What I Learned from Haruki Murakami as a Writer
“Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart.” Murakami
The Unexpected Encounter
The musty scent of old paper filled the air as I wandered through the labyrinthine aisles of an Istanbul bookstore.
A worn copy of Murakami’s short stories ‘First Person Singular’ caught my eye, its cover promising tales of longing and loss.
Curious, I opened the book and began reading the page titled “The Stone Pillow.”
A Literary Awakening with Murakami
Murakami’s words flowed effortlessly, painting vivid pictures in my mind.
His characters, ordinary people grappling with extraordinary circumstances, felt achingly real.
I was drawn to his honest portrayal of love, heartbreak, and the passage of time.
His writing, a delicate balance of the mundane and the magical, resonated with a deep part of me.
Here is a passage from the short story The Stone Pillow by Haruki Murakami.
“Many years have passed since then. Strangely enough (or perhaps not so strangely), people age in the blink of an eye. Each and every moment, our bodies are on a one-way journey to collapse and deterioration, unable to turn back the clock. Haruki Murakami.
Have you ever felt that way about a book?
Murakami skillfully intertwines the themes of memory and time throughout this story.
The narrator’s memories of the woman and her poetry are fragmented and dreamlike, creating a blur between reality and the subjective nature of memory.
The narrative examines how time can both preserve and distort memories, prompting the reader to question the accuracy of the narrator’s perception of the woman and their encounter.
A connection so profound it feels almost spiritual?
What is your favourite story from Haruki Murakami?