Vintage International, 2002 - Cover illustration courtesy of The Maas Gallery, London/Bridgeman Art Library, NY. Cover Design by John Gall.
BOOKS READ 21: A WILD SHEEP CHASE BY HARUKI MURAKAMI
This is one of Haruki Murakami’s earlier novels. You could tell. You could see the beginnings of his complex and nuanced and crazy-weird-shit-happening-to-“mediocre”-Japanese-people style quite clearly.
With each Murakami book, I like him more and more. First book I read of his (“Norwegian Wood”, but I don’t think it would have mattered what Murakami book I started with, he takes some getting used to), have to admit, stops and starts, one might say, kind of boring.
But there’s something charming about boring people isn’t there?
Murakami sure seems to think so.
Here’s to boring.
(Hurrah!)
I’ve encountered several anecdotes where a famous musician, author, people who live what seem like interesting lives, they say that for the most part, everyday is kind of whatever, just another day. That always amazes me. Just cause, well, come on you guys, your life is boring?! Then, ha, let’s not even talk about my life. And there was this one time where a high school english teacher said that he has to go deal with his broken toilet, his life is so mundane he loves it. There is a certain content with being mundane, bored, mediocre and I think part of it may come from…a kind of surrender? That yes, my life is boring. And once you admit that, I think people feel kind of free? There is no longer that nagging, quiet obligation to impress anyone or anything, any pretense of being cool or busy is eliminated, does not have to be worried about. And at that instant, when you have stopped caring, it seems then that, ha things aren’t boring because you are free.
This book in some way was about being free.
Well it was all about being free.
And at the beginning it may seem like you have lost a lot to have that, but as said, “You’ve got your life.”
Which is scary to some.
And a relief to others.
