Frank Galati on Haruki Murakami

Ensemble member Frank Galati discusses the author of Kafka on the Shore Haruki Murakami.

[@Garganfunker]

My first Murakami book was "Dance dance dance" I loved all his works since that day

[@Garganfunker]

I do know that now. usually I just go to the bookstore, pick a book read a few pages and if I like it I buy it.

[@7tunesful]

Oh my God..I've srarted reading Murakami by this book..And, I am mindblown..so surreal, poetic, philosophic and at the same time simplistic!!!

[@SejinPAK]

I am not sure whether there is anything or much Japanese about Murakami's novels. By changing a few things in his novels, it may be possible it hide that his novels are Japanese. If readers did not know that his books are not by a Japanese author, would they have liked them as much, or liked in the same way? Is the connection to Japan important or relevant? I wonder. Perhaps Japan is no longer much Japan. Or, that is the current state of Japan.

[@zhinshi]

...ahahahha...mine is After Dark....then after that.....i can't help it....im thinking of what to buy for my fourth book...ahahhaha....is dance dance dance good???...so far...Ive read, yes...after dark, norwegian wood and kafka on the shore....thanks a lot...

[@user-ld7ch1er6j]

Mura commies Lol the YT captions

[@khoihq]

I like Kafka on the Shore better...since i could grasp the story line and the time line of it better than Wind up Bird Chronicles...which was more like Murakami's own story in his early 20's

[@tr1tan]

@Helgonet1234 Yes, he knows that. He said that it is VERY SIMILAR to the aftermath of 9/11. He didn't say After The Quake was ABOUT 9/11. He said it is about a similar catastrophe.

[@fergal2424]

Was about to type this reply, you beat me by 6 years :)

[@kuzcat]

wind up bird chronicles!! hard boiled wonderland or the end of the world!!! these works are fkn EPIC and btw this bearded dude didnt say anything new or insightful that any one of Murakami's readers didnt already know. He just phrased it in a fancy professorial manner and adden ums and pauses. *annoyed* >:/

[@go624jp]

i had read norway's wood,after the quake,etc at japanese language. i was surprise with his written technique about story development. then i am reading "The sputnik Sweetheart,haldboild wonderland and the world end.thank you!

[@Kanteinium]

@benjaminmn123 Not every good piece of literature has to be new or insightful.

[@Paul186]

Just finished "Norwegian Wood." The Japanese have a stereotype of being "stoic, emotionally 1 dimensional." Murakami paints the characters with depth and color-blowing the lid of that tmage. That contributes to the reminder that all cultures are diverse in personality, against the grain of TV and movie stereotype brainawash. BTW, good clip, Mr. Galati..

[@vaibhavi.singh.]

Recommended after 12 years!

[@khoihq]

sorry...i meant to say Norwegian Wood was more like his own story...lolz

[@ibx33]

This makes me happy. I'm really glad when younger people are reading good books.

[@aryanrabbani119]

Still there? Something to tell u

[@psnapplebee]

Good talk .. my slight cavil is I'm not sure it's right to say he "began" to incorporate 'societal concerns' or the like after 1995's events, as e.g. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle was published in Japan in 1994, and then there's Hard-Boiled Wonderland ... and honestly, all of his work -- take for example the 1960s backdrop to Norwegian Wood, which is probably the closest someone could hold up as 'straight romance' that you could get with Murakami. But it isn't 'just' a romance, anyway.

[@bta1987]

My first Murakami's novel ever read was South of the Border, West of the Sun; and at the end of the day, my final impression was nothing more than desire --> sex --> confusion --> schizophrenia!...hah, what a guy...

[@zhinshi]

I agree....if i finished reading the book i'm reading right now...unfortunately it isn't Murakami...i think I'll have another trip to the book store...thanks..im really looking forward to reading either or all of them...aahahahha

[@Paul186]

Just finished after the quake. Murakami uses pop music a lot as a universal link. I like the quirkiness of the characters.

[@bhattkris]

I have yet to read Murakami. But this review by Mr. Galati is impressive. Has he also written something?

[@dinodemic]

@AdamantiumJedi I agree with you! But: It was announced in July 2008 that French-Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung would direct an adaptation of Murakami's novel, Norwegian Wood. The film will be released in 2010. At least its not Hollywood!

[@SejinPAK]

Correction: not by a Japanese author -> "not" should be removed.

[@joshlopez116]

@AdamantiumJedi actually they made a movie based on all god's children can dance, its actually phenomenal, check it out

[@zhinshi]

@dinodemic ....yeah, its japanese....a japanese novel made into japanese movie...at least, i am quite relieved to hear that.

[@kuzcat]

yes the dude clearly hasnt read all of his books. the word for it i think is "surreal". also the phenomena of the human condition, the mix of physicality, imagination, relationships between human beings (not necessarily romantic) etc

[@Helgonet1234]

What's this guy saying? After the quake was NOT about the aftermath of 9/11..it was about the aftermath of the 1995 Kobe earthquake! I mean, the book was published in February 2000..