Murakami’s Maze

Navigating the Layers of Fantasy and Reality

Welcome to Beyond the Bookshelf, a community of readers and writers sharing unique perspectives on life and literature through thought-provoking essays and influential books as we explore the challenges of life's transformative journey.

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Dear friends,

Last week, we discussed the genre of magical realism. For those new to this style, perhaps the essay sparked your interest and encouraged you to take those first tentative steps to select something to read. I hope, at the very least, it piqued your interest and broadened your literary horizons.

Reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Marquez more than twenty years ago left a bad impression on me about the genre. It wasn’t until I deployed to Iraq in 2016 that I had my first positive experience with a book written in this style. I believe if I went back and read Marquez’s classic now, it would be a different experience.

A Sailor¹ who worked for me knew I loved to read and recommended Haruki Murakami. Having never heard of the author, I asked for a place to start. One of her favorites was 1Q84, a story in two parallel versions of 1984. Intrigued, I picked up a copy. It is a hefty tome, and I felt it would last most of my deployment due to limited reading opportunities. Instead, I devoured the writing in short order, staying awake late into the night, turning page after page. I was hooked. Over the ensuing years, I have read nearly all of Murakami’s works. In today’s essay, we explore beyond the bookshelf to take a closer look at my favorite author in the genre of magical realism.

“The world seems dull, but in fact it’s filled with magical and mysterious rough gemstones. The novelist is equipped with the eyes to discover them.” – Haruki Murakami

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Haruki Murakami was born in Kyoto, Japan in 1948. His parents, teachers of Japanese literature, raised him in a home filled with books. Despite this cultural influence, his interests leaned toward Western culture, particularly American jazz and literature. He studied drama at Waseda University in Tokyo, and during this time, he met his wife, Yoko.

Murakami's journey to becoming a writer was unconventional. He started writing in his late twenties. The often-repeated story goes that he had a sudden epiphany during a baseball game in 1978, where he realized he could write a book. That night, he began working on his first novel, Hear the Wind Sing, which won the Gunzo Award for New Writers. Murakami quickly established himself in the literary world as his early works, including Pinball, 1973 and A Wild Sheep Chase, introduced readers to his distinctive style, characterized by surrealism, loneliness, and detachment from reality.

He pursues many interests, including running and jazz, which play a significant role in his life and writing. Running is more than just a hobby for Murakami; it’s a central part of his daily routine and a source of inspiration. He took up long-distance running in the early 1980s when he began writing. Over the years, he has participated in marathons and ultramarathons. He details his dedication to running in his memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. There he explores the parallels between running and writing, describing how both require discipline, persistence, and often solitude. He found running was a way to maintain his physical and mental health, providing him with the stamina and clarity needed to write. In the memoir he states the structure and rhythm of running help him organize thoughts and develop the mental discipline necessary to tackle the long, solitary process of writing a novel. The mental endurance required for long-distance running mirrors the endurance needed to sustain long-term creative work, making running an essential part of his creative process.

Murakami’s love for jazz is well-known; an important influence on his life and work. Before becoming a full-time writer, he and his wife owned a jazz bar called Peter Cat in Tokyo. His passion for jazz culture stems from his youth and permeates much of his writing. Many of his novels and stories contain jazz references, while the genre’s improvisational nature often mirrors the structure of his narratives - often fluid, unexpected, and rhythmically complex. In Norwegian Wood, jazz sets the tone and atmosphere of the novel. In addition to his own writing, Murakami translated several works of American literature into Japanese with translation choices that often reflect his affinity for the jazz-influenced Beat Generation writers like Jack Kerouac and Richard Brautigan.

Haruki Murakami's writing style blends elements of the surreal with the mundane creating a distinctive and multifaceted reading experience. His work defies easy categorization as it draws from various influences and genres. It often features protagonists who are solitary, disconnected from society, and embark on surreal, metaphysical journeys. They tend to be introspective, detached from the world, and searching for meaning or identity. This style resonates with readers who may feel similarly disconnected or are searching for their own place in the world.

His unique style incorporates fantastical elements into otherwise ordinary settings, blurring the lines between reality and the supernatural. Characters encounter parallel worlds, talk to animals, or experience time nonlinearly, yet these extraordinary events are presented in a matter-of-fact tone. In Kafka on the Shore, a character can communicate with cats and fish rain from the sky, but these events are treated as part of the narrative's normalcy. This blending of the strange and familiar creates a dreamlike atmosphere characteristic of Murakami's work.

Murakami's narrative structures are often non-linear and fluid, with stories that weave in and out of different timelines, perspectives, and realities. This fluidity is reflected in his use of time as ambiguous or circular and in his frequent use of digressions and subplots that seem tangential but contribute to the overall mood of the work.

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“When I start to write, I don't have any plan at all. I just wait for the story to come.” - Haruki Murakami

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American literature, music, and cinema influenced Murakami’s writing. His works reference Western authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Raymond Chandler, Kurt Vonnegut, and Richard Brautigan. He has also cited Franz Kafka and Fyodor Dostoevsky as major influences. This cultural fusion sets him apart from many of his contemporaries in Japanese literature, giving his work a global appeal. At the same time, Murakami's work is rooted in Japanese culture and history, particularly his exploration of Japan's post-war identity and the tension between tradition and modernity. This blending of East and West creates a unique cultural perspective.

Murakami's prose is minimalist, straightforward, and clear, yet it has a lyrical quality conveying deep emotion and philosophical insight. He avoids overly ornate language, opting for simplicity and precision in his descriptions and dialogue. This approach allows readers to focus on his stories' symbolic elements without being overwhelmed by the language itself.

He uses recurring symbols and motifs, such as wells, cats, and mysterious women, to convey deep psychological and philosophical significance, contributing to the dreamlike quality of his narratives. Wells often represent a descent into the subconscious or a journey into the unknown.

Murakami's stories raise more questions than they answer at times. His endings are frequently open-ended, leaving key plot points unresolved or shrouded in mystery. This ambiguity invites readers to interpret the stories in their own way, making each reading experience unique.

While having global success, Murakami's reception in Japan has been complex, marked by a mix of admiration, criticism, and ambivalence. While he is undoubtedly one of Japan's most famous and internationally successful authors, his reception within his home country has evolved over the years.

When he first emerged as a writer in the late 1970s and early 1980s, his style was seen as a departure from the traditional Japanese literary canon. His early works were characterized by their Western influences, detached tone, and focus on individualism—traits that set him apart from many of his contemporaries in Japan.

This Western orientation, combined with his minimalist style and focus on pop culture, led to some criticism from Japanese literary circles. Traditional critics and scholars viewed his work as too influenced by the West and detached from the socio-political issues that many Japanese writers were addressing. Some saw his focus on surrealism and personal narratives as lacking the engagement with Japan's historical and social context that characterized the works of earlier Japanese authors.

Despite these criticisms, his popularity grew, particularly among younger readers drawn to his fresh, modern voice and the global sensibility of his work. His novel Norwegian Wood, a more straightforward coming-of-age story with fewer surreal elements, became a massive bestseller in Japan, catapulting him to national fame. However, the novel's immense popularity also led to some backlash, with critics arguing that it was overly sentimental and commercial.

Murakami's success and perceived detachment from Japan's literary traditions led some critics to label him an outsider within the Japanese literary establishment. This was compounded by his decision to live abroad for several years in the 1990s, further distancing himself from the Japanese literary scene.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Murakami's work received more critical attention in Japan. His novels from this period are more ambitious and complex, exploring deeper psychological and philosophical concepts. These works established him as a major literary figure in Japan, not just a popular one.

Murakami received numerous literary awards in Japan, including the prestigious Yomiuri Literary Prize. His works are the subject of academic study and have influenced a new generation of Japanese writers. Despite this, some critics continue to express ambivalence about his place in the Japanese canon, often citing his global orientation and the perceived lack of engagement with traditional Japanese themes.

One theme often found in Murakami’s writing is sex which plays a complex and often symbolic role. He uses sex to explore many of his standard themes, such as alienation, identity, and the intersection between the mundane and the surreal. Sexual encounters in Murakami's novels often underscore the loneliness of his characters. These interactions can be emotionally detached or fraught with a sense of disconnection, highlighting the characters' struggles to find genuine intimacy and understanding in a fragmented world. Sex often blurs the line between reality and the surreal. It serves as a gateway to other dimensions or deeper psychological realms, reflecting the characters' inner desires and fears. Sexuality in Murakami's work is also a means of exploring identity. Characters may engage in sexual relationships that challenge or reveal aspects of their identities, sometimes leading to self-discovery or deeper existential questions. He often delves into the power dynamics between men and women in his depiction of sexual relationships. These dynamics can be reflective of broader societal issues, and at times, his portrayal of women and sex has been critiqued for being male-centric or objectifying. However, this portrayal is often tied to the narrative's exploration of the male psyche and the complexities of human relationships.

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You have to dream intentionally. Most people dream a dream when they are asleep. But to be a writer, you have to dream while you are awake, intentionally. - Haruki Murakami

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Today, Murakami is a cultural icon and literary heavyweight in Japan. His books are bestsellers, and his influence extends beyond literature to music, film, and social commentary. However, the debate over his literary significance continues, reflecting the tension between his global appeal and the expectations of the Japanese literary tradition. Murakami's reception in Japan is a reflection of the broader cultural shifts in the country, as it grapples with its identity in a globalized world. While he may not fit neatly into the traditional Japanese literary canon, his work has undeniably impacted Japanese literature and culture at home and abroad.

Murakami's influence on world literature is profound. His works are translated into more than 50 languages, making him one of the most widely read Japanese authors outside Japan. His novels have garnered international acclaim, and he has received numerous awards, including the Franz Kafka Prize and the Jerusalem Prize. He has influenced a generation of writers around the world, and his ability to resonate with readers from diverse cultural backgrounds has helped bridge the gap between Eastern and Western literary traditions.

Haruki Murakami's blending of the surreal with the mundane infuses his works with rich symbolism, philosophical inquiry, and a deep exploration of the human psyche. Through his minimalist prose, fluid narrative structures, and fusion of cultural influences, Murakami has created a literary style that is both distinctive and profoundly impactful.

Until next time…

1. By Congressional dictate, Sailor is always capitalized when referring to a member of the U.S. Navy.