Tag: Men without women

What I Talk about Running, When I talk about Running by Murakami.

Yes, This would be after ages! Where I have been a fan of not just somebody’s craft but the person itself. So, you might think I would be biased and defence on my analysis for this book reviewing. What I talk about” Running by Murakami “is a Memoir by his on admission.

The only reason I was eagerly wanting to read this book is – How many Writers write their own autobiographies and How many write on the process & their passions.

Murakami had first titled his book “What I Talk about Running When I talk about Running” After being inspired by a short story collection from his favourite writer Raymond Carver.

The Book describes his first instinct of starting to run. He feels he started late at thirty-three he began started learning, And that was because he wanted to in shape and running practically needed no investment besides a pair of shoes and tracks and he wasn’t good with team sports and admits he is a loner. “ I am the type of person who doesn’t find it painful to be alone”

The book also highlights and makes you feel, He was in many ways a late bloomer. He wrote his first book at the age of Twenty-nine. He had this idea he could write stories after witnessing a baseball game And so his first novel was “Hear the Wind Sing”

He has completed a total of twenty-six marathons and has also done ironman Triathlons that involve (Swimming +Running + Cycling ) 4 km (2.4 miles) swimming,180.25 (112 miles) cycling and 42.20 km (26.22 miles) of running. Done in the same order and ultramarathons that’s more than the 42.20 km.

And he describes his process & fears of just following his passions.

And do you know why the running is a race called marathon?

I had never found this piece of information in any of the travel articles until I read the book and it’s so-called because first it’s a place in Greece that’s 42.20 km ( 26.2 miles) And the history behind is the information : Military runner was delivering news to Athens about their victory over Persians at Marathons and hence it’s a standard Marathon is 42.20 kms (26.2miles) long.

Now coming back to his writing. Murakami enjoys being a writer as he is a quiet person who doesn’t seek validation and relies on his inner motivation.

And Murakami believes to be a writer one should possess the qualities such as a talent (An inclination with some skill)

Should be able to focus (Being able to concentrate, and having patience to staring at blank pages and to patience to write for about months ) And Endurance – Writing can be difficult and uncertain but if you can overcome this it would pay off the patience you have invested in the profession.

The book is humorous and funny in many ways, And if you are a runner or into sports you would immediately click with them

Trivia:

  • Just like every other book – There is a playlist of Murakami that’s he has for his running and he uses a traditional music player and not an iPod as he believes you can’t mix music with computers to just like it’s not good to mix friends, Work & Sex.
  • There is a City named Murakami in Japan in Niigata prefecture ( Just like we have states Japan has prefecture and there are a total of forty-seven in Japan), no it’s not named after him, but after the Murakami castle. They have a marathon which Murakami participates in.
  • They are three translators Murakami works with – One translates the music and the other translates the story.
  • An Israeli illustrator, Noma Bar designs all his covers.
  • There is a playlist of Murakami Vinyl on Spotify.
  • He has a stamp that goes with his signature.
  • And for all those who have read his works surely know he once owned & ran a Jazz Bar in Japan.
  • This Book has taken a decade to write & publish and rightly so he doesn’t believe in deadlines.

Kafka On The Shore By Murakami !

 

 

 

“Kafka on The Shore by Haruki Murakami”

“Kafka on The shore by Haruki Murakami”

Is the seventh or eighth book in the Murakami collection that I have read so far and Kafka on the shore has been one of the most enjoyable mysteries to unfold. 

Murakami has stuck to his elements in his writing.

Cats, Painting and characters we want to know more about.

Though I read “Killing Commemorate” Last year, Before reading Kafka on the shore and though both were on the same lines. Kafka on the shore has been a breeze to read.

Like all the other Murakami books, Japan has always been a backdrop with every story and a new town or new side of the city is portrayed.

Kafka on the Shore is a story of Kafka Tamura, a fifteen-year-old boy who runs away from home to escape an awful oedipal prophecy, and Nakata, ageing and illiterate simpleton who has never completely recovered from a wartime affliction. Kafka’s journey brings him to a small private library in the provincial town of Takamatsu and to a mountain hideaway where the ordinary laws of time no longer apply. But, like Oedipus, the more Kafka tries to avoid his fate, the closer he comes to fulfilling it. Nakata also sets forth on a quest for an enigmatic entrance stone, the significance of which he does not understand. Intellectually ambitious, emotionally intense, and beautifully written.

Japan Made Easy by Sandeep Goyal

Japan Made Easy is one of the best books to know more about the Japanese lifestyle, Business Ethics, Culture, Spiritual and Food Habits and all these are shared by the Japanese words used to describe each situation or word. This makes the book an interesting read for anyone who wants to know more about Japan or the basics before they would be travelling or after they have travelled.

This book is split into eight sections with an average of ten chapters in each section.

The book also shares insights of  Japan through the years.

Reading reality!

Reading as a hobby could be such a pleasure,You can  always learn about places,Culture,People,psychology of people and while you are idle, your  mind is imagining all that’s written. And what if you end up in the country,You have read so much about?Have you ever wondered about the same ? Would you have a sense of familiarity or moments of Déjà vu? 
For me as a reader,I have enjoyed reading Murakami books a lot right from the first book I read of his “colourless tazaki “to the most recent read “Norwegian wood.”May be because his stories are slightly eccentric or because he is a writer based in Japan,And there has always been a fascination for me as there is so little we know about the Japanese. And since Japan is the backdrop for all his stories the curiosity remains. 
I read Norwegian wood last month.A book who’s inspiration is from the Beatles song Norwegian wood (This bird has flown )this was  Post my visit to Japan about six months ago. And when I started reading the Norwegian wood 
And as I kept turning the pages of the book,While reading. I sensed being in Japan and it wasn’t my imagination that was going wild,But a sense of reality that I was living in. I enjoyed reading the book even more because may be the perspective had changed as I had already travelled to Japan and could now relate to the place,People and culture even more than ever.

2017 Reads!!

1984- By George Orwell’s .There is a reason why it’s called a classic and a book you must read.The period when the book was written nearly 50 years ago and even today 50 years later  you can relate to it. The book was on my shelf for nearly 1 and half year.

Into the water:Paula Hawkins the girl on the train Writer is the next mystery thriller writer which you must read once to get hooked.

Pancake in Paris: A book that was on my reading list for about 2 years ever since I heard about it.This book is about a journey you would like to savour and has a long after taste lingering.

Shoe Dog: A brand that you aspired in your childhood is a story of confidence and believing in yourself and chasing your dream by telling yourself Just Do it.

Kohinoor: A diamond that wasn’t forever for India and what’s all is it about! Tracing the historical roots.

The prisoner of geography: Book for the wandering mind to know why the relationship of love-Hate are their amongst the countries and why some of the harsh decisions cannot be taken.Even if they have to be taken.

Men without women by Murakami: Is a short read,telling you what  the world without the opposite sex and vice Versa could be.

These are some of the books I enjoyed,while there are a few others too. But,these were worth mentioning.