Sunday, May 13, 2007

MURAKAMI - A MASTER STORYTELLER I have just finished reading A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami. An amazing book. It gives you the feeling of being taken apart bit by bit and then put together again with each part cleaned. You are left with a knowledge of the state of all your parts. In short, Murakami writes literature that doesn't leave you cold. It is said that Murakami is unJapanese. Well, stuffing your books with references to Western literature and music does not make them unJapanese. Murakami is firmly lodged in the Japanese tradition of storytelling. He is a master storyteller. He tells us stories, that is he makes the unreal look real. If you can turn totally unrealistic things into almost palpable stuff, you are a master. His craftsmanship is in line with the Japanese tradition of storytelling as well as the Western tradition of the dream allegory. The Wikipedia entry for Pinball 1973 says: "the plot is not intended to be interpreted allegorically". Ah, but in really good literature, things are more complicated than this. Murakami works a lot with things that can be interpreted allegorically, the well pops up in many of his books, there are the dreams or surreal happenings. If anything is allegorical, it's a dream. Of course, when you start naming things as an allegory with a specific meaning, you are overstepping the boundaries. Great literature manages to bring across something of the mystery, the secret behind our own being. Murakami does that. So even when there is no intention of producing allegories, there is something present that gets at the bottom of things (the well again). Even when Murakami says he hasn't put any meaning in his works, it is there. How can this be? Simply because when Murakami writes and is not consciously making plans, schemes, and doesn't force his inspiration through his conscious intentions, he - as a talented writer - cannot but bring those things to the surface that are already deeply embedded in his subconscious. And we know that our dreams do have a relation to our deepest anxieties, wishes and situations. His stories seem to pop up like the bubbles in a bottle of fizz when you pop the cork. Murakami's works come from deep down and like every good story they tell us something. It's not always easy to pinpoint exactly what, but like every work of art it skims that which lies beneath the surface. His books are a coming to terms with his own life, his Japaneseness, his anxieties, his wishes. He is rooted in Japanese history, as a writer, but also essentially writes about modern Japan, its anxieties, its cutting loose from the restraints of feudalism and militarism, its search for individualism in a very group-oriented culture. His many references to Western culture are a sign of breaking loose, which may make him less popular among the Japanese literati steeped in tradition. But the well from which his stories pop up is essentially Japanese. However, his appeal is universal. Maybe that's because he is writing about 'la condition humaine'. He is a master storyteller, tout court. Getting a copy of the English translation of Pinball 1973 will cost you hundreds of dollars, some ask $800 for it. Which is ridiculous of course, it's just because the translation is out of print. But you can buy the Japanese book new for Yen 420 (US$ 3.50), and used copies for Yen 204 ($ 1.70). You only have to learn Japanese. What do you think is worse? Asking $800 for this book or ...this copy? Haruki Murakami website. 11:18:48 AM

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