Book recommendations

[Zil]

I've never read anything by either of these Murakamis, so I don't mean to say this about either of them, but I think that the "just plain normal" thing can come across as quite pretentious in some cases, like when Stephen King does it.

Now I guess I'll take the time to regurgitate what I said earlier: Vance and Wolfe are cool if you're into sci-fi/fantasy. I'll also support what's been said about Lolita. It's not my usual genre, but I found it interesting. It's also one of those books that all of the "well read" people claim to have read.

[Tengukami]

I think "pretentious" might be one of the most abused words in the English language. It means to pretend to be what you're not in order to impress others. Haruki is an ordinary guy with an ordinary background, writing with ordinary language about protags who are also ordinary guys. Whether you like his writing or hate it, it is categorically not pretensious. Sorry to be a pedant about it, but it's sort of a pet peeve of mine when people misuse this word.

[Zil]

I was thinking that if it's done in an unfitting or unnecessary way it could be called pretentious. Sometimes the writer is assuming multiple writing styles at different times like a movie changes background music. I guess there's some sense in it if you want to give a different "feel" at some points, but sometimes it's like "okay, time for an obligatory change of pace!" Maybe saying "stereotypical" would have been better, or even... "cliche." (These words give me headaches.)

Maybe I'll just call anything I don't like "phony" and not think about it.

[♛ Apher-Forte]

Hmm, I never read Ryu's work so I am sure it has to be Haruki.
However, let put that aside, I just don't enjoy his works as much, and leave it at that.

now : Zadie Smith, anyone?

[Tengukami]

Ryu Murakami is one of those enfant terrible writers. His novel 69, a memoir about his college days, was a very funny and touching book, giving incredible insight to Japan in the late 60s, when student protests were at their peak. However, he's since then descended into the realm of shock fiction, as evidenced in Coin Locker Babies and awarding the Best New Writer prize to Hitomi Kanehara for her first novel, Snakes and Earrings. That book reads like an interesting rough draft of a manuscript, but that's just it - it's a mess, telling more than showing, crammed with pointless sex and violence, and ends abruptly and nonsensically. It's no wonder Ryu loved it.

The Gangster We Are All Looking For, by l? thi diem th?y, is one I recently re-read, and it's incredible. Very poignant book about growing up as a Vietnamese refugee in California.

[pineyappled]

I'm reading Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It's great so far, but I'm not sure what translation it is, so good luck with that. \o/

[Nietz]

You're joking, right? The male protagonist of every Murakami novel is always some totally average guy - he likes beer, likes baseball, enjoys casual affairs, but isn't remarkable in any particular way.

And also usually much more keen on Western music and literature than the average Japanese.
...which is to say, his male protagonists are always a disguised version of himself. Which for me does make seem kind of pretentious that they always seem to get in these casual affairs so effortlessly. It doesn't always bothers me too much, but that part in Dance, dance, dance were the protagonist was all "Yeah, I could totally have slept with that girl, but it wouldn't have been fair to her." actually got me a little pissed at his smugness.

I really do like most of his works, though. Romantic woes aside, his early works do paint a sincere picture of youth and everyday-folk uncertain of their place in the Japanese society. Hard-boiled Wonderland is a great mixture of fantasy and SF and Wind-up Bird Chronicle touched on subjects that most Japanese are uncomfortable approaching these days.
I just think that, as of Kafka and After Dark there's been too much of empty symbolism in his work. As if based on reader and critic's response he decided that being symbolic is his "thing", and has to include symbolic or deep-sounding stuff even when there's no need for it story or artistically-wise.

[Tengukami]

And also usually much more keen on Western music and literature than the average Japanese.
...which is to say, his male protagonists are always a disguised version of himself. Which for me does make seem kind of pretentious that they always seem to get in these casual affairs so effortlessly. It doesn't always bothers me too much, but that part in Dance, dance, dance were the protagonist was all "Yeah, I could totally have slept with that girl, but it wouldn't have been fair to her." actually got me a little pissed at his smugness.

Dance, Dance, Dance was, in my opinion, a substandard work. I see what you're saying about his self-insert protags ending up with casual affairs, but it's not outside the realm of reality. And let's also consider that the women he gets paired with are often substantially more interesting and more talented than he is. He just sort of goes along for the ride, which I think is pretty self-deprecating, actually. Speaking of which, his male protags often engage in shameful and caddish behavior with irreversible consequences that he often regrets. As opposed to the "guy rescues helpless woman from terrible situation" gimmick that he could be using.

I really do like most of his works, though. Romantic woes aside, his early works do paint a sincere picture of youth and everyday-folk uncertain of their place in the Japanese society. Hard-boiled Wonderland is a great mixture of fantasy and SF and Wind-up Bird Chronicle touched on subjects that most Japanese are uncomfortable approaching these days.
I just think that, as of Kafka and After Dark there's been too much of empty symbolism in his work. As if based on reader and critic's response he decided that being symbolic is his "thing", and has to include symbolic or deep-sounding stuff even when there's no need for it story or artistically-wise.

I was kind of "Buh?" about Kafka On The Shore, and After Dark seemed to be reaching towards something that it never quite got. I'm about 250 pages into 1Q84, though, and can attest that he's got it back. It's an incredible story. I think it might even replace Wind-Up Bird Chronicles as his considered masterpiece.

Full disclosure: my favorite works by him are works that most people don't care for, e.g., Sputnik Sweetheart,  South Of The Border West Of The Sun, and his short story collections.

[Nekomata-chan]

Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo is quite an interesting classic. Having read it myself not too long ago, I recommend it thoroughly. It's set in Revolutionary France, and before I knew this, I had the impression that it would be a vampire novel. Completely surprised there.