Ryu Murakami essay

To kickstart the Ryu Murakami session I would just like to mention March was Made of Yarn includes an essay by him on his thoughts about the earthquake and subsequent tsunami and nuclear disaster.

Personally I don't where to start with my reading. But I am looking forward to following everyone's thoughts here.

I've read three by him -- Sixty-Nine, Piercing, and Almost Transparent Blue. The first two are probably good starting points.

Here's an interview with him by his translator that introduces some of his works:

http://www.kyotojournal.org/kjselections/kjryu.html

Rise,
Thanks for the link.

The only work of his I've read is Sixty-nine. Saw the movie too but definitely the book is better. Have to think which to tackle next. Probably Almost Transparent Blue.

As I recall, Almost Transparent Blue isn't all that good, but it was the novel with which Ryu Murakami burst onto the scene. It was quite transgressive for its time, and that may be why it got as much attention as it did.

dcozy,
Thanks for the review. I may start with Piercing then before ATB.

Anyone else read any other of his works? I was quite surprised to see quite a lot in translation. Been out of touch with Jlit lately.

Thanks for the link. I bought Almost Transparent Blue, so that's the one I'll start with.

I read Almost Transparent Blue a couple of years ago and liked it. I'm currently reading Coin Locker Babies.

I am struggling through Almost Transparent Blue, hoping I will find something to like about it!

I hope you find something, Rebecca, but as I suggested above, I really think the novel got as much attention as it did only because it was, in its time, transgressive and touched on the hot-button issue of relations between Japanese (women in particular) and the American occupiers.

Well, dcozy, I felt some improvement towards the end; I started a thread on it for this group and posted my review there. I did feel the portrayal of the African-American soldiers was a little stereotypical -- interesting to learn that Japanese - US relationships were controversial at the time.