Coming to this class, I was very interested in expanding my (literary) horizons. I have read various other Japanese authors in the past (like Kotomi Li, Rin Usami, Yoko Ogawa, etc.), and I was very fascinated with the allure of Murakami that I often heard in passing. Even though I have (semi) come to appreciate the uniqueness that comes with Murakami and his writing, his works are not something that I prefer.
Reflecting on various readings that we did this semester, Murakami is not really my cup of tea when it comes to foreign literature. I often found that I did not ‘vibe’ well with his writing style. To me, his writing is very discombobulated. I found that I had to re-read the texts assigned a lot because of that. I usually enjoy unconventional writing styles and writing with surreal and dreamlike elements, but his writing did not do that for me. I found this to be especially true with his novels. One of major qualms with Murakami as well is the depiction of women. This is why I enjoyed the interview between Murakami and Kawakami. Even though he claims it to be coincidental, it was a bit off-putting with how many of the women protagonists serve the male protagonists, especially in their quest for truth. I also did not enjoy the extensive descriptions of the women in his stories that were brodering on objectification.
Even though Murakami’s work was not something that I thoroughly enjoyed, hearing the different perspectives on his writing was interesting. I found that I really preferred his short stories over his full-length novels. I really enjoyed “The Little Green Monster,” which is why I chose this story as inspiration for my final project. I found it fascinating that Murakami explained his story as the cruelty women possess, mainly because I interpreted it as a woman refusing to perform. Her refusal to perform and accept what is proposed to her was not cruelty to me, but a woman reclaiming her agency.
- Cassandra Berrette
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