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Title details for Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami - Available

Novelist as a Vocation

by Haruki Murakami
Philip Gabriel
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • An insightful look into the mind of a master storyteller—and a unique look at the craft of writing from the beloved and best-selling author of 1Q84, Norwegian Wood, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.
"Murakami is like a magician who explains what he's doing as he performs the trick and still makes you believe he has supernatural powers" —New York Times Book Review
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK: Esquire, Vulture, LitHub, New York Observer
Aspiring writers and readers who have long wondered where the mysterious novelist gets his ideas and what inspires his strangely surreal worlds will be fascinated by this engaging book from the internationally best-selling author. Haruki Murakami now shares with readers his thoughts on the role of the novel in our society; his own origins as a writer; and his musings on the sparks of creativity that inspire other writers, artists, and musicians.
Here are the personal details of a life devoted to craft: the initial moment at a Yakult Swallows baseball game, when he suddenly knew he could write a novel; the importance of memory, what he calls a writer’s “mental chest of drawers”; the necessity of loneliness, patience, and his daily running routine; the seminal role a carrier pigeon played in his career and more. 
"What I want to say is that in a certain sense, while the novelist is creating a novel, he is simultaneously being created by the novel as well." —Haruki Murakami

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 8, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781524721855
      • File size: 218746 KB
      • Duration: 07:35:43

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from September 12, 2022
      Novelist Murakami (1Q84) reveals the tricks of the trade in this stellar essay collection, originally published in Japan in 2015. In “Are Novelists Broadminded?” he observes that “people with brilliant minds are not particularly well suited to writing novels,” while “A Completely Personal and Physical Occupation” makes a case that it’s crucial for a writer to cultivate stamina: “You have to become physically fit. You need to become robust and physically strong. And make your body your ally.” In “When I Became a Novelist” Murakami shares stories of his time at the Waseda University in Tokyo at the peak of student protests and recalls his days operating a jazz café with his wife in the mid-’70s: “We were all young then, full of ambition and energy—though, sad to say, no one was making any money to speak of.” Especially enjoyable is a mystical tale he shares about a baseball game he attended in 1978 during which “based on no grounds whatsoever, it suddenly struck me: I think I can write a novel.” Lighthearted yet edifying, the anecdotes make for a fantastic look at how a key literary figure made it happen. Murakami’s fans will relish these amusing missives. Agent: Amanda Urban, ICM Partners.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Kotaro Watanabe, who recently narrated a collection of Murakami short stories, returns with the famed author's essays about his life as a writer. Watanabe's unembellished delivery clearly conveys the essays' informational tidbits; for example, Murakami produces 10 pages at a sitting, he doesn't know other writers, and he always travels outside Japan to write his novels. Watanabe's straightforward approach is suited to Murakami's usual unadorned writing. However, the author changed his writing style in these essays, wanting them to sound like informal conversations. Sadly, the rhythm and tonal variation of an imaginary chat are missing from Watanabe's smooth, almost flat narration. The material is presented, but the author's voice is absent. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Part memoir, part critique of professional writing, Murakami's (IQ84) latest nonfiction underwhelms. The book consists of a series of essays written over the past 15 years, with a seven-year gap between publication in Japan and the United States. Kotaro Watanabe's narration is a bit disjointed at first, much like the collection of essays that are thinly linked from chapter to chapter, but once one acclimates to the conversational rhythm of Murakami's style of nonfiction, the narration is well paired. Murakami notes that each essay came from jotted-down musings, and it sounds as such, like journal entries and rambling internal conversations. The book's strengths lie in the more personal essays that shed light on Murakami's process, such as "Making Time Your Ally," but it is weighed down by industry-focused rants, pedantic interludes, and far too many interjections to take any of its advice with a grain of salt. VERDICT Those who are fascinated by the writer and all that makes him tick may enjoy this after warming up to the narrative style, but those seeking guidance in the profession of writing may struggle to mine any gems of wisdom.--Laura Hammond

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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