Asian stories and Western sensibilities

The past week saw me ordering Haruki Murakami's two books on an impulse after a passionate conversation with my friend/colleague on how reading time is slowly leaving our systems. I started reading Norwegian Wood first, for no specific whim or reason and thus began my journey into the lives of Watanabe, Naoko, Midori, Reiko and several others. I have read Murakami before and the remembrance of past reading pleasures drew me to his books again. It comes as a surprise to me that somehow I pick up a Murakami in the beginning month of the year. About two years ago, I had read Murakami on a January and also had written a post (Murakami and related thoughts), which surprisingly echoes most of what I have written now albeit in a slightly different manner. Murakami is Asian, Japanese to be specific but that awareness slowly dissipates as I progress with the book. That Murakami is a fan of the pop songs of the 50s, 60s and 70s is quite limpid in his works. In fact, the title Norwegian Wood  is the title of one of the popular Beatles' songs. Now, my senses are quite welcoming of the references to diverse cultures and habits and knowing fully well that a Murakami will lead me to the Japanese way of life, I tend to lose my way somewhere in the pages. Though my imagination is coloured with petite women and men with pale skin colour, somewhere I lose the track and start imagining western people and surroundings. Then, mid-way, I realise that here I am reading a Japanese author and imagining western people. The character Reiko, especially. She plays the guitar and belts out popular numbers, all of which I know quite well, having grown up listening to them. My image of Reiko is that of a blond, fairly well-built with an imposing personality but then reality often intervenes and I try hard to stop this as it seems sacrilegious to do so.

I wonder whether I owe this to the explicit Western sensibilities of Murakami or to my knowledge of the songs which colour the story or my imagination which is used to imagining white skin and blond hair (Read influence of Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen and other sundry writers). Whatever the reason, alongside getting entwined in the characters' lives, a parallel track on my imagination was also niggling me.

Well, I have now completed Norwegian Wood and have embarked on the second novel, The Wind Up Bird Chronicle

A quote from the book Norwegian Wood

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Murakami and related thoughts

This year began with me reading a brand new author - the much acclaimed Haruki Murakami (whose name somehow always reminds me of the word, 'harami') Well, I have seen different quotes of his adorning different friends' Facebook walls and when an online book-club that I am a part of, decided to read Murakami for the month of January, I was filled with glee. I decided to pick, 'Kafka on the Shore' on a whim because of the name Kafka. Please don't think that I'm a fan of that metamorphosis Kafka! In fact, I hated that book - Metamorphosis! It is considered as a great piece of art and art is always something subjective and that subjectivity made me dislike that book! But a Japanese author dabbling with a Western writer's name in his Japanese novel's title made the book intriguing. And yes, as you guessed the book is definitely not a sunny read which one can savour with a cuppa tea and some muffins! Far from that, the book compels you to give it your complete attention and time and in doing so, it pulls you into the vortex of the dark aspects of your mind which you usually don't want to dig in normal times.

Murakami fashions his story after the famed Oedipus myth and leads the reader into various layers of the protagonists' minds. There are various allusions to many famous works and writers which point out to the different interests and sympathies of the writer. That he is fascinated and enthralled by many Western philosophers and music is no doubt and after reading the novel, one feels enriched by the information that we gain out of the book. Information on one hand and dissection of the self on the other is what this book did to me. It is quite impossible for me to maintain an emotional distance while engaging with the book because it is not possible to get into the skin of the different characters without drawing similar insights from our lives and the lives of those we know. One caution which I should use is being able to distance myself from the work of art. I guess that's a great lesson which time alone can teach me!

After completing 'Kafka,' I also dabbled with Murakami's collection of short stories titled, 'Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.' It did not impress me much.

Most of the stories from the collection are quite abrupt and abstract. Being used to reading delightful short stories with equally delightful characters, Murakami forces me to let go of my previous experience of reading short stories and leads me into another reality which left me a bit disoriented. Metaphors and words are the characters of some of the stories and often they leave me heavy and tired. The pleasure that one associates with short stories is not present in Murakami's short stories instead each story leaves the reader distraught and groping for meaning and sense. Well, as I mentioned earlier, art is subjective and my conclusions can be subjective as well. I would very much welcome a debate or argument on the topic of Murakami's short stories.


So far, so good. Have you read Murakami? If yes, please tell me your thoughts on him and if no, I'd say, give it a try and see!

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Good music that accompanies a book review

It has been a long time since I have posted something on a book that I have read. Well, the last time I did something like that was in October and the book was Tolkien's eternal favourite The Lord of the Rings. So here I am with a review or rather an observation (many observations) about a recent book I happened to read and also enjoy.

I have always imagined as to how the world would be without women and those thoughts never found any strong base. The imaginations would fizzle off for I could not bring myself to imagine a world without women. But the writer Manjula Padmanabhan has done a brilliant work of creating a fictious world in her novel, Escape, where she describes a place where there are no women, save one. The story belongs to the realm of science-fiction and Padmanabhan has intricately woven her way through gadgets, technology and futuristic weapons.

The thought that was born in my imagination about a time when there will be no women was given shape by the writer. In fact, I found a kindred spirit in her thought of basing a story in a land of no women. The only girl in the novel is a young child (later girl) named Meiji who is carefully hidden by three brothers who are called Eldest, Middle and Youngest. The greatest fear of the brothers is that the General, who is like a ruler of the country, would find out about the existence of the girl. The entire story revolves around how the brothers take care of the only surviving girl child and safe-guard her from the General.

I have never read many woman authors who have ventured into science-fiction and hence the discovery of Padmanabhan came as a pleasant surprise. In fact, this is the first sci-fi I am reading that is written by a woman.

Manjula Padmanabhan

Well, the title of the post also mentioned 'Good music' and ever since I have laid my hands on this wonderful music by a Japanese new age instrumental group called S.E.N.S., which stands for Sound, Earth, Nature and Spirit, I return to them whenever I need to escape the reality of the everyday humdrum of life. The piece Be As You Were When We Met always makes me nostalgic for something I have never experienced. I yearn for something and some place to where I have never ever been except in my thoughts. So here is the video:

Well, I hope the good music transported you and Padmabhan's novel intrigued you. I also welcome you to share your favourite music that moves you to tears whenever you hear the same.

The music is dedicated to all my readers who I cherish and savour. 

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The last farewell - Meanderings on the Japanese film "Departures"

Staying at home, I am quite privileged to watch many wonderful movies of different cultures in World Movies channel. Two days ago, as I was accidentally changing channels, my hand paused when I saw a very solemn scene on World Movies. It was a scene from a Japanese film titled Departures. I must say that I enjoy watching movies from China, Japan and Korea. They are slow, calming and the music is something that long remains after the film is over. The films are always subtle and gentle. Well, that is for another post. Now coming back to Departures.

The protagonist is a cellist and after losing his job becomes a professional in assisting departures (death). The customs and rituals associated with death in the Japanese culture were so very solemn and graceful that death did not seem morbid at all. The protagonist's work was to clean, dress and make the body presentable. He does his work very well and as he goes about the process, he learns to love his job.

Death in various cultures has never ceased to interest me. This was the first time I was seeing the Japanese rituals of the dead. The respect given to the lifeless body is something quite touching. Perhaps the belief that death is not an end but only a passage to another life is demonstrated through the solemn rituals and ceremonies. 

I don't know whether there really exist professionals who assist death in Japan. But if there are, I would like to talk to them and ask many questions.

What are your thoughts on movies of different cultures and professionals in assisting departures?

Are there any special rituals for death in your part of the world?

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