This was something I had written quite some time back. And I had forgotten all about it till a friend of mine asked if I'd write one on the book. I had been completely blown away by the book and as with things which completely blow me away I have to exorcise it by staining a pristine sheet of white with my black ramblings :) But this time I used some self restrain and din't go into my gushing school-girl-after-boy-band-concert mode which is how I felt.. that I had just encountered a Rock Star of a book! I'd even say I managed to even sound rather objective about the book ( doesn't matter if I am or not.. all that matter is how I sound.. it's all perception after all!)
So here goes...
Just finished 'Kafka..' by Murakami.
Loved it.
Apart from the fact that he's a compelling story teller it hit spots I din't think possible by a person other than me. Places in my heart and brain which only I'm privy to. Emotions from a dark place which are so difficult for another person to comprehend that no one ever bothers to explain. The reasons for the emotion can not be put in your conventional ideas of good and bad. Or rather in light and dark. Explaining it would make it seem like a grey area to others, but is an exceptionally Dark place. And it was so comforting to know that I might not be alone in that Dark place.
True, at a lot of points the story seem to go off into tangents that seem puzzling to say the least and true, he doesn't bother tying up every little thing he's brought into the story. But it matters little because from the very beginning he's asking us to take a leap of faith, and it's the irredeemably quality of faith that some questions will always remain unanswered.
Not entirely a story that would seem palatable to every one, but the language is flawless. Somehow, though read in English, there was this intangible Japanese flavor all through the story telling but done without alienating the foreign reader. And that's the sign of a master story teller, to draw you in with themes and tones both alien and universal at the same time.
A book which paced itself so wonderfully. Though the characters themselves seem stuck, lost or moving at an alarmingly slow pace the story line never slows down. It's a book I wanted to finish in one sitting and would have done so in a couple of hours had time permitted. Pulls you into it's world and things move simultaneously fast and slow. A bit like being on the roller coaster while high! :-) Contradictions abound in the spirit of the book, yet like contractions in a personality which co-exist with little difficultly and sometimes define the personality, it fits well and we don't feel jarred by it.
All in all, to sum up...Loved it!
Want to write more about the book, but I don't believe in giving away the story; besides being massively difficult in verbalising the emotions, it is also one of those things which if we start to we get lost in trying to find and end up writing a hell lot.
Cant wait to get my hand on the rest of his books!
Phil!
Ps: LOVED, I mean Loved, the fact that a part of the book was set in Kochi and it was so green! YAY!
So there.. what do you think? Not a bad job, huh?! :)
So here goes...
Just finished 'Kafka..' by Murakami.
Loved it.
Apart from the fact that he's a compelling story teller it hit spots I din't think possible by a person other than me. Places in my heart and brain which only I'm privy to. Emotions from a dark place which are so difficult for another person to comprehend that no one ever bothers to explain. The reasons for the emotion can not be put in your conventional ideas of good and bad. Or rather in light and dark. Explaining it would make it seem like a grey area to others, but is an exceptionally Dark place. And it was so comforting to know that I might not be alone in that Dark place.
True, at a lot of points the story seem to go off into tangents that seem puzzling to say the least and true, he doesn't bother tying up every little thing he's brought into the story. But it matters little because from the very beginning he's asking us to take a leap of faith, and it's the irredeemably quality of faith that some questions will always remain unanswered.
Not entirely a story that would seem palatable to every one, but the language is flawless. Somehow, though read in English, there was this intangible Japanese flavor all through the story telling but done without alienating the foreign reader. And that's the sign of a master story teller, to draw you in with themes and tones both alien and universal at the same time.
A book which paced itself so wonderfully. Though the characters themselves seem stuck, lost or moving at an alarmingly slow pace the story line never slows down. It's a book I wanted to finish in one sitting and would have done so in a couple of hours had time permitted. Pulls you into it's world and things move simultaneously fast and slow. A bit like being on the roller coaster while high! :-) Contradictions abound in the spirit of the book, yet like contractions in a personality which co-exist with little difficultly and sometimes define the personality, it fits well and we don't feel jarred by it.
All in all, to sum up...Loved it!
Want to write more about the book, but I don't believe in giving away the story; besides being massively difficult in verbalising the emotions, it is also one of those things which if we start to we get lost in trying to find and end up writing a hell lot.
Cant wait to get my hand on the rest of his books!
Phil!
Ps: LOVED, I mean Loved, the fact that a part of the book was set in Kochi and it was so green! YAY!
So there.. what do you think? Not a bad job, huh?! :)
A fascinating book and as an equally passionate fan, i can only wobble my head and agree with the lines "motions from a dark place which are so difficult for another person to comprehend that no one ever bothers to explain. The reasons for the emotion can not be put in your conventional ideas of good and bad. Or rather in light and dark".
ReplyDeleteThe book itself was so compelling and written straight out of heart with no hidden intentions to please the readers. Something that compels every other author to tone their imagination and appease with subtler shades of creativity. Once in a while, someone like Mr.Murakami uses his paintbrush, closes his eyes and paints straight out the canvas of emotions...
And cheers to you for writing this out.!
You write what you think is a pretty piece of prose and then some people come along and comment on it and make you go, "Dammnnn!!" :)
DeleteAnd like I said, It's pretty cool to see you might not be the only one, right?! :)