“Lost opportunities, lost possibilities, feelings we can never get back. That's part of what it means to be alive. But inside our heads - at least that's where I imagine it - there's a little room where we store those memories. A room like the stacks in this library. And to understand the workings of our own heart we have to keep on making new reference cards. We have to dust things off every once in awhile, let in fresh air, change the water in the flower vases. In other words, you'll live forever in your own private library.” -- prolific Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, from "Kafka on the Shore" (2002), born 76 years ago today. Considered by some as a "black sheep" in the Japanese literary world, many other critics believe he's one of the great novelists and short story writers alive today. His style is generally described as "magical realism" with surreal elements -- sounds just right for our times!
My chief diversion over the holidays was reading Murakami's massive novel "The Windup Bird Chronicle". Some commitment is required when embarking on a 600+ page epic, but the journey was well worth it. I'll be reading more Murakami.
ReplyDeleteMr. XD- coincidentally I just borrowed A Wild Sheep Chase from a friend yesterday and look forward to diving in. I also enjoyed 1Q84 which is over 800 pages but a fun read.
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