The Literary Blog Hop is a fortnightly event held at The Blue Bookcase prompting book bloggers to answer a question.
If you were going off to war (or some other similarly horrific situation) and could only take one book with you, which literary book would you take and why?
This is an interesting twist on the classic “desert island” question which sees people bringing their favourite longest book. Here, we are going to war and the question consequently becomes more interestingly personal and psychological.
Would I want to bring a light book to uplift my spirits? Or a book that gives me hope despite the terrible state of human condition? Maybe I would prefer a philosophical book that would help me rationalise the incomprehensible human nature?
I think my choice would go for a book that gives me hope, hope that all is not lost, hope that there is still some good somewhere in the world, hope that maybe one day human beings will be able to live in peace. The problem is that I do not believe this is possible, so I might have to choose a book that gives me hope that I will once more be able to enjoy the little pleasures of life and human encounters that make me smile.
To be honest, I find it difficult to find the book that would satisfy what I would be looking for in such a situation. I am thinking about the books I have recently read, and the one coming closer is After Dark by Haruki Murakami. As it happens, I have been meant to review this book for a few months, but have not come around to doing it. Now is as good a time as any.
I had heard a lot about Murakami, about After Dark in particular, and had always thought I should read something by him. When I went to Milan, I quickly realised that I had not brought enough books with me. I was only in London airport, waiting for my second flight to get to Milan, and had already nearly finished one of the two books that were to be my companions during this trip, the second one being a novella. I decided to visit the airport bookshop. I was looking for a book that would not be to heavy, in weight and content, but not a plain holiday read either – I wanted a bit of substance. Then, my eyes caught sight of a few books by Murakami and I thought that at last I was getting the occasion to read something by him!
I think I can safely say that it was my revelation of the year 2010. I loved After Dark! It made me feel good. I find it difficult to explain why I felt that way. After all, it is not the most uplifting book: a prostitute gets beaten up, the women working in the hotel have a secret past they are trying to leave behind and Eri, Mari’s sister, has been asleep for months and some obscure supernatural things happen to her. However, I think that for me the relationships between the characters took precedence over everything else and gave me hope, hope that it is possible to find comfort and happiness in a world where the majority of people are twisted.
The story takes place in the interval of a night. During this night, a few characters’ paths meet. They are strangers who become acquainted for the time of a few hours. Amongst them are Mari, an avid reader whose sister’s beauty has always overshadowed her, and Takahashi, a musician on his way to a rehearsal. They are both out for the night and will meet a few times through it. We leave them at dawn when they separate at the subway station and the story is left hanging but is also full of possibilities for the future.
I thought Murakami utilises interesting narrative techniques. I was especially intrigued by the “we” point of view he uses. I do not think it is something I had encountered before, or at least not in the same way. It includes us in the story as viewers and gives a cinematic dimension to the narrative. I also liked the way there were a few storylines running in parallel to each other and sometimes intersecting. Characters might be present in a few of the narratives, but we are never actually told if they are the same people and are left supposing, which gives an air of mystery to the story. I also found the open-endedness of this story deeply satisfying and more realistic than a nicely tied-up closure. It is open to the future and its potential; even if life is far from being an ideal situation, there is still some comfort and happy moments to be found.
Here are a few of the reasons why I would choose After Dark. It is a substantial literary work, which, it seems to me, represents the complexity of human nature and life with a certain simplicity that gives me hope and would actually make me struggle to keep alive.
29 comments
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February 18, 2011 at 2:16 am
debnance at readerbuzz
Yes, hope would be nice during a war. I would definitely need hope. After Dark, however, might be too bleak for me to read. Very dark text, I thought.
Here’s my post: http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2011/02/one-book.html
What do you think?
February 18, 2011 at 8:54 pm
Em
It is dark, but life is not that bright all the time either. I am always touched by significant relationships and pleasurable details and this novel has those in it.
I think I wouldn’t find something too uplifting credible enough to give me hope in a horrific situation…
February 18, 2011 at 2:17 am
Belle
What an interesting book. I really like your reasons for choosing this book.
February 18, 2011 at 8:54 pm
Em
Thanks 🙂
February 18, 2011 at 2:38 am
Mel u
This is a very interesting response to this question-If I were going to take a Murakami I think I would take Wild Bird Chronicles-After Dark was the first of his works I have read and I also really liked it-
February 18, 2011 at 8:56 pm
Em
See what I meant when I said your response wasn’t odd?
There are more books by Murakami on the agenda, but so far After Dark is the only one I have read.
February 18, 2011 at 8:29 am
litlove
I’m so glad to read this as I have been wanting to read Murakami for ages, and just a couple of weeks ago I did finally buy one of his novels (not this one). I’m so pleased he was a revelation. I’ve got my fingers crossed that I love his work, too.
February 18, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Em
I hope you do! Which one did you get?
February 18, 2011 at 4:05 pm
parrish
As you may know I’m a big Murakami fan & have read most of his works & although I like this one, I think that if I chose a book if his it would be Kafka on the shore, it the Wind up Bird Chronicles. Glad you’ve finally read & liked him & have thought about which one you’d read next?
February 18, 2011 at 9:05 pm
Em
I have! I bought Norwegian Wood last Tuesday (as well as a book by Kazuo Ishiguro).
I would also like to read some of his short stories. I can’t remember which collection was recommended to me; I think it was After the Quake.
I’m sure his writing will come back many times in my readings.
February 18, 2011 at 9:45 pm
Parrish
My favourite murakami short story collection is the Elephant vanishes, have just finished Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nocturnes and it’s just a really beautiful collection of tales.
February 18, 2011 at 9:53 pm
Em
The one I bought is A Pale View of Hills (it was a bargain I couldn’t turn away!); it will be my introduction to Ishiguro.
The Elephant Vanishes? I take note!
February 18, 2011 at 10:10 pm
Parrish
seen pale hills & several others at silly prices on amazon 1p – 27p etc.)
have posted on the elephant vanishes if interested.
ps. have you read The Anthologist by Nicholson baker?
February 18, 2011 at 10:22 pm
Em
Yes, you can get bargains on Amazon, but then you have to add the postage (to Ireland for me). I usually keep my eyes open in second-hand and charity shops and my bookshop in Cork does great special offers. At the moment they’re doing an after-Christmas sale and this is where I pick up the books 🙂
I haven’t read The Anthologist yet; You only recommended it two weeks ago! I must first get it and then put it on the TBR pile until I get the occasion to read it. It might tae time, but it will eventually happen…
February 18, 2011 at 4:44 pm
bedazzled
I loved After dark too,but thought that it was a dark,brooding tale. A brilliant book ,neverthless.
February 18, 2011 at 9:07 pm
Em
I guess I’m a bit strange then 🙂 but then, I don’t find Beckett depressing either. Watching the news gets at me a lot more…
February 18, 2011 at 5:45 pm
Melody
I’ve only read Wind Up Bird Chronicle, but it also was like a revelation to me. I loved his writing. I have a few others of his waiting in the wings. He definitely makes you think, and I like that.
February 18, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Em
I agree, and yet he is not too difficult to read.
February 18, 2011 at 6:17 pm
Robyn
I need to check this out. The hardest part of any trip…figuring out which books to pack and worrying about whether I have enough to last me. I’m headed to Florida in March and will be there for 11 days…books for 11 days on the beach! My suitcase might be filled with books and a bathing suit.
February 18, 2011 at 9:09 pm
Em
Thin pages and small writing 😉
February 18, 2011 at 11:25 pm
parrish
Yeah sorry about that It’s this months obsession, it will probably change to Ishiguro’s book soon, & I will bug people about that, until another comes along ad inf’ (lol)
February 19, 2011 at 12:25 am
Em
Right so! I’ll make sure to read Ishiguro quickly then 😉
February 19, 2011 at 3:20 am
Emily Crowe
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment with me. In answer, I, too, have started skimming much of Book 2 in my re-reads of LotR as it’s not my favorite. Your choice is very interesting to me as it’s the only Murakami I’ve ever read. I thought it was a little dark and more than a little bizarre, but I’m glad that it’s a work of hope for you!
February 20, 2011 at 1:15 am
Em
Maybe I need someone to tell me which pages I should skip and give me a synopsis instead?
Hope is very personal, isn’t it?
February 19, 2011 at 3:55 am
Lisa Almeda Sumner
There seems to be a Murakami mania in the book blogger world, and I feel totally left out. Time to put Murakami on my list, soon.
February 20, 2011 at 1:12 am
Em
It seems to have been going on for a few years as I said the same thing as you about three years ago!
February 19, 2011 at 5:55 am
Barbara
I really want to read this now – am going to have to go hunt for it. I really don’t know what kind of book I’d want with me? A book to escape from reality or something non-fiction to put everything into perspective?… Hmmm interesting question.
February 20, 2011 at 1:11 am
Em
Glad I tempted you 🙂
It’s a tough one isn’t it? Now I realise that my book might be a bit too short even if I would actually feel like reading it a few times.
February 19, 2011 at 5:18 pm
gautami tripathy
Murakami any day, any time!
Here is my Literary Blog Hop post!