Over the past few weeks, we have read a number of excerpts from various novels. I am a big fan of short stories as a form of media; when I was writing my college essays, I remember struggling to fit my story within the word count, and how I had to narrow down what I wanted to write about to just a few points — the most important points. I’ve enjoyed being able to read many different short stories and excerpts because it reminds me that sometimes we don’t need a long, dragged out explanation for things (although, I do love regular books!) and we can gain an understanding of the author from just a few pages.
I think in Murakami’s novels, we see into the inner workings of his brain and how he plays with the line between fantasy and reality. Analysis of his literary choices and how he chooses to unveil his storyline can allow readers to delve into what it means to write as Murakami.
However, in his shorter stories, we can see a more expedited version of Murakami, the SparkNotes version if you will. The flowery descriptions seem more important and relevant, the wacky and peculiar mannerisms and habits of the characters seem all the more amplified.
For example, we see in Samsa in Love Murakami’s juxtaposition between his wholesome and pure descriptions of love between two people and his use of blunt and disturbing imagery to describe things that others might shy away from. I particularly enjoy how “light” the story feels. One might choose to dive deeper into the intentions behind each word, but others might choose to take it at face value. Those who know Murakami’s work and life might choose to seek out parallels between this story and his other works. Murakami is truly a “find-your-own-adventure” type of artist.
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