While Murakami's writing is filled with figurative language, I especially noticed his imagery and similes. I know that we talked about this scene last week, but I'm going to bring it up again:
"Each row of cedars bordered on neatly mowed turf, which sloped down in banks dotted with azaleas and hydrangeas and other plants beyond my powers of identification. A flock of starlings rushed, en masse, left and right across the lawn, like the aimless migration of a sand dune." (page 80).
I think that quote speaks for itself. I can honestly picture that image perfectly. Despite the rarity of these beautiful images (as we discussed last week), they are very impressive. As for how that affects the main character, the only conclusion I've made is that we always know when a scene really strikes him, because that is when this imagery pops up. This setting was very different from what he had ever seen before, so it was described in full detail and beauty.
In that same quote was a simile, "A flock of starlings rushed, en masse, left and right across the lawn, like the aimless migration of a sand dune." (page 80). This seems to have a similar affect as the imagery, I can picture those birds perfectly. His similes occur everywhere, and they really do make you think. And they're fun. These similes may show the main character as more of a round character, as they vary from similes that show an image to many other quirky statements.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
week 3
I really enjoy Murakami’s writing style and I believe that his intriguing way of writing is deeply rooted in his excellent use of figurative language. He uses many similes and lots of imagery. I would like to focus on these two elements because I find that they are what make his writing so juicy. Some examples of his great writing are:
“The car door opened and the waning light of a summer afternoon fell across my face. Thousands of cicadas were singing at a high pitch like the winding of a clockspring. There was the rich smell of earth.” (page 78)-This is one of my favorite examples of imagery and simile because when I read this I can feel myself sitting in the limo, opening the door, and experiencing the nature around me.
“Mid-thirties to forty in age, five foot ten plus in height, trimmed of every last ounce of fat, slender hands without telltale wrinkles.” (page 61)- I can picture this exact man standing before me.
These are only two examples of the many lavish sentences he writes. If you think about it, the beginning of the book actually has quite a simple plotline, but Murakami’s use of figurative language makes the book hard to put down. This story also has elements of symbolism in it. When I was reading, I found that the café seemed to resemble the main character’s old lifestyle and the wild sheep chase resembled his new experiences and change of lifestyle. The café used to be his old, boring routine, but the wild sheep chase offers many twists and turns in his life. I envy Murakami’s talented ability to use figurative language in a way that makes me feel as though I am living within the pages of the book.
“The car door opened and the waning light of a summer afternoon fell across my face. Thousands of cicadas were singing at a high pitch like the winding of a clockspring. There was the rich smell of earth.” (page 78)-This is one of my favorite examples of imagery and simile because when I read this I can feel myself sitting in the limo, opening the door, and experiencing the nature around me.
“Mid-thirties to forty in age, five foot ten plus in height, trimmed of every last ounce of fat, slender hands without telltale wrinkles.” (page 61)- I can picture this exact man standing before me.
These are only two examples of the many lavish sentences he writes. If you think about it, the beginning of the book actually has quite a simple plotline, but Murakami’s use of figurative language makes the book hard to put down. This story also has elements of symbolism in it. When I was reading, I found that the café seemed to resemble the main character’s old lifestyle and the wild sheep chase resembled his new experiences and change of lifestyle. The café used to be his old, boring routine, but the wild sheep chase offers many twists and turns in his life. I envy Murakami’s talented ability to use figurative language in a way that makes me feel as though I am living within the pages of the book.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Week 3-Literary Element/Figurative Language
I'm glad that I got here first, because now I can write about the most obvious figurative language that Murakami uses. I am speaking about his similes of course. Let me pull a few that made me underline them or even sometimes made me put "haha" in the margin:
"He spoke as if running a white-gloved hand over a tabletop."
"[Life] is like doughnut holes. Whether you take a doughnut hole as a blank space or as an entity unto itself is a purely metaphysical question and does not affect the taste of the doughnut one bit."
"Sitting in the limo, compared to my fifteen-year-old Volkswagen Beetle I'd bought off a friend, was as quiet as sitting at the bottom of a lake wearing earplugs."
He gets more creative than this, but these are a couple of good examples of him using similes. Although they are enjoyable to read, unexpected, and proficient at explaining whatever it is that he wants to express, I do have one bone to pick with them.
They are outlandish enough to have us, as separate people, think about them and chuckle. They pull you out of the action of the book, and make you feel like you're reading one instead. I've found that I like books that describe things in a way that you can't totally comprehend at first. I like it when the author sneaks up from behind with some sort of feeling or atmosphere through the shape and sound of a word or sentence. You don't know you're feeling it, or thinking it, until later when you considered what you just read.
It's harsh to say that his whole style is bad, and I'm not saying that. This book is enjoyable and incredibly witty, but with the outlandish similes and the even more outlandish ending... I lose a bit of respect for it.
To give another compliment though, the similes go well with the main character's personality, with all of his inane and quirky observations.
"He spoke as if running a white-gloved hand over a tabletop."
"[Life] is like doughnut holes. Whether you take a doughnut hole as a blank space or as an entity unto itself is a purely metaphysical question and does not affect the taste of the doughnut one bit."
"Sitting in the limo, compared to my fifteen-year-old Volkswagen Beetle I'd bought off a friend, was as quiet as sitting at the bottom of a lake wearing earplugs."
He gets more creative than this, but these are a couple of good examples of him using similes. Although they are enjoyable to read, unexpected, and proficient at explaining whatever it is that he wants to express, I do have one bone to pick with them.
They are outlandish enough to have us, as separate people, think about them and chuckle. They pull you out of the action of the book, and make you feel like you're reading one instead. I've found that I like books that describe things in a way that you can't totally comprehend at first. I like it when the author sneaks up from behind with some sort of feeling or atmosphere through the shape and sound of a word or sentence. You don't know you're feeling it, or thinking it, until later when you considered what you just read.
It's harsh to say that his whole style is bad, and I'm not saying that. This book is enjoyable and incredibly witty, but with the outlandish similes and the even more outlandish ending... I lose a bit of respect for it.
To give another compliment though, the similes go well with the main character's personality, with all of his inane and quirky observations.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Week Three
Welcome to Week Three of the Discussion! This weeks discussion will run from Monday, March 9 to Sunday, March 15.
This week's discussion will be on figurative language and literary elements in your book. Please find an example of these in your book and POST a 10-sentence comment on it. Don't forget to comment on 5 other posts on this blog. You have all week to complete this assignment, please don't wait until the last minute.
This week's discussion will be on figurative language and literary elements in your book. Please find an example of these in your book and POST a 10-sentence comment on it. Don't forget to comment on 5 other posts on this blog. You have all week to complete this assignment, please don't wait until the last minute.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Week 2: Setting
Murakami takes a great deal of time to describe the setting in this book. Although the descriptions are in the same unique point of view as the rest of the main character’s thoughts, they are full of imagery and add an entirely different level to this book. I usually can easily picture the setting in my head, but the description of the boss’s house always looses me. This could be because I have no idea what a “Meiji-era Western-style manor” (81) looks like. I think that the reader needs some background information on Japanese culture to understand every aspect of this book and get the most out of it; however the book still makes sense without that knowledge.
The book’s setting doesn’t seem to influence the story very much. I feel that the book could take place in any modern city and at any time period during or after the 1970s. I think that the author only needs the fast-paced big city life to contrast his main character’s personality and view on life. I also think that the time period has to be fairly modern so that the reader gets the sense that the main character is stuck in the past and how cities change. No events so far in the book seem to show that the story must take place in Japan during the 1970s.
The book’s setting doesn’t seem to influence the story very much. I feel that the book could take place in any modern city and at any time period during or after the 1970s. I think that the author only needs the fast-paced big city life to contrast his main character’s personality and view on life. I also think that the time period has to be fairly modern so that the reader gets the sense that the main character is stuck in the past and how cities change. No events so far in the book seem to show that the story must take place in Japan during the 1970s.
Week 2 Setting
The setting is obviously a modern day Japan. Even though it is obvious the city in Japan never made an impression on me. Even though I knew it could not possibly be Kyoto which is very traditional, I never though of the city. Maybe I just thought is was Tokyo as an obvious statement that I just forgot about it after reading it. Even after mentions of the places in Tokyo that I knew of such as Aoyama and others the thought that it was in Tokyo just passed me by.
It was fine that I did not remember because the setting itself is not a very important aspect of this book. It seems to be in the background just to use as a backdrop when applicable. It seems that while reading people get the impression it can’t be anywhere else but Tokyo without actually having a need to notice that it is actually Tokyo.
The main part of the story is the psychological point of view and how each character can be analyzed. Another main part is obviously the adventure of the sheep chase. In both cases the setting can be changed in one’s mind between each reading. At some point I was sure it was in Hokkaido the snowy north of Japan. I am sure I had some reason…
Irini
It was fine that I did not remember because the setting itself is not a very important aspect of this book. It seems to be in the background just to use as a backdrop when applicable. It seems that while reading people get the impression it can’t be anywhere else but Tokyo without actually having a need to notice that it is actually Tokyo.
The main part of the story is the psychological point of view and how each character can be analyzed. Another main part is obviously the adventure of the sheep chase. In both cases the setting can be changed in one’s mind between each reading. At some point I was sure it was in Hokkaido the snowy north of Japan. I am sure I had some reason…
Irini
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