Although I can't tell when this trend started (because HE keeps telling us that basically it has simply been nonsense for him), every year in this season we start discussing Haruki Murakami's works with the latest news of the Nobel Literature Prize. As you know, this year Han Kang got one (I need to read her books as soon as possible because trustworthy friends who are also bookworms praise them). It must be very delightful news for us, but after that various users started posting how Haruki's works can have been too misogynistic and also too pornographic.
As for me, I still love Haruki's works (or the world he has been creating bit by bit, with his very diligent will), and I also never think that I should hide this respect in my mind from the outer world. I will read his "Norwegian Wood" as a very memorable one which had even taught me how life and death can be. However, it can never mean that Haruki must be God or any perfect existence for me. He is a father, or a mentor to me (like the ones such as my true father, Blur's and Massive Attack's members, Paul Auster, etc). Therefore, I even tell in public my honest possible opinions about him even though they can be a sort of disagreement with him.
For me, certainly reading his novels I tend to find that the female characters can show how they have to act/behave as too "innocent" or "graceful" ones to the main character, even though these female characters show how they have been haunted by delusive ideas (yes, I'm telling you about the concept of SEX). I need to read his works again very carefully (very diligently enough not to fall into various cliché) to check my ideas. But, at least I won't deny the fact that Haruki had brought me to an adult like this. Haruki has been a pioneer who has created a path for Japanese readers. If he didn't exist, we would have to wait for another author who would be able to show their works in "The New Yorker". I believe so.
It was a day off. This morning, I went to the main house of the group home to afford my money to the admins. This afternoon, at last, I finished my painting activity to the end. I titled it "莫妄想 makumouzou", which means "Stop your delusion (and face the reality)". The end of the month I will show you how it is.
