Haruki Murakami compared writing a novel with the prosecution of the rabbit
TOKYO, April 2. /Offset. TASS Alex Sarachev/. Popular Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, usually avoiding contact with the press, gave interviews to several Japanese Newspapers. It has published editions of the Yomiuri and Mainichi Shimbun.
In it, he talked about his new novel “Canidate goroshi” (“Murder of the commander”. — Approx. TASS), that is the power of “good stories” and shared his impressions, which he feels, when he begins to write.
Back to basics
In many Murakami novels narrated in the first person, but lately he often wrote from the third. For example, thus, constructed the book “1Q84” (in Russian translation Dmitry Kovalenin — “nevesta Thousand eighty-four. — Approx. TASS), where there are just three main characters, whose stories eventually intertwine into one.
In the new novel, the author again returns to its original style, and the main hero becomes the artist, who suddenly leaves his wife.
The story takes an unexpected turn when he finds in the attic of his father’s painting called “the Murder of the commander”.
“First, I always wrote in first person, but then gradually made the switch to the narrative third. Writing a novel “1Q84″ in the third person, I had a burning desire to return to their roots,” said the writer. “The very name of the new novel appeared in my head before I started to write it: I was attracted by the combination of these words, their special “vibration”. So initially, I had the name and the scene on top of a hill in Odawara (Kanagawa Prefecture), and only then came the main character — an artist,” he added.
“When I start writing a new book, every day I feel like I’m trying not to lose sight of the rabbit that lead me (a reference to “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll. — Approx. TASS)”, — said Murakami.
Recipes of masters and the world of social networks
“Full-length novel is on the opposite end from the social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, where words are sold in pieces. We live in an era when short talks will immediately be swallowed, that’s why I wanted to write a long story with which we cannot deal, only begun to read. I rewrote it eight times from beginning to end,” said the writer.
A good story can give people a certain silvaroli Murakami
Murakami also admitted that he continually works on himself. “For this, first, I subjected myself to physical training — last year I again ran the marathon. Second, I master the skill by doing translation work. Thirdly, I listen to music of different styles, and even now I never read his old work,” he said.
“It seemed to me that the advent of the Internet will make the process of exchange of views, which is dominated by media more democratic, but this did not happen. I thought the structure of our state and economic system will become more complicated, however this did not happen. Despite this, I believe a good story can give people some strength,” said Murakami.
“If you read the novel, you can’t just say that something in you has changed. However, the call generates a call, while the social networking message finds response only in the social networks. What bring to the world of people reading books and analyzing their contents, is truly diverse. And I want to keep this power of diversity”, he said.
Memories of the tragedy
In the new novel of Murakami’s part of the story is devoted to the earthquake and tsunami of 2011 that hit the northeast of Japan led to many deaths. It was a reflection of the trip of the writer to the affected regions in 2015. Also, according to the author, for the first time addressed the theme of family relationships, and the end symbolizes the transition from loss to recovery.
“The impressions received from travel in affected areas in the fall of 2015, have strongly influenced me. The scars of the disaster remain, but the feelings that these regions lost, I did not have, on the contrary, they tried to associate themselves with something new, and I also had a desire to create new things. Perhaps it was also associated with a sense of responsibility that comes with age,” — said Murakami.
“I think that the tragedy in northeast Japan left deep wounds in the hearts of the Japanese people,” he said.
According to the writer, through the hero of the new novel he wanted to convey the experiences of people who face to face with the disaster, but also to show the process of recovery regions.
“The theme of the power of the man who has faith in another person, had not appeared in my books. Also this is the first time I decided to include the aspect of family relations. Usually my stories are open ended, however, in the process of writing a new novel, I felt in need of some perfection. I don’t know whether he’ll have the third part,” concluded Murakami.
“The murder of the commander”
A new novel in two volumes famous Japanese writer went on sale in Japan on February 24. Japanese publisher “Sintesa” until the last moment did not reveal not only the content but even the appearance of the cover, which depicted a sword with a Golden handle, decorated with precious stones.
“In the year from may until the beginning of next year I lived in the mountains near the place where he began the narrow valley. Summer in the valley, not stopping, went heavy rains, but outside it was Sunny weather. These days I had to spend peaceful, all alone. But it lasted only so long until the commander,” reads a short annotation to the novel.
68-year-old Haruki Murakami is one of the world’s most popular contemporary writers, his works have been translated into more than 40 languages. The Russian reader is known for his novels “the Hunt for sheep”, “Norwegian wood”, “wind-up bird Chronicle”, “Kafka on the shore”, “1Q84”.