0 Members and 4 Guests are viewing this topic.
Quote from: Chinaski's underpants on May 14, 2013, 05:11:23 AMExpand QuoteThe only stuff of Murakami I've touched is Kafka on the Shore. It didn't click, the strangeness within it just came off as contrived.I don't know if it makes any sense to compare the two, but I feel 'Everything is Illuminated' by Safran-Foer came off much better. Both being contemporary writers, and dealing with plots stuck in the present, historical and fantastical.And I think The Master and Margherita kicks the shit out of both.[close]I completely disagree. I've got to give it another go, but I felt that the novel, Everything is Illuminated, was too pretentious. Why, I'm not sure, it's been years. The film, however, is great. But as far as Murakami being too contrived, I think he digs into the possibility of dreamscape like no other. He's got a beautiful imagination and is comfortable with his intellect to not come off as a dick. I'm now reading The Wind Up Bird Chronicle and continue to shit my pants in pleasure.
The only stuff of Murakami I've touched is Kafka on the Shore. It didn't click, the strangeness within it just came off as contrived.I don't know if it makes any sense to compare the two, but I feel 'Everything is Illuminated' by Safran-Foer came off much better. Both being contemporary writers, and dealing with plots stuck in the present, historical and fantastical.And I think The Master and Margherita kicks the shit out of both.[close]
Quote from: steve on May 15, 2013, 01:16:16 PMExpand QuoteQuote from: Chinaski's underpants on May 14, 2013, 05:11:23 AMExpand QuoteThe only stuff of Murakami I've touched is Kafka on the Shore. It didn't click, the strangeness within it just came off as contrived.I don't know if it makes any sense to compare the two, but I feel 'Everything is Illuminated' by Safran-Foer came off much better. Both being contemporary writers, and dealing with plots stuck in the present, historical and fantastical.And I think The Master and Margherita kicks the shit out of both.[close]I completely disagree. I've got to give it another go, but I felt that the novel, Everything is Illuminated, was too pretentious. Why, I'm not sure, it's been years. The film, however, is great. But as far as Murakami being too contrived, I think he digs into the possibility of dreamscape like no other. He's got a beautiful imagination and is comfortable with his intellect to not come off as a dick. I'm now reading The Wind Up Bird Chronicle and continue to shit my pants in pleasure. [close]I guess I was basing my preference on something different, I thought the balance of humour and heavyness in "Everything..." was done particularly well, where 'Kafka..." doesn't focus so much on humour, and just seems more steeped in the strange.
Quote from: Chinaski's underpants on May 14, 2013, 05:11:23 AMExpand QuoteThe only stuff of Murakami I've touched is Kafka on the Shore. It didn't click, the strangeness within it just came off as contrived.I don't know if it makes any sense to compare the two, but I feel 'Everything is Illuminated' by Safran-Foer came off much better. Both being contemporary writers, and dealing with plots stuck in the present, historical and fantastical.And I think The Master and Margherita kicks the shit out of both.[close]I completely disagree. I've got to give it another go, but I felt that the novel, Everything is Illuminated, was too pretentious. Why, I'm not sure, it's been years. The film, however, is great. But as far as Murakami being too contrived, I think he digs into the possibility of dreamscape like no other. He's got a beautiful imagination and is comfortable with his intellect to not come off as a dick. I'm now reading The Wind Up Bird Chronicle and continue to shit my pants in pleasure. [close]
the characters are are always, in some way, grounded in the present, of the story that is, but while making a grocery list or biking to the cleaner, might move through states that feel like lucid dreams. Both the reader and protagonist (not always the other characters) are well aware of the bizarre turn of events, but it's safe to say that Murakami crafts these imaginary places so well, that it's a completely surreptitious slide into home, whether in the kitchen of a man who murders cats to steal their souls, watching oneself get raped from a safe physical distance while trapped in a ferris wheel, or just plain dreaming of meeting a 100% perfect mate. It's not just these seemingly strange turns that make the stories great, they're all fairly easy to read while also offering points of thought; Kafka on the Shore isn't named such as a literary cliche. I feel safe saying that his characters aren't so hard to relate to, to empathize with. Give them a shot!
make your own meat spin!
A lot of Vonnegut's work is like that. Mother Night, Breakfast of Champions, Jailbird, Cat's Cradle, Bluebeard, etc. I can't get into that Fine book, so I'm starting on A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by DFW.
Quote from: oyolar on June 16, 2013, 09:49:01 AMExpand QuoteA lot of Vonnegut's work is like that. Mother Night, Breakfast of Champions, Jailbird, Cat's Cradle, Bluebeard, etc. I can't get into that Fine book, so I'm starting on A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by DFW. [close]Yeah I really like Vonneguts stuff too. Anything that's more bounded in reality? I'm loving kafka on the shore, but I might need a break from all the metaphysical stuff.
A lot of Vonnegut's work is like that. Mother Night, Breakfast of Champions, Jailbird, Cat's Cradle, Bluebeard, etc. I can't get into that Fine book, so I'm starting on A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by DFW. [close]
Quote from: foureyedjim on June 16, 2013, 05:21:28 PMExpand QuoteQuote from: oyolar on June 16, 2013, 09:49:01 AMExpand QuoteA lot of Vonnegut's work is like that. Mother Night, Breakfast of Champions, Jailbird, Cat's Cradle, Bluebeard, etc. I can't get into that Fine book, so I'm starting on A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by DFW. [close]Yeah I really like Vonneguts stuff too. Anything that's more bounded in reality? I'm loving kafka on the shore, but I might need a break from all the metaphysical stuff.[close]A lot of Vonnegut's middle stuff is bounded in reality (not sure how much you've read of his). I haven't read his novels, but apparently David Foster Wallace's longer novels have a lot of black humor in them, as do Kafka (fittingly enough).
Quote from: oyolar on June 16, 2013, 09:49:01 AMExpand QuoteA lot of Vonnegut's work is like that. Mother Night, Breakfast of Champions, Jailbird, Cat's Cradle, Bluebeard, etc. I can't get into that Fine book, so I'm starting on A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by DFW. [close]Yeah I really like Vonneguts stuff too. Anything that's more bounded in reality? I'm loving kafka on the shore, but I might need a break from all the metaphysical stuff.[close]
I think i bit off more than i can chew...
The only stuff of Murakami I've touched is Kafka on the Shore. It didn't click, the strangeness within it just came off as contrived.
Just started this in an attempt to workout my horrible memory problems. In turn, I ended up reading a great story and getting tips in the process. I know I'm probably making it sound like more of a self help book than it actually is but it's a good read. A little slow at first but after the first two chapters, it starts to pick up. Plus, the stories he references in order to explain how to unlock the true potential of memorizing are insanely interesting. "Moonwalking with Einstein follows Joshua Foer's compelling journey as a participant in the U.S. Memory Championship. As a science journalist covering the competition, Foer became captivated by the secrets of the competitors, like how the current world memory champion, Ben Pridmore, could memorize the exact order of 1,528 digits in an hour. He met with individuals whose memories are truly unique?from one man whose memory only extends back to his most recent thought, to another who can memorize complex mathematical formulas without knowing any math. Brains remember visual imagery but have a harder time with other information, like lists, and so with the help of experts, Foer learned how to transform the kinds of memories he forgot into the kind his brain remembered naturally. The techniques he mastered made it easier to remember information, and Foer's story demonstrates that the tricks of the masters are accessible to anyone."
Quote from: Ripped Laces on May 07, 2013, 09:59:49 AMExpand QuoteJust started this in an attempt to workout my horrible memory problems. In turn, I ended up reading a great story and getting tips in the process. I know I'm probably making it sound like more of a self help book than it actually is but it's a good read. A little slow at first but after the first two chapters, it starts to pick up. Plus, the stories he references in order to explain how to unlock the true potential of memorizing are insanely interesting. "Moonwalking with Einstein follows Joshua Foer's compelling journey as a participant in the U.S. Memory Championship. As a science journalist covering the competition, Foer became captivated by the secrets of the competitors, like how the current world memory champion, Ben Pridmore, could memorize the exact order of 1,528 digits in an hour. He met with individuals whose memories are truly unique?from one man whose memory only extends back to his most recent thought, to another who can memorize complex mathematical formulas without knowing any math. Brains remember visual imagery but have a harder time with other information, like lists, and so with the help of experts, Foer learned how to transform the kinds of memories he forgot into the kind his brain remembered naturally. The techniques he mastered made it easier to remember information, and Foer's story demonstrates that the tricks of the masters are accessible to anyone."[close]Thanks for posting this. Got my copy in the mail today, can't wait to get into it.
Just started this in an attempt to workout my horrible memory problems. In turn, I ended up reading a great story and getting tips in the process. I know I'm probably making it sound like more of a self help book than it actually is but it's a good read. A little slow at first but after the first two chapters, it starts to pick up. Plus, the stories he references in order to explain how to unlock the true potential of memorizing are insanely interesting. "Moonwalking with Einstein follows Joshua Foer's compelling journey as a participant in the U.S. Memory Championship. As a science journalist covering the competition, Foer became captivated by the secrets of the competitors, like how the current world memory champion, Ben Pridmore, could memorize the exact order of 1,528 digits in an hour. He met with individuals whose memories are truly unique?from one man whose memory only extends back to his most recent thought, to another who can memorize complex mathematical formulas without knowing any math. Brains remember visual imagery but have a harder time with other information, like lists, and so with the help of experts, Foer learned how to transform the kinds of memories he forgot into the kind his brain remembered naturally. The techniques he mastered made it easier to remember information, and Foer's story demonstrates that the tricks of the masters are accessible to anyone."[close]