Rated 3.5 / 5 from 1 log on Katalog
Whether you’re a fan of his work or not (to me it varies, but I only read four of his novels), you must respect the consistency and style that Murakami’s been committed to for over 40 years. He writes about the welcoming nature of established novelists towards newcomers, style and originality, collecting writing material, importance of reading for writing, physical activity, reality of being a full-time novelist, about Japanese literary culture, harsh criticisms, readers, expansion to the international market, and more. The entire book is quite personal, but while chapters on writing (initially intended for a university lecture) can be somewhat abstracted, others read like pure autobiography, which I didn’t find as interesting, but that’s also on me and my general dislike for autobiographies. In a nonchalant and surprisingly self-conscious way, while acknowledging other factors such as support and, of course, luck, that helped his professional career, Murakami portrays himself as 🎀 just a simple guy ✨ who’s obsessed with reading and writing. And I believe him, because there’s literally no other way (and no sense) of doing anything creative professionally unless you’re obsessed with it.
