.

>>1960327
I think all of the women in the book are emotionally damaged on some level. Midori has her own set of issues.

>>1960339
The narrator starts the book as an older man on a plane. There is no resolution to this. He flashes back to being at college. He shags everyone and feeds an old dude cucumber. The book closer with him shagging the one person he didn't shag in an earlier chapter.
I liked it at the time, I though it was all symbolic and shit, but after reading Kafka on the shore, Wind up Bird, and another one (sorry I forget) I realised that he doesn't have any plot building ability or craftmanship as a writer. You can be allusive and mysterious all you want, you can put transcendent, delicate, pretty jap girls on your covers, but if you're incapable of telling a story with a proper ending gtfo!

>>1960341
I think you misunderstood, good sir. I like story telling, plot. My favourite writers are Michael Chabon, Arthur Conan Doyle, China Meilville, Philip K Dick, Alan Moore, (some) Paul Auster, Steinbeck, Etger Karet and Lauren Beaukes: Thanks for the recommendation though.

>>1960377
>Etgar Keret
Well, you're okay in my book.

>>1960329
that girl from Babel was so cute.

>>1960431
everything about babel was cute

>>1960356
You mean, things actually didn't work out in the long term for the protagonist? Wow, you're right this isn't acceptable in literature. We need to have evil guys die and a marriage in order to call it resolved.

I wished so much for Naoko to get better... SIGH :(
I'm happy for Midori and him though :)

>>1960472
Did Midori and Toru end up in the end?

>>1962669
It's implied that they did at least temporarily. However, if you remember chapter one then the protagonist is alone and crying on the plane. So it is possible that his relationship with Midori didn't work out either.

>>1960329
>>1960431

The actress who plays Naoko in the movie is the same actress from Babel, so it might be her. The movie sucked though. It was more like a series of vignettes meant to accompany the book, than a stand alone movie.