In his novel Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami said, “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” I instantly memorized that quote, as I like to do with Murakami’s words, because one of the reasons I love to read is for the way that it takes me outside of my box. As well as everyone else’s.
What would my life be with a steady diet of classics, or fairy tales, or mysteries written only by people of my own culture? It would be as dull as a steady diet of cheeseburgers and fries: neither nutritious nor interesting. I need to eat samosas and chicken biryani, beef lo mien and tempura, as much as I do spaghetti and meatballs. I need to read books written by people of other cultures as much, or more, than I need to read those written by my own.
Aarti of Book Lust has planned a challenge which will run from September 23 through September 29 called A More Diverse Universe. To participate, readers will chose a work of speculative fiction written by an author of color. In conjunction with my own Japanese Literature Challenge, therefore, I’d like to read Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe. (You can find a list of Japanese sci-fi writers here.)
I know that in September, I am first and foremost committed to reading The Thorn Birds with my dear friend, Lesley. But, I’d like to participate in Arti’s most worthy challenge, and I encourage you to give it a try as well. Do you have any other suggestions? Any titles you’d like to read yourself?
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I hope you read lots of great books for this challenge.
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This does sound like a wonderful reading challenge! Although I've heard the term before, I need to look up speculative fiction once more.
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I am glad to see more people participating in this event. It is going to be a lot of fun.
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I normally stay away from challenges, as I can't trust myself to keep up. This one sounds worthwhile though.
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It's the first time I've heard the term 'speculative fiction”… I'll have to look it up. As for Woman in the Dunes, I read it a few years ago, before rediscovering Japanese Literature thanks to your challenge… Now, I still wonder why could be more thrilling that that, since every month I read a bit of JL and I can't get enough of it 🙂
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The Woman in the Dunes is a great book – enjoy!
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Kobo Abe, is one of my favourite authors & on my list of writers whose entire work I'd like to read. Another possible for this challenge would be Ryu Mitsuse 10 billion days & 100 billion nights or if preferring short stories try The best Japanese science fiction stories :Editors: John L. Apostolou and Martin H. Greenburg (http://parrishlantern.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/early-sci-fi-nihon-style.html)
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I remembered enjoying The Woman in the Dunes. I read it a long, long time ago.
I jsut finished reading Michel Houellebecq's The Map and the Territory. I have not read his earlier works but I enjoyed this novel. It's about art and artist, relationship between father and son, death, and aging.
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I love the Murakami quote. In fact you remind me that one of the authors I really must get to is Murakami! I seem to have suddenly acquired a lot of work, so probably no challenges for me this autumn, but I look forward to reading about the wonderful books you discover!
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Thanks for pointing this out! I have so many I want to read (including Abe's The Ark Sakura), but I left most of them at home when I went off to college…I think D.L. Birchfield counts, though, and I do have Field of Honor with me!
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Thanks so much for posting about this, Bellezza! Spec fic, just for those that don't know, is anything in the fantasy/sci fi/magical realism genres 🙂
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Thanks for sharing that quote! It's a beautiful one! I am still trying to decide what to read for the book tour. Hopefully, I will decide soon.
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