Haruki Murakami fans discussion
Which Murakami should I read first?
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ExDC
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Feb 02, 2023 02:04PM
As far as I can tell, the last time this topic was raised was in 2013-2014, so I'm not too embarrassed to raise it again. I have read NO Murakami - where should I start? I gather there is no straight-line progression through his work, but is there a good gateway into it? Also, I do a lot of "reading" via audiobooks - how well do his novels translate to sound? Are there narrators that I should watch for? Tx.
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I started with South of the border west of the sun. What a beautiful novel. I recommend it
Hmm not a mandatory way of reading no.. but i would suggest reading several other (previous) books if you want to read 1Q84.
It’s great of you don’t… but even better if you do because there are a lot of cross references with the books he wrote before 1Q84.
It was 1Q84 that got me going. I am doing what I can to stay in publication order.That said the first three books are sometimes called the tales of The Rat. They are clearly first efforts.
Some I liked more than others and in no partic ordre I can recomend:
Kafka on the Shore took a while, but I got there. it is a fav.
Norwegian Wood
Hard Boiled Detective and the End of the World I liked, but not sure it counts as a fav
The Strange Library almost defeated me, but taught me to just flow with Murakami's imagination
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage I thought was a good, not magical fiction type story.
Hardly a recommended reading order, but mostly I think you let Murakami take you wherever he is going, or you will get hung on so many repeated themes and characters and maybe decide he is too what ever he is for you to , or like me , you just go with it.
Killing Comendatore- there was a point that I got tad ticked, then again, I just went with it.
I am not a big fan of his short stories, but neither do I dislike them.
Been years since i listened to any book being read, so no comment ther
I would suggest “Sputnik, my love”. It is a short and good book to start knowing Murakami’s work. In there you can find a realistic novel with just a little (one o two scenes of magical/oniric situation), then if you like the realistic part you can go ahead with his realistic novels (like Tokyo blues) and if you like his magical part you can go for his other work (like After Dark or Kafka on shore)Hope this help :)
Thanks all! It took me a few weeks to get back to you, but I appreciate the commentary...off to read some Murakami...
Norwegian Wood is the ideal first book. Easy introduction to Murakami’s magic realism. The others can feel jarring as first books.
It’s Norwegian Wood for me too! Where it all began and I still go back to it every couple of years 📚
Hmm norwegian wood… just doesn’t do it for me. I think i would have never bought another book if that had been my first 😂Luckily us.. everyone is different <3
Well, ExDC, you have probably already chosen your first Murakami book? The right one to chose first is simply the one you chose. Everyone's taste is different. Murakami is such a personal journey. Only you will know :-)
My first Murakami was Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End o the World. It is the one I recommend to all new Murakami readers.
Kafka on the Shore (海辺のカフカ, Umibe no Kafuka)
My first book was 'Kafka on the Shore'. But I'd suggest 'Sputnik Sweetheart'. It's simpler compared to Kafka, Norwegian wood or After Dark.
The first one I read was South of the border west of the sun. But I think I'd suggest Hardboiled wonderland as the first.
I always recommend sputnik sweetheart to first timers,it’s the perfect light introduction to Murakami’s writing style .
I'm currently reading "The wind up bird" and I have the impression this is an early work of him with all the basic concepts, maybe not perfected but fresh so I feel this is a good first read. I will definitely read more novels of him. (ED: In the meantime I found out "The wind up bird" is actually one of his later works...)
I'm currently reading Kafka on the Shore (my second Murakami) and I think this book has one of the strongest starting pages I've ever read.
Victor wrote: "I would suggest “Sputnik, my love”. It is a short and good book to start knowing Murakami’s work. In there you can find a realistic novel with just a little (one o two scenes of magical/oniric situ..."I'm currently reading "Sputnik my love". this is my third novel from Murakami and I got the impression too that this is a good novel to start as most concepts of Murakami are rather clear here. This novel is relatively easy to understand.
I started with Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage (2013), and I always recommend it first. I think it's accessible, and it's a good first taste of so many of the elements that recur in Murakami (adventure, mystery, bildungsroman, supernatural, jazz). I also love the variety of setting: Nagoya, Tokyo, Finland.
What ever one you happen upon first. There is no right or wrong order. The first book I read was 1Q84 because I found it for sale for 25 cents at the library last summer. I was curious if Japanese literature had what I was looking for, and it did.
my first was Kafka on the shore . and I can say it's the best of all 4 I've read
my first was 1q84 and i don’t agree with people saying tou should read something else first. That book was what got me hooked with murakami books in the first place!
Guess how it would have been if you had read the ofher books first.. and felt all the pieces click together while reading 1Q84 😎All the familiar places and people.. and new insights in their how and why..
It would have been an even more amazing ride :)
There is a high chance that whichever Murakami you read first is going to be your favorite - and you might be forever chasing that same high. So choose carefully ;)"Norwegian Wood" is a great way to start, but it is also, in a way, the least typically murakamish... "A Wild Sheep Chase" and the "Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" are also great starts.
I understand what you mean, but i think Norwegian wood is perfect to start with. It’s a book that captures the reader's attention and is relatively short, like what… 300 pages? Perfect introduction to his universe.My favorites books from him are ‘Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki And His Years Of Pilgrimage’ and ‘The Wind-up Bird’, but certainly none of them are the best choice for a first book.
hmm I never really gotten into norwegian woodsand i do like almost all other books
there is a matter of taste involved :)
Dillon wrote: "My first Murakami was Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End o the World. It is the one I recommend to all new Murakami readers."This one was my first too. Before buying the book, I had never heard about Murakami, but I was hooked ever since.
ExDC wrote: "As far as I can tell, the last time this topic was raised was in 2013-2014, so I'm not too embarrassed to raise it again. I have read NO Murakami - where should I start? I gather there is no straig..."I would definitely start with Norwegian Wood if you are looking for some unconventional romance. However if you prefer longer reads (the dostoevsky type) I would recommend 1Q84. You get fully immersed into a parallel universe where there are two moons. The characters almost become part of your daily life.
I started off with a wild sheep chase. I doubt its the best, but it worked for me.
I think some short story collections would do no harm to new readers? True that my first Murakami's book is 1Q84, but I'd always recommend his short story to those who haven't got used to his writing style yet. Men Without Women sounds good, very compelling stories, mysterious and short enough for to get into his style. I do love Desire (Vintage Minis Collection), I think it describes perfectly the world through Murakami's eyes.
ExDC wrote: "As far as I can tell, the last time this topic was raised was in 2013-2014, so I'm not too embarrassed to raise it again. I have read NO Murakami - where should I start? I gather there is no straig..."For me personally, I first started with Norwegian Wood, and I think you should too. It's a pretty lite version of Murakami's writing and magical realism and my absolute favorite
i would suggest "South of the Border, West of the Sun" i loved it :)
Hamna wrote: "Norwegian Wood or Kafka on the Shore!!"I found Norwegian Wood to be too depressing. I am still struggling with 1Q84.
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I will be reading it. How soon is an open question. If you are proposing a buddy read, I am willing to accommodate your schedule
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Like way cool dewdThanks
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Haruki Murakami fans
Books mentioned in this topic
The City and Its Uncertain Walls (other topics)Norwegian Wood (other topics)
1Q84 (other topics)
