“It just happens to be the way I’m made. I have to write things down to feel I fully comprehend them.”
“With my eyes closed I touch a familiar book and draw its fragrance deep inside me. This was enough to make me happy.”
“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”
“Nobody likes being alone that much. I don’t go out of my way to make friends, that’s all. It just leads to disappointment.”
“The dead will always be dead, but we have to go on living.”
Reading for the Japanese Literature Challenge 6.
So Murakami at his best is a wisdom writer, an aphorist?
He does not come across as an any kind of ironist here. In context, do any of these quotations reverse their meaning?
It has been a long long time since I read Murakami (Hard-boiled Wonderland…), but I remember enough to know that if I picked out favorites quotes they would involve unicorn skulls and a fine description of vigorous eating.
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I have this on my Kindle, ready to be read. I must get to it….to find out about the quotes you chose! Nice selection.
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I panicked until I saw 'so far.' I'm getting my copy of the book from the library and will have a post up on the 30th for the read-a-long. I'm looking forward to it. It's been too long since I read Murakami. I may even give 1Q84 another go for the TBR Double Dog Dare.
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I love ths quote:
“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”
Must remember to take that one on board more often!
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OMG is this your first time reading this??? I love this book SO much Bellezza! It's one of my all time favorites 🙂
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Such a beautiful book! And then, you have to watch the screen adaptation 🙂
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I really enjoyed this book. I read it last year and it stuck with me. 🙂
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I just arrived home from the library with this…on page seven and all I can think is, “He's fallen into the well hasn't he… oh, no…”
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That first quote is me…:)
Haven't read this one yet.
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My favorite quote is the passage where he defines his love for Naoko vs. Midori. The clarity of it struck a wow chord for me.
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Those quotes are like my own. That's why I could relate to Murakami. Thanks for sharing. One day I'll read this book again.
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I'm only thirty pages in, but already have several pages marked with sticky notes. And, yes. The first three are the same as yours. 🙂
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Not my favourite Murakami .H. that would probably be Kafka (my first) I would happily move into that library & never confront the world again.
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I didn't realize that third quote came from HM. It is one of my favorite sentiments.
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I know everyone loves this book but I just am not that intrigued — I don't know what is wrong with me! Still the quotes you share are very nice.
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I think my son has made off with my copy of Norwegian Wood. Not sure. I guess I'll find out, soon enough, since I'm unloading books. I've got my Murikami books on a “Tales from Other Lands” shelf. I was definitely not meant to be a librarian.
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I just started it! (After giving up, for now, Doctor Zhivago, ha ha.) Looking forward to whatever it is everyone else loves about this novel! 🙂
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