ilovefuzz.com

Hard Boiled might be his strangest book. Cool, but strange.

UglyCasanova wrote:

Seance wrote:I love Murakami.

You forgot

Yeah. That's a good one.

I also really love the Murakami short story "The Year of Spaghetti". It's about how he made spaghetti for a year. It is absolutely awesome.

Strange Tales wrote:

Seance wrote: I love Murakami. Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is still my favorite of his books.

I started Murakami with Colorless Tsukuru and I really loved that book, my friend told me his favorite was Hard Boiled Egg so I decided on that one next. He has so many books though so I'm happy to have a ton to read for the time being.

But most are a little similar. It can get tedious after a couple (I can do two in a row but then I have enough), so you might want to stretch that stuff out. I really liked IQ84.

^Agreed. His short stories are still my faves, anyway.

phantasmagorovich wrote:

Strange Tales wrote:

Seance wrote: I love Murakami. Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is still my favorite of his books.

I started Murakami with Colorless Tsukuru and I really loved that book, my friend told me his favorite was Hard Boiled Egg so I decided on that one next. He has so many books though so I'm happy to have a ton to read for the time being.

But most are a little similar. It can get tedious after a couple (I can do two in a row but then I have enough), so you might want to stretch that stuff out. I really liked IQ84.

I've always seen/heard that 1Q84 is by far his worst book so I've just decided to not touch that one. I have many other books to read as well, so no problem with breaking up reading Murakami's books.

1Q84 was like a jumble of a bunch of his previous stuff. I actually think it would be okay as a starting point, but if you've read a bunch of his other stuff, it does't have much to offer.
Hardboiled was probably my favorite novel of his-- basically being 2 separate novels in 2 genres kept it from feeling like it was dragging.

PS why does no one ever mention Sputnik Sweetheart?

i bought a copy of Gravity's Rainbow years ago .. and never started it.



"You’re reading Gravity’s Rainbow?"

"Re-reading it."

Sparrow wrote:i bought a copy of Gravity's Rainbow years ago .. and never started it.



"You’re reading Gravity’s Rainbow?"

"Re-reading it."

I have the same readers block with infinite jest.
Actually started twice.


I did read Gravity's Rainbow, so at least some consolation there. I actually wanted to re-read it once, but it turns out, most of my copies of Pynchons stuff have been borrowed and never given back.

phantasmagorovich wrote:I did read Gravity's Rainbow, so at least some consolation there. I actually wanted to re-read it once, but it turns out, most of my copies of Pynchons stuff have been borrowed and never given back.

how'd ya like it?

Infinite Jest is so freaking heavy. Footnotes with footnotes? Come on!

Sparrow wrote:

phantasmagorovich wrote:I did read Gravity's Rainbow, so at least some consolation there. I actually wanted to re-read it once, but it turns out, most of my copies of Pynchons stuff have been borrowed and never given back.

how'd ya like it?

"Gravity's Rainbow" is fucking genius, no question. I must have read it through four or five times over the years. Pynchon's best book by a long margin. Might be ANYBODY'S best book by a long margin.

HorseyBoy wrote:

Sparrow wrote:

phantasmagorovich wrote:I did read Gravity's Rainbow, so at least some consolation there. I actually wanted to re-read it once, but it turns out, most of my copies of Pynchons stuff have been borrowed and never given back.

how'd ya like it?

"Gravity's Rainbow" is fucking genius, no question. I must have read it through four or five times over the years. Pynchon's best book by a long margin. Might be ANYBODY'S best book by a long margin.

I loved it too, but there is lots of stuff I've forgotten. I remember Crying of Lot 49 being more to the point, and I liked the density of Mason & Dixon as well as the lightness of Inherent Vice. Basically I'm a fanboy. Gravity's Rainbow is probably his best book because it combines most of what's amazing about his other books, but it isn't the best place to start, I think. Crying of Lot 49 is much easier to read and sets the tone for Gravity quite well.

I remember Gravity's Rainbow being so unbearably dense for me. I like reading a lot in one go, but that book doesn't really feel like one I can sit down and read for a while. It's a shame because I've heard so many great things about it, and I really love V and Crying of Lot 49, but just can't fully get into Gravity's Rainbow.

phantasmagorovich wrote: I did read Gravity's Rainbow, so at least some consolation there. I actually wanted to re-read it once, but it turns out, most of my copies of Pynchons stuff have been borrowed and never given back.

Loaning someone a book and giving someone a book always costs the same.