Of course there will be spoilers. I'm reading this slooooowwwly. With people. Forewarned.
Okay, really? I mean...reeeeaaaaalllly? I'm having a total wtf-ery kinda moment with this here book.
.
.
.
Seriously.
I just don't know where to begin you guys. I don't know if it's because I'm reading the book in stunted intervals that's making me quasi-wanna-pull-my-hair-out or if it's just an overall: hey book, it's not YOU; it's me. Because I'm just not getting it.
Separately I like (most of) the characters. If each one were to tell their story and they happened to not know each other, it might be significantly better because there are plenty of moments where I'm reading and Mr. Murakami makes an observation about Life or Humanity or Relationships and I want to *fist pump* and shout you go Mr. Writer.
BUT THEN I'm suppose to wrap my head around the fact that this guy, Toru, loses his best friend to a suicide...his best friend's girlfriend who he's into ends up in a sanitarium...his other female interest (even if a bit causal) is equally broken and cray-cray...his bro is a narcissistic ass who breaks HIS girlfriend's heart that SHE eventually offs herself as well.
I don't really know what else to say. This novel is putting me in a funk and I have no idea how it is going to end.
really? because i *so* much more enjoyed this week's assignment because of Midori's presence. Granted, she's wacko and a spaz, but I love that she keeps things interesting: let's go get drunk, let's go watch porn, let's talk about blow jobs.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I don't know why all of these women are so into Toru. He's a bit of a bore and a cad.
Have to disagree with Crowe above! Toru's not a cad! He's a waaay depressed guy who doesn't know what the hell he's doing and needs to be taken in hand and loved, dammit!
ReplyDeleteAhem. But anyway, yeah, everyone's crazy and unhappy, only I think the novel shows the spectrum of ways of dealing with difficult events in life, from having to go to a special hideaway, to just having a drink and watching some porn. Which I kind of like. I dunno. I'm still hoping for a happy ending though!
Hang in there! :)
ReplyDeleteLaura, I so much more enjoy books when I like the characters. I'll try to see Toru through your eyes 'cause right now, he doesn't have anything going for him except his ability to be natural around dying fathers. (I did like him in the hospital scenes)
ReplyDeleteI DISLIKE SO MUCH ABOUT THE THINGS THIS BOOK CHOOSES TO BE
ReplyDeleteI cannot handle every character having Deep Issues and being depressed all the time. Even Midori is just masking her depression with alcohol and frenetic behavior. Cannot handle. Do not admire. Do not like.
Honestly, I have trouble getting this too. I get overloaded by superficial details like the fact that Midori drank 3 glasses of water with her plate of curry in chapter 7 - okay. Take a step further back to see the big picture and all you get are broken relationships between father-daughter, guy and best friend's girlfriend, narcissist and girlfriend - and you get crazies. All of which are female - way to emphasize that supermassive black hole of estrogen, Murakami!
ReplyDeleteMoral of Murakami's story: Women are crazy and often ridiculous. They will probably all kill themselves.
ReplyDeleteBut I do think Toru will be OK...because of the whole flashback from the future healthy adult thing.
I'm so with you. But you know, it will end happily - mainly because it WILL END. I'm so looking forward to being done with this book.
ReplyDeleteBut you know, I don't know if all these discussions would be as fun if it was a book we all liked. Complaining and whining and ranting about a book are so much more fun.