Right now, I’m about 1/3 of the way through Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami. Not surprisingly, I’m a bit confused by the plot right now, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not lovin’ it! The book alternates between two different places/times, although it seems like some of the characters are the same. As always, Murakami has created some compelling characters to play out his fantastical plot: a data processing guy with a weakness for chubby ladies, a wacky old scientist who collects skulls, and who’s experimenting with the removal of sound from the world, and his cute chubby niece with a tendency to ask rather personal questions to strangers (“Are you well endowed?”) I have no idea what’s going to happen, but that’s one of the things I love about Murakami.
Shit, it even has unicorns!
In further ‘blizzard’ developments, I mooched The Satanic Verses from someone on Bookmooch today. Sweet!
3 Comments
November 19, 2008 at 1:59 am
I’m going to try to comment again even though last time it (the eternal it) rejected my comment. This book sounds very interesting. I have to admit that I haven’t been reading very much. I started Suite Francaise and even though I thought it would be a light romance, I was a little disappointed to see it was about the Holocaust. I have been very adept at avoiding books and movies on this subject for my whole life. Nonetheless, I like the writing and I will try to push through.
On another note, I’ve been getting the Power of Myth with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers via Netflix and they are both totally brilliant and I’m in love with both of them. Ok… I guess I’ll go try to read something now. I don’t understand how when then sun goes down at 4 and I’m totally energyless that the last thing I want to do is read. Winter in Maine SUCKS. I need some drugs.
November 19, 2008 at 3:16 am
Congratulations on your successful comment!
Sorry, Suite Francaise isn’t doing it for you. I’m the opposite – I think I’ve mentioned how I’m drawn to stories about World War II and the horror of it all. It’s almost like I have to keep reading about it to believe it all actually happened. Perhaps not the best ‘winter’ book.
You know, the past few years at Christmas I’ve debated about getting you that DVD of The Power of Myth but I never could remember if you already had seen it or had it. I’m going to put it in my Netflix queue because I also love Bill Moyers.
Don’t be depressed! It’s fucking cold here too.
I love Dido. She always seems a bit sad.
November 19, 2008 at 5:52 pm
No, I don’t have the Power of Myth, so if you want to buy it for me, feel free! I would love to own it. It definitely needs a few watches to totally get what it’s about. Isn’t Bill Moyers totally adorable? He’s just so earnest and it totally works for him. Wow, I just used the word “totally” 3 times in one comment. Gag me with a spoon.
Yeah, I dont’ really share your love of apolocolytic and war literature, though Jon likes that stuff too. I’m all for depressing books, but I like it to be depressing and tragic on an individual scale, not a large scale. I think my brain can only handle one person’s tragedy at a time. But it’s good for me to branch out.
I’m going to download the new Dido tonight. I love her too. I hope never gets all happy on us.