9meow | Recent Entries

I had planned on my next journal being an entry for a 28-day prompt challenge, but Dreamwidth ate my draft; I assumed that there would be a section on the site to access and restore auto-saved drafts, and I ended up closing the tab without thinking twice. Now I know-- I'll always write on my desktop's word processor from now on. With all the user-oriented features on here I sometimes forget that this is a dinosaur website, have to treat it like one and be absolutely sure before clicking out of something.

I've been doing an immense amount of reading lately. Never forgot how much I enjoyed it, but now that I know that it's actively improving my skill set it's been impossible to stop. The way I've been reading has changed, though. I've been careful to not skip over a single word, and have been paying more attention to the technical aspects than ever. I don't feel bad about highlighting sentences sloppily or jotting down thoughts in the margins lately, and the first book I've found myself doing this with is Jay Rubin and Philip Gabriel's translation of 1Q84.

It's the extremely thick all-in-one version, and that thickness is what drove high-school-freshman-me to purchase it from Books Inc. Remember lugging the thing around all summer during extracurricular classes, and wrestling it out of my bag every five minute break we had to pore over a few more pages. There was definitely a part of me that wanted to seem extra smart by reading such a comically over sized book, but now I can view it through a slightly more objective lens. I'm still incredibly biased towards Murakami's writing, though-- at least I think so, I've never read any of his work untranslated. Bought Book 1 of the original Japanese release from Kinokuniya a few months ago, which seems to cover the first 357 pages; can't be sure how much of 1Q84's content that is compared to the translation I'm reading, with character density between languages and the tategaki format.

Filtered and unfiltered.

Now that I'm 264 pages into the translation, I thought it would be a good time to save and break down some of my favorite quotes and excerpts from the novel. I'll be paying particular attention to these sections when I get to the original; my impression of Murakami's writing style (from translation) is that it's extremely descriptive without excess weight. His sentences give the sense of being exceptionally long, which may be why I'm so innately drawn to his work-- translated Murakami and I have the same writing style, and translated Murakami shows me where I can make easy adjustments and more complicated improvements to my own work. Japanese Murakami seems to retain these long sentences, though they're punctuated with short "burst" sentences, giving his prose an interesting sense of rhythm. Will comment further and expand on these thoughts once I finish translated 1Q84, again when I finish the Japanese version, and the next time I decide to go through the rest of his catalog.

There was no particular methodology or concrete reasoning for why I highlighted these specific paragraphs, for one reason or another they stood out to me. I'll comment in red following the quotation if I have anything to say, though some of my highlights were just me noticing plot points or a change in format.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶

Chapter 1, Aomame: "Don't let appearances fool you."

"This may be the most important proposition revealed by history: 'At the time, no one knew what was coming.'" (pg. 3)

"How many times in her thirty years had [Aomame] heard the same remarks, the same feeble jokes about her name? My life might have been totally different if I hadn't been born with this name. If I had an ordinary name like Sato or Tanaka or Suzuki, I could have lived a slightly more relaxed life or looked at people with somewhat more forgiving eyes. Perhaps." (pg. 5) Seamless transition into character thought; Murakami's precision with character writing is excellent. Gave Aomame a relatively mundane complex about her name, despite the fact that she's an extremely anomalous character and an assassin. One would think that such a character has more important issues to worry about, but these "smaller" thoughts make her seem human and therefore carry more weight. This complex is also played completely straight-- Murakami doesn't assign any value to it, neither under or overplaying it's weight. Up to the reader to decide.

"The music gave her an odd, wrenching kind of feeling. There was no pain or unpleasantness involved, just a sensation that all the elements of her body were being physically wrung out." (pg. 6) First impression: peculiar, subtle way to describe bodily feelings and the sense of touch, a hallmark of Murakami's style. As I'm writing this I'm realizing that this is the exact moment Aomame shifted from 1984 to 1Q84. Murakami is constantly setting up details and weaving them seamlessly into his novel, and the reader doesn't realize the set up and integration until they find the connection point later into the plot. Like cleanly threading a needle, stitching it into the page, and snipping the excess thread off several hundred pages later-- as close to the knot as possible.

"...You're about to do something out of the ordinary...And after you do something like that, the everyday look of things might seem to change a little. Things may look different to you than they did before. I've had that experience myself. But don't let appearances fool you. There's always only one reality." (pg. 11) Heavy use of italics for dialogue, which works with the taxi driver's intellectual persona. Pays attention to character quirks and peculiarities through format.

"Whenever something caused her to frown or grimace, however, her features underwent dramatic changes. The muscles of her face tightened, pulling in several directions at once and emphasizing the lack of symmetry in the overall structure. Deep wrinkles formed in her skin, her eyes suddenly drew inward, her nose and mouth became violently distorted, her jaw twisted to the side, and her lips curled back, exposing Aomame's large white teeth. Instantly, she became a wholly different person, as if a cord had been broken, dropping the mask that normally covered her face." ☆ (pg. 13) Another detailed passage focusing on the sense of touch and physical feeling, as well as an excellent description of how Aomame expresses her emotions physically. Thought is given not only to Aomame's facial features but the motion of these features and how they function and serve a purpose within Aomame's reality. Perhaps pick up the habit of attaching description of use or function onto a previous description, turning the description into a double description with double the reader impact. Also noticed the "run-on" commas centered around a single point (the motion of her face) which is not only acceptable but unique. The centering around a subject keeps the commas from feeling messy and unstructured. + "Once she let herself frown, it took both time and effort to regain her original expression." (pg. 12)

One thought that kept working it's way back into my mind throughout my first read of this chapter: "This book is kind of pretentious." The reality is that Aomame is slightly pretentious, and Murakami's writing style wraps itself around the character he's presenting us with, like dough around a meaty filling. This can be seen in the next chapter, which focuses entirely on Tengo-- the prose mellows out significantly to adjust and loses quite a bit of edge. I actually relate to Aomame quite a bit, so maybe it's just the kind of pretentiousness other pretentious people notice and no one else pays any mind to. Having that grit for the opening chapter worked to his advantage here.

Chapter 2, Tengo: "Something else in mind."

"Tengo's first memory dated from the time he was one and a half...The infant in the crib nearby was probably Tengo himself. He was observing the scene as a third person. Or could the infant have been his twin? No, not likely. It was one-and-a-half-year-old Tengo. He knew this intuitively. The infant was asleep, its eyes closed, its little breaths deep and regular. The vivid ten-second scene was seared into the wall of his consciousness, his earliest memory in life." ☆ (pg. 16) Tengo's uncertainty is conveyed through specific pacing, specifically-chosen words. Murakami chooses the emotion/tone of the scene and writes each scene under the guidelines of the appropriate emotion, letting the feelings play out without regard for the novel as a whole; this makes each scene unique and into its own tone piece. There's a sense of free-spiritedness, like he'll expand where he wants to and gloss over where he wants to. This could be particularly useful to you as a writer as only certain topics keep your interest.

"So if this memory of Tengo's was genuine, the scene must have been seared into his retinas as a pure image free of judgement--- the way a camera records objects on film, mechanically, as a blend of light and shadow." (pg. 16) Beautiful, unique metaphors are very Haruki Murakami, or at least translated Haruki Murakami-- this metaphor in particular feels very aligned with Japanese aesthetics in literature, so I believe it was translated as directly as possible. Gives Murakami a distinct style in the English-reading sphere due to the blending of the east into western language. He follows the template of relating concepts or ideas (such as beauty, or in this case specifically memory) to mechanical or technological objects (the camera).

"This vivid ten-second image would come to him without warning and without consideration of either time or place...By the time he noticed, it would be directly in front of him, and his arms and legs would be paralyzed. The flow of time stopped. The air grew thin, and he had trouble breathing. He lost all connection with the people and things around him. The tsunami's liquid wall swallowed him whole. And though it felt to him as if the world were being closed off in darkness, he experienced no loss of awareness. It was just a sense of having been switched to a new track." (pg. 17) Once again, an impeccably detailed description focusing on feeling and physical sensation while being couched in reality. This is also an extremely accurate depiction of a trauma response, though this is more like a recollection of a life-changing moment for Tengo-- and the act of recalling, itself, is the trauma.

"'It'd be terrible if that happened while you were driving or something,' Komatsu said, looking directly at him.
'I don't drive.'
'That's good. I know a guy with a cedar pollen allergy who started sneezing at the wheel and smashed into a telephone pole.'" (pg. 19) Was struck by just how realistically this dialogue came across-- American writers don't "sprinkle spice" into character dialogue often enough, and the spice they do sprinkle in doesn't have much flavor. This section is particularly unique because Komatsu isn't a main character; but that fact only makes 1Q84 as a work feel realized, and its world feel like one that exists in a reality parallel to ours. Don't be afraid to draw inspiration from "weird" sources, or from strange occurrences in your life or the lives of others-- ESPECIALLY for dialogue scenes.

"Tengo picked up his coffee cup and gulped down what was left. He tasted nothing, just felt some lukewarm liquid passing down his throat." (pg. 19)

"...There has to be that 'special something' an indefinable quality, something I can't put my finger on That's the part of fiction I value more highly than anything else. Stuff I understand perfectly doesn't interest me. Obviously. It's very simple." (pg. 23) Murakami introduces a unique but familiar intellectual concept, and doesn't feel the need to overly define it or explain it to the readers-- he knows that many of them have experienced this feeling as well. Flash forward to later in the novel when Komatsu gives Tengo this same advice "...describe what your readers haven't seen before. Keep what they have seen/experienced brief." This was no doubt Murakami imparting his own advice as an author to the readers, using Komatsu the editor as a vessel to do so.

"[Komatsu] did not engage in pointless intellectual display, but it was clear that he had read an enormous amount and that his knowledge was both wide-ranging and deep...He was tall and gangly, with an oversized mouth and an undersized nose. He had long limbs and nicotine-stained fingers, reminiscent of those failed revolutionary intellectuals in nineteenth-century Russian novels. He rarely smiled...Clean and decently groomed, he always wore a tweed jacket, white oxford cloth or pale gray polo shirt, no tie, gray pants, suede shoes---a 'uniform' meant to show the world he didn't care about these things." (pg. 24, 25) ☆ Character description. Note that the character's lifestyle (smoking habit) is reflected in their appearance; Komatsu was first made and considered, then outwardly designed and described to the reader.

"'Your case might take some time,' he said. 'But we're in no hurry. Just make up your mind to write every single day. And don't throw anything out. It might come in handy later.' Tengo agreed to follow Komatsu's advice." (pg. 26)

"When he was home, Tengo usually wrote from first thing in the morning until the approach of evening. All he needed to satisfy him was his Mont Blanc pen, his blue ink, and standard manuscript sheets, each page lined with four hundred empty squares ready to accept four hundred characters." (pg. 28) Elegant prose.

"'If it takes the Akutagawa, it'll cause a sensation. Most people don't know the value of a good novel, but they don't want to be left out, so they'll buy and read it--- especially when they hear it was written by a high school girl...Those bastards all huddle together in their gloomy cave and kiss each other's asses, and lick each other's wounds, and trip each other up, all while spewing this pompous crap about the mission of literature. I want to have a good laugh at their expense. I want to outwit the system and make idiots out of the whole bunch of them. Doesn't that sound like fun to you?'" (pg. 31) ☆ I could sit here and talk about the intricacies of Murakami's writing style all day and night, but when it comes down to it his skill as an author comes from the unparalleled intrigue of his ideas. The literary world is one he must be deeply familiar with, and one Komatsu must extremely familiar with, which makes the thought of an inescapable spectacle, a rift in the system so stimulating to both of them. The reader can feel Komatsu's will and manic desire for this rift through the page. The lesson here is to not be afraid of exploring your passions through writing when appropriate, because it will translate and leave an impression. Strange that simply reading this snippet of dialogue again, along with the previous description of Tengo's routine, makes me want to write more immediately.

"'Half the magazines' serialized manga are coauthored. The staff toss around ideas and make up the story, the artist does simple line drawings, his assistants fill in the details and add color. It's not much different from the way a factory makes alarm clocks.'" (pg. 31) Another metaphor relating humanity, human feelings, human action to a mechanical object. Adds a touch of darkness and industrialism to the paragraph its contained in, and if you have enough of them, creating a dark urban setting is child's play.

"'And besides, we're not talking about a Balzac or a Murasaki Shikibu here.'" (pg. 32) ☆ Remind me to read more of ~~Murakami's~~ Komatsu's recommendations.

Komatsu is an author insert for Murakami, and an infinitely more likable character once the reader realizes this; Komatsu is the sole puppeteer in Tengo's chapters, and when viewed indirectly, the puppeteer of 1Q84.

Chapter 3, Aomame: "Some changed facts."

"Aomame climbed down the emergency stairway in her stocking feet. The wind whistled past the stairway, which was open to the elements. Snug though her miniskirt was, it filled like a sail with the occasional strong gust from below, providing enough lift to make her steps unsteady. She kept a tight grip on the cold metal pipe that served as a handrail, lowering herself a step at a time, backward, and stopping now and then to brush aside the stray hair hanging down her forehead and to adjust the position of the shoulder bag slung diagonally across her chest." (pg. 35) ☆ The addition of the "backward" here seems unnecessary; I cannot understand why it specifically was included or what Murakami is trying to say by including it. Is Aomame walking with her back forward? Is she taking one step forward, and one back, to steady herself? It seems almost deliberately confusing, but provides a sense of mystery to Murakami's writing. The lesson you can take here is that not every word needs to be carefully selected, needs to serve a particular purpose; sometimes a word can add value not because of its literal meaning but simply with its inclusion. No need to worry about repeating a word twice within a small space on the page, either. Let your brain do its magic and your writing have its own mystery.

"...I should not be thinking such thoughts at a time like this. I have to concentrate on climbing down the stairs. But the thoughts would not go away. The images came to her one after another and with great vividness. The summer night, the narrow bed, the faint smell of perspiration. The words they spoke. The feelings that would not take the form of words. Forgotten promises. Unrealized hopes. Frustrated longings." (pg. 37) Seamless transition from Aomame's thoughts. Another centered comma list, and the appearance of a centered period list. They are both extremely similar, but the centered period list leaves the reader with a heightened sense of weight and rhythm. The summer night and smell of perspiration are the first layer, but the forgotten promises and unrealized hopes are the deeper substance and what truly define that night for Aomame.

"She could not recall things that should have come back to her easily. It is now April 1984. I was born in...that's it...1954. I can remember that much. These dates were engraved in her mind, but as soon as she recalled them, they lost all meaning. She saw white cards imprinted with dates scattering in the wind, flying in all directions. She ran, trying to pick up as many as she could, but the wind was too strong, the sheer number of cards overwhelming. Away they flew: 1954, 1984, 1645, 1881, 2006, 771, 2041...all order lost, all knowledge vanishing, the stairway of intellection crumbling beneath her feet." (pg. 37, 38)

"Just before they passed each other, Aomame noticed that there was something unusual about his uniform. The jacket was the normal deep navy blue, but its cut was different: the design was more casual, less tight fitting, and in a softer material, the lapels smaller, even the navy color a touch paler. His pistol, too, was a different model. He wore a large automatic at his waist instead of the revolver normally issued to policemen in Japan. Crimes involving firearms were so rare in this country that there was little likelihood that an officer would be caught in a shootout, which meant an old-fashioned six-shooter was adequate. Revolvers were simply made, cheap, reliable, and easy to maintain. But for some reason this officer was carrying the latest model semi-automatic pistol, the kind that could be loaded with sixteen 9mm bullets. Probably a Glock or a Beretta. But how could that be?" (pg. 41) This passage is translated Murakami distilled; detailed to the point of vivid imagination, focus on touch and reality, centered comma lists, and obsession with mechanical objects. The only hallmark left out here are his musings on humanity or other intangible concepts.

"Now it was just a matter of carrying out the task as arranged. Head-on. With unwavering conviction and ruthlessness. Aomame undid the top button of her blouse. This would give a glimpse of her cleavage when she bent over." (pg. 43) A more subtle, one-note hint at Aomame's sexuality, compared to Tengo's repressed memory of his mother or scenes with his girlfriend.

"There were many different ways of dying in the world, perhaps none of them as easy as this." (pg. 47)

"She tried out a medium frown. Then she straightened her hair, massaged her facial muscles with her fingertips to soften them, and flashed the mirror a sweet smile, revealing her recently cleaned white teeth. All right, then, here I go, out of the dead man's room and back to the real world. Time to adjust the atmospheric pressure. I'm not a cool killer anymore, just a smiling, capable businesswoman in a sharp suit." (pg. 49) Description of character routine, centered comma list, seamless transition into character thought. Spice.