He has conquered the whole world with his writing, Haruki Murakami. I am not sure if many or even if anybody on this forum is familiar with his work. This Japanse writer sells books all around the world but I am not sure how known he is in America.
My first familiarisation with Haruki Murakami was a tv show where I saw Tim Crabbe talking about how wonderfull this writer is. Normally I am not a big book fan and havent finished a book in probably 10years but these book were onces I defenitly wanted to check out.
Haruki Murakami is a writer who only wants to write and lives an isolated life. He wakes up at 4 in the morning and goes to bet at 9. This writer doesnt want to be a known Japanse or well known writer, he just lives to write. His stories are humerous and surreal and at the same time reflects an essential alienation, loneliness, and longing for love.
Books I have read:
1) The elephant vanishes
This is the first book I have read from this Japanse writer, its a bundel of stories with a surrealistic treatment. Haruki Murakami exceeds each time to stay on the border between dream and reality. Immediatly after finishing this book I was hungry for more. I can't really explain but his writing is really good and this book is a real pageturner. His stories are kind of vage and dont have a ending, its really about life. I have lend this book to two of my friends(both female) and they finished it in a week loving the stories.
2)A Wild Sheep Chase
This lunatic titel had caught my attention after reading good reviews looking for a new book to read after the elephant vanishes. The story is about a reporter who goes with its girlfriend, a little girl with sensational beautiful ears, in search to a very special sheep with an star on the back. He is forced for that purpose by a sinister dude who is following orders from the leader. A friend had send him a picture of this sheep and he published it, this photograph is the only indication he gets to find this sheep. If he doesnt find this sheep it could be the end of the world. This story might sound really weird but this was really the best book I have ever read, and you should really check this one out.
3)Norwegian wood
This is the book which made Haruki Murkami famous. The story is more realistic than his other books and doesn't have many surreal elements. Still this book will keep you reading. The story is about a quite and serious student in Tokio and his relationship with a beautifull young women. They both suffered a terrible loss when their best friend died. I can't really tell to much about this story it would spoil to much but its a really good book and I finished it a couple of weeks ago. However I found that there was allot of sex in this book but I dont know if thats a problem with you. Millions of copies were sold of this book.
4)Kafka on the Shore
This is the book I am currently reading.
interview with Haruki Murakami