Our last class regarding the comparison of Metamorphosis and Samsa in Love really hit me and made me realize how wide of an audience Murakami reaches. For any normal person in want of a quick, wonderful but witty story, Murakami is perfect. This was me when I first read Samsa in Love. I could laugh at the silliness of it all, be sucked in by the well written descriptions of the eating of the food or the awkwardness of his body, and finally find something beautiful in the description of the odd, innocent love between two odd people. It is also enjoyable for fans of Murakami specifically through the familiar Murakamisms. For example, one being the pit of hunger and engorgement similar to the bakery attacks. Another -ism was an emphasis on fingers and specific unique physical features like the hunchback on the girl. Finally, people in love with the classics can enjoy Murakami from the connections he makes and information he draws from older writers. I mean, Samsa in Love itself is a sequel to metamorphosis with clear repetition to the short story. And this does not even include the other stories or books we have read where we could draw a connection.
The simplicity of a Murakami book in my opinion, is what allows it to shine. By paralleling the ordinary, every person can put their own spin on it. That is why we were able to get short films like the two bakery attacks, which I thought were great! The first one was definitely more enjoyable and I felt resembled Murakami's energy greatly. The second however, no matter how cringey it was at times, was still a decent representation in my opinion. Truly the only negative thing which we discussed in class was how focused the woman was on their relationship and how awkward Boku seemed. Yes, I know Boku is supposed to be awkward or aloof but he's not silly and foolish like he is portrayed in the movie which did irritate me. Still, they kept to the script wonderfully and had some great scenes.
-Anna Marinescu
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