Haruki Murakami: All About the Writer and His Books

Haruki Murakami is one of the most famous Japanese writers of all time, especially in Brazil. His books are internationally successful and are translated into over 50 languages. In this article, we are going to talk a little about this writer and his works.

Trivia and History of Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami [春樹村上] was born in Kyoto on January 12, 1949, being the son of a Buddhist priest and a businesswoman from Osaka. He lived his youth in Shukugawa cities in Nishinomiya, Ashiya and Kobe.

From an early age he learned and liked Japanese literature. He attended Waseda University in Tokyo, devoted himself to theater studies and even opened a jazz bar called Peter Cat. He didn't start writing until he was 29 years old.

His works are often surrealist, melancholic and fatalistic, marked by a Kafkaesque style (Franz Kafka's style) with recurring themes such as alienation, loneliness and an atmosphere of nightmare and absurdity, escaping any logic.

Haruki Murakami - all about the writer and his books

His works have received numerous awards such as the World Fantasy Award, Franz Kafka Award, Jerusalem Award and the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award.

He is heavily influenced by Western culture and has even worked translating works from English into Japanese by writers such as Raymond Carver, JD Salinger., F.Scott Fitzgerald, Truman Capote and John Irving.

His first work was a novel called Listen to the Song of the Wind, released in 1979. The work that made the name Haruki Murakami famous is called Norwegian Wood and was released in 1987 in Japan.

Like many Japanese, Murakami is passionate about endurance sports, participating in marathons such as the 100 kilometer ultramarathon. He completed his first ultramarathon in Hokkaido around Lake Saroma.

His passion for running is so great that he wrote one of his books that talks exactly about this subject. The book reveals great information about the writer, as well as being humorous and philosophical. If you want details of the book, see below:

We always like to leave links to books on amazon for you to see more information and reader comments. You can also acquire them physically by helping Suki Desu.

1q84 - Murders and parallel worlds

1q84 is one of the most successful recent books by Haruki Murakami, one of his biggest stories divided into 3 books. The books start by telling the story of 2 different characters called Aomame and Tengo.

Aomame is a martial arts teacher and secretly an assassin for hire, while Tengo is a math teacher and aspiring writer. The work moves towards romance, in addition to several mysteries and surreal events.

Haruki Murakami - all about the writer and his books

The story covers subjects such as parallel worlds, mysterious girls, murders and strange sects. The name of the book is 1q84 because of the year the story takes place (1984). The book was published in 2009 to 2009 and was released in Brazil in 2012.

If you want to read this famous Japanese work written by Haruki Murakami, you can access and buy the books by clicking on the Amazon Brazil links below. You can start reading before your physical edition arrives, or you can read it on kindle.

Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami's first hit

Norwegian Wood is Haruki Murakami's first bestselling novel, this novel was published in 1987 and is inspired by a Beatles song of the same name.

The story of Norwegian Wood takes place in 1960s Japan in the life of a young man named Toru Watanabe. He becomes involved with the girlfriend of his recently deceased friend, an older woman and a student of libertarian ideas.

Haruki Murakami - all about the writer and his books

The work portrays the 60s and 70s well, with references to pop culture, American literature, European culture, cinema and even makes several quotes from the Beatles, Miles Davis, Bill Evans and other hits of the time.

Below you can find information about the book and buy a physical or digital version in English and English.

The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:

hunting sheep

This book, released in 1982, portrays an impassive and icy Japan in the business world. It portrays well what Japan was becoming and what it has become today, people replacing their human relationships with objects and brands.

This novel portrays a world dominated by media and lonely characters in search of some affection, presenting the great consequences of commercialism and publicity in Japan.

Haruki Murakami - all about the writer and his books

The protagonists of the book do not have names, despite the theme, the work is full of mystery that even involves genetic manipulations for military purposes. Hunting Sheep was the work that made Haruki Murakami famous all over the world.

Like most of Haruki Murakami's works, in this book you come across surreal things like a seductive-eared model, a right-wing political group with an enigmatic boss, and even a sheepman.

Despite the plot being completely crazy, the book manages to deliver a fluid and pleasant read, always making you more curious to know what happens next. You can see details of the book below:


Books by Haruki Murakami

Let's end this article by sharing a list of books and other works that Haruki Murakami participated in during his writing career. I hope you enjoy this Japanese writer's books and make a good choice.

I will try to briefly comment on the 3 of the most popular works in the list below. If you liked the article, don't forget to share and leave your comments.

My dear Sputnik – It tells the story of a young man in love with a girl who dropped out of her studies to become a writer. The work presents a sophisticated Japan full of vibrant colors, with a story involving love triangle.

Wind-up Bird Chronicle – This book by Haruki Murakami talks about the ephemerality of love, the evil that permeates modern society and the sad violent legacy that Japan brought with its wars.

Kafka by the sea – One of the writer's most ambitious novels, with a surprising and imaginative story, made up of references ranging from the Japanese pop world to Greek tragedies.

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