Haruki Murakami en sevdiğim yazarlardan. Dilini kullanışı, kurgusunda hiç solmayan mistik hava, akışkanlığı beni her kitabını okumaya zorluyor adeta. "Sputnik Sevgilim" yazarın binle ifade edilen eserlerine oranla "Koşmasaydım Yazamazdım" gibi kısa bir eser. Roman ve biyografik bir kitap olarak birbirlerinden ayrılıyorlar. Bence, eğer Murakami okumaya yeni başlayacaksanız ya da okunacak kısa bir Murakami metni arıyorsanız güzel bir tercih olabilir.

I've always been a big fan of Haruki Murakami. So much so that I've read almost everything he's written. I remember the first time I flew overseas on a Boeing 747; instead of being excited about traveling, I was thinking about the Boeing 747 that landed at Hamburg Airport on a rainy day at the beginning of Norwegian Wood. I finally got to experience the same plane that Watanabe did.

Reading Murakami has accompanied me since university, a time when I am half dreaming and half waking up to the world. Whether I like it or not, his books have influenced me to some extent. Looking back, the plot of his books has intertwined with my life, and the act of reading Murakami itself has become part of my memories and life.

However, in recent years, when reading his new books (particularly published after 2000), the intense excitement has diminished, and I've felt more and more awkward.

To be precise, starting with this one Sputnik Sweetheart, I felt Murakami has been like a chef reheating old dishes. The same ingredients, just rearranged, and a new dish is supposedly created. The main ingredients include:

Male lead: Claims to be an ordinary person, not caring much about anything, but has a taste for music and reading (jazz, classical, literary books), exercises, is hygienic, and prefers simplicity in clothing and food (there are scenes of ironing shirts and cooking pasta), not wealthy but not short of money, dislikes socializing but has good luck with women (they always come to him, and he can't seem to escape).

Female lead: Not the kind of beauty that is immediately apparent, but always hides a captivating beauty somewhere, such as having devastatingly beautiful ears. Her chest cannot be large and must show a cute shape through thin clothes. As for her personality, in addition to being gentle or cute, she must have some deep-seated but inexplicable problems, and the ending is often suicide or a mysterious disappearance.

Plot: The real world, the world beyond reality, inexplicable evil, historical sins, searching, losing, waiting.

Props: Various artistic and middle-class symbols, such as Perrier water, salmon, whiskey, Beatles records, books, coffee, Godard's films, BMW cars, Greek islands, two daughters...

I don’t know but I really have a strong feeling that this novel is just a rearrangement of these ingredients. Compared to his previous works, even the techniques of permutation and combination are a bit lacking. I read this book in mandarin, and I didn't like it, and this time I read the English version. Without Lin Shaohua's unique tone, it was easier to be distracted, and the shortcomings were more exposed. Allow me to rant about a few passages:

When the male lead and Sumire first met:

"I was at the bus stop in front of the main gate of the college, standing there reading a Paul Nizan novel I’d found in a used-book store. A short girl beside me leaned over, took a look at the book, and asked me, Why Nizan, of all people?"

Why do I often get rolled my eyes at but never get hit on when I walk around reading literary fiction? The male leads in Murakami's novels would never take the initiative; all the girls actively approach them. How many introverted, nerdy guys has this ruined? Also, why Paul Nizan? Marxism?

After a while, Sumire finally leaned against the male lead's shoulder (again, let me point out that it was the woman who took the initiative). Let's look at the male lead's perspective:

"Sumire rested her head on my shoulder. Her hair was held back by a hair clip, and I could see her small, nicely formed ears. Ears so pretty you’d think they had just been created. Soft, easily injured ears. I could feel her breath on my skin. She had on a pair of short pink pants and a faded, plain navy-blue T-shirt. The outline of her small nipples showed through the shirt. There was a faint odor of sweat. Her sweat and mine, the two odors subtly mixed."

Ears, small breasts, Murakami trapped in adolescence, can't seem to look away from these. Plus, the male lead are well into their 20s, no longer teenagers. The sweat of adult men and women, besides smelling bad, I can't think of any other way to subtly mix it.

Unfortunately, Sumire doesn't like the male lead. She's into women. Sumire admires her female superior, Miu. When she sees Miu in the restaurant:

"Miu was already there, sipping an iced Perrier, deep in conversation with the waiter concerning the menu."

Is Perrier so high and mighty that it still deserves to be named and sipped when it's on sale at Costco, the birthplace of North American literary trauma? And why does ordering a simple meal have to turn into a deep conversation?

"Miu ordered the same thing for both of them. The entrée was a light grilled fish with a touch of green sauce with mushrooms. The slice of fish were done to perfection - browned in an almost artistic way that you knew was just right. Pumpkin gnocchi and a delicate endive salad rounded out the meal. For dessert they had the crème brûlée, which only Summer ate. Miu didn’t touch it. Finally, they had espresso. Sumire observed that Miu took great care about what she ate."

Wow, Japanese really know how to turn everything into an art. Even grilling a fish, they can make it look artistic, perfect, and just right. But what does describing food in such detail have to do with the plot or character development? Does the fact that Miu didn't eat creme brulee mean she's healthy and refined? Why is eating a meal so complicated?

Sumire mysteriously disappears on a Greek island, and Miu asks the male lead to fly to the Greek island immediately. With the Sumire's life hanging in the balance, the male lead, as a good friend, immediately packs his bags and takes the earliest flight to Greece, which can be considered a righteous act. However, on the plane, the male lead is able to not worry about Sumire and insists on concentrating on reading Conrad's novel. No matter the circumstances, the concern he expresses seems to boomerang back to himself. What a narcissistic male protagonist, living in his own world.

"I didn’t have much of an appetite, and skipped breakfast. I wanted to keep my mind a blank, so when I was awake I concentrated on reading Conrad."

He bought a book about Greece at the airport because he admitted to knowing almost nothing about Greece and had never considered going there.

However, when he set foot on this nameless little island, he could evaluate the island's terrain like a knowledgeable expert, as if he had been to many Greek islands. It feels like Murakami just put his familiar ingredients here a little and there a little, but he doesn't realize the flavors clash.

I really found the 18-page long section detailing the male lead's flight to Greece (primarily focusing on airport experiences, in-flight scenes, and ferry life) to be rather superfluous. In a novel of less than 230 pages, this extended travelogue seems to contribute little to the overall plot or character development.

At the end of the story, the male lead returns to reality and continues his job as a teacher. One of his students is caught stealing and he goes to pick up the child. The following is a description of the child. Similar to the typical verbose style of Murakami, this description of the child feels convoluted, increasingly vague, and increasingly dark. Even after such a long passage, it remains unclear what kind of child this is.

"We exchanged a quick glance, and I turned to her son. His name was Shin’ichi Nimura, but his classmates had nicknamed him Carrot. With his long, thin face and his shock of unkempt, curly hair, the name fit. I usually called him that, too. He was a quiet boy, hardly ever speaking more than was necessary. His grades weren’t bad; he rarely forgot to bring his homework and never failed to do his share of the cleaning up. Never got into trouble. But he lacked initiative and never once raised his hand in class. Carrot’s classmates didn’t dislike him, but he wasn’t what you’d call popular. This didn’t please his mother much, but from my point of view he was a good kid."

See? It's a story out of reach, a tale that has faded, a narrative pitting this world against another, and a recurring theme in Murakami's works.

I wonder if my tastes have shifted, or if Murakami's style has developed over time.

2.5 / 5 stars

My other reviews of Murakami's Work:
The City and Its Uncertain Walls
Norwegian Wood
1Q84
Hear the Wind Sing
Kafka on the Shore
Sputnik Sweetheart
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
South of the Border, West of the Sun
After Dark

YET another Murakami book that is AMAAAZZIINGGG! I realised not long ago that I always refer to Haruki Murakami as my favourite author when I have actually only read a few of his books. I mean, they were great books but still. I decided to start reading more of his work to expand my love of him further and hopefully encounter something close to Norwegian Wood on the awesome-ness scale. This book did not disappoint.

I think the phenomenal thing about Murakami is how he manages to write about mundane, every day things and make them feel like something more. It is seriously poetry when he writes about contemporary life and it is so damn captivating. Even when the plot became more surreal it felt real. I was honestly hooked on this book from the start.

The story was so amazing. K is in love with his best friend Sumire. Sumire is in love with an older, married woman and it's all so sneakily dramatic because no one wants to say how they feel. When Sumire vanishes into thin air on a small Greek island things get INTERESTING!

This story is just so beautifully written and it's very short. It surprised me how sad it was; there was this kind of enduring sadness that stayed with me after I finished it. The writing so perfectly captured life and all the associated emotions.. just eugh so perfect! Four stars instead of five because it jumped around a little too much for my liking at times. Still such a great book though and also a wonderful place to start if you haven't read some Murakami before.

إذا أردتَ أن تجرب إحساس الهلوسة التي تفصلك عن الواقع، وتسافر بك عبر الزمان والمكان إلى عالم خيالي، يخلو من الهم والحزن، ويمتلئ بالبهجة والسحر، أمامك وسيلتان: إما أن تتعاطي المخدرات، وإما أن تقرأ لموراكامي.

تمت

"Did you ever see anyone shot by a gun without bleeding?"

প্রথমেই বলি এইটা কোনো রিভিউ পোস্ট না, এলোমেলো কথাবার্তা। গুগলে কোনো এক বইয়ের পিডিএফ খুঁজতে যেয়ে আমি মুরাকামির স্পুটনিক সুইটহার্টের একটা রিভিউ খুঁজে পাই। রিভিউটা বাংলায় ছিল, সেটা পড়ার পর মনে হলো এই বই যেভাবেই হোক পড়তে হবে এবং অবশ্যই সেটা হার্ডকপি হতে হবে। ছবিতে আমার হাতে বইয়ের যেই কপিটা দেখা যাচ্ছে সেটা হচ্ছে এই বছর আমার জন্মদিনে পাওয়া একমাত্র গিফট, অবশ্যই সেটা নূভা আপুরই দেওয়া। এখন কেন মনে হলো এই বইটা আমার পড়া লাগবেই?

"Sometimes I feel so- I don’t know - lonely. The kind of helpless feeling when everything you’re used to has been ripped away. Like there’s no more gravity, and I’m left to drift in outer space with no idea where I’m going’
Like a little lost Sputnik?’
I guess so."

কয়েকদিন আগে বইটা শেষ করলাম। কিন্তু এখন পর্যন্ত মাথা থেকে কাহিনিটা ঝাড়তে পারছি না। একাকিত্ব, বিচ্ছিন্নতা আর নিঃসঙ্গতায় ভরা একটা বই। ছোটবেলা থেকে সমাজ বইয়ে পড়ে আসছি মানুষ সামাজিক জীব৷ আমরা কারো সাহায্য ছাড়া বাঁচতে পারি না৷ এমনকি আমার মতন চরম মাত্রার অন্তর্মুখী মানুষও একাকিত্ব ভয় পায়৷

'স্পুটনিক সুইটহার্ট' বইটা কিন্তু খুবই ছোট্ট, তবুও পড়ার মাঝে বারবার থেমে চিন্তা করতে হচ্ছিল, কারণ গল্পটা খুব চেনা কিন্তু খুব আলাদা৷ মুরাকামির 'কাফকা অন দ্যা শোর' পড়া শুরু করে আর শেষ করতে পারিনি। তখন তাঁর ছোটগল্পগুলো পড়া শুরু করি। একটু অদ্ভুত তাঁর লেখা, তবে মোটামুটি তাঁর ধরনটার সাথে পরিচিত হচ্ছিলাম।

অন্যান্য লেখকদের ক্ষেত্রে যেটা দেখা যায় তাঁরা নিজেদের মতন করে কাহিনির ইতি টানেন, মুরাকামির ক্ষেত্রে এমনটা না, অন্তত এই বইয়ের ক্ষেত্রে না। পাঠকের যাত্রাটা এখানে অসম্পূর্ণ, তারপরও মনে হয় পাঠক হয়তো একটা সময় তার গন্তব্যে পৌঁছাতে পারবে। গল্পের শেষটা ধোঁয়াটে।

মুরাকামির লেখা পাঠককে একটা গোলকধাঁধার মধ্যে ছেড়ে দেয়৷ তিনি প্রথমে পাঠকদের নিজে থেকে কল্পনা করার জন্য প্রলুব্ধ করেন, তারপরে শব্দগুলোতে একটা ভিন্ন দৃষ্টিভঙ্গি দিয়ে কাহিনির মোড় ঘুরিয়ে দেন।

"We're both looking at the same moon, in the same world. We're connected to reality by the same line. All I have to do is quietly draw it towards me."

চরিত্রগুলো আপাতদৃষ্টিতে স্বাভাবিক মনে হলেও মাল্টি ডাইমেনশনাল, চরিত্রগুলোর মধ্যে একটা অদ্ভুত বিশৃঙ্খলা আছে।

অনেকে বলেন 'স্পুটনিক সুইটহার্ট' আপনার জীবনে দারুণ প্রভাব ফেলবে। প্রভাব ফেলবে কিনা জানি ন��, তবে বইটা অনেকটা প্লেটোনিক ভালোবাসা নিয়ে।

"Of course it hurt that we could never love each other in a physical way. We would have been far more happy if we had. But that was like the tides, the change of seasons--something immutable, an immovable destiny we could never alter. No matter how cleverly we might shelter it, our delicate friendship wasn't going to last forever. We were bound to reach a dead end. That was painfully clear."

'স্পুটনিক সুইটহার্ট' এর শেষ নিয়ে আমার কোনো থিওরি নেই। আমি শুধু কল্পনা করে নিবো যে সুমিরে সত্যিই ধোঁয়ার মত অদৃশ্য হয়ে গিয়েছিল। আবার হয়তোবা ফোন কলটি বাস্তব ছিল এবং সুমিরে বাস্তব জগতে ফিরে আসার পথ খুঁজে পেয়েছিল। অথবা সুমিরে মিউকে পাওয়ার জন্য আরেক জগতে চলে গিয়েছিল। আমার কাছে স্বপ্ন সবচেয়ে নন-ভায়োলেন্ট জিনিস মনে হয়। কিন্তু আমরা সবসময় যেটার স্বপ্ন দেখি, তা কি সবসময় কাছে পাই?

"In dreams you don't need to make any distinctions between things. Not at all. Boundaries don't exist. So in dreams there are hardly ever collisions. Even if there are, they don't hurt. Reality is different. Reality bites. Reality, reality."

So, back to Murakami, again. I intend to read all his novels, that's for sure, just not on a reading spree. I'm in love with how his words flow, with how he blends fantasy into reality, with the type of characters he creates. But I want to take his prose in small doses, so that it would last longer.

Sputnik Sweetheart conveys the feeling of isolation and loneliness that can be found in most of Murakami's novels (the ones I've read so far). K, the guy who tells the story, and Sumire, the girl he is secretly in love with, are both lonely people, who spend their free time mostly reading. What I found interesting is that they don't isolate themselves in their homes to do this, but go out, read in the park or in a bar. They are lonely but, at the same time, they are surrounded by people and don't cut themselves from the outside world.

{Now, I must confess that I love, love the idea of going to a bar and read. Every time I come across a protagonist who does this so freely, I feel envious. I wish I had such a place to go to in Bucharest, with soft music and customers that don't stare at you if they see you with a book and just by yourself.}

Like in all the other Murakami novels I've read, the love story can't have a happy ending. Usually, the male protagonist suffers in silence and tells the story. K. is in love with Sumire, but she falls for someone else, who in turn is incapable to love, because of something that happened in the past.

I was almost two thirds into the novel and was amazed that there was not one single touch of fantasy, how could that be? Obviously, it eventually came - Murakami just can't stay away! And it was quite a magical scene (the character that experienced it was not so happy about it, though).

((شعرت بأني قُسِمتُ، لسبب لا أستطيع تفسيره، إلى قسمين. ليس بمعنى أن شيئًا سُلِبَ مني لأنه ما زال موجودًا هنا في الجانب الآخر. مجرد مرآة واحدة تفصلنا عن الجزء الثاني، لكن ليس بوسعي عبور حد إطار الزجاج. إطلاقًا.))

رواية غريبة امتازت بالرتابة منذ بدايتها وحتى مئتي صفحة ولكن صفحاتها السبعين الأخيرة قلبت الأحداث رأسا على عقب بطريقة عبقرية مجنونة أثبتت هوية موراكامي.

الراوي (ك) معلم التأريخ في مدرسة ابتدائية، صديق سوماير والشاب الواقع في حبها بلا أمل. يسرد قصة الحب الأول، العميق والجارف التي عاشته سوماير في ربيع عامها الثاني والعشرين، وبشكل مؤكد لم يكن (ك) الشخص الذي اختبرت معه هذا الحب، بل مالت بشكل كبير نحو امرأة متزوجة (ميو) تكبرها بسبع عشرة سنة.

تأخذ أحداث الرواية حيزها في اليابان بشكل مبدئي ثم تنتقل لجزيرة يونانية بعيدة وتبدأ بالتعقيد والغموض بإختفاء سوماير كخيط دخان. تاركةً ورائها ألغازًا كثيرة (حلم سوماير وإختفائها الغريب، حادثة ميو مع الدولاب الدوار وقصة الصبي شينيشي نيمورا) من غير حل، حيث تغدو كل كلمة رمز، وكل رمز مفتاحًا من شأنه أن يفتح عالمًا جديدًا أو يحلُّ لغزًا قائمًا.

هناك تشابه كبير من حيث بناء الشخصيات وطرق معيشتهم وحتى أحداث حياتهم بالمقارنة مع روايات موراكامي الأخرى، مما يقلل من جمالية الرواية.


لماذا على الناس أن يكونوا وحيدين هكذا؟ ما الغاية من ذلك؟ ملايين البشر في هذا العالم، كلهم يرنون وينظرون إلى الآخرين لإرضائهم ومع ذلك يعزون أنفسهم. لماذا؟ هل وضعت الأرض هنا لتعزيز وحدة البشر؟
...
ويستحوذ عليَّ شعور غريب بأني لم أعد كما كنت. يصعب عليَّ أن أجد العبارات المناسبة، لكني أظن كما لو أني كنت مستغرقةً في النوم وجاء شخص وفككني قطعًا ثم أعاد ترکیبي ثانية بسرعة.

انتباه: على السادة الذين يشعرون بالوحدة والاغتراب التوجه إلى صالة هاروكي موراكامي!

بمجرد دخولكم القاعة ستغمركم الموسيقى الكلاسيكية منتقاة بعناية من سيمفونيات بيتهوفن وموزارت وشوبان، هذا إلى جانب معزوفة غامضة تسمعها بعد منتصف الليل ولم يُعرف حتى الآن هوية عازفها.

سنأخذكم في جولة ساحرة متعددة المناظر، ما بين مدن يابانية ممطرة، و جُزر يونانية تحظى بشطآن زرقاء صافية وطرق حجرية تنعكس عليها أشعة الشمس بضراوة. كما سنعرّج على الريف الفرنسي لاستراحة قصيرة.

لمحبي قصص الحب من طرف واحد، نقدم لكم قصتيّن من هذا النوع لتغذية حزنكم الدفين وربما لنبش تجاربكم السابقة. أما عشاق الخيالات وأحلام اليقظة، فلن نخيب ظنهم، إذا صبر القارئ حتى الثلث الأخير من الوقت المتاح فسيجد ما يخلب لبّه من ألاعيب هاروكي المعتادة.

نؤكد لكم أنك ستجدون من يتفهم شعوركم بأنكم وحيدون في هذا العالم، وأنكم غرباء حتى عن أقرب الناس إليكم،

يُمنع اصطحاب السادة الذين يستثير الحديث عن العلاقات المثلية حفيظتهم، وأولئك الذين تستفزهم النهايات المبهمة، حرصاً على سلامة الجميع.

حتى موعد زيارتكم نترككم مع عينة من خدماتنا عبر هذا الاقتباس:

"لماذا على الناس أن يكونوا وحيدين هكذا؟ ما الغاية من ذلك؟ ملايين البشر في هذا العالم، كلهم يرنون وينظرون إلى الآخرين لإرضائهم ومع ذلك يعزون أنفسهم. لماذا؟ هل وضعت الأرض هنا لتعزيز وحدة البشر؟"

Sputnik Sweetheart is an earlier work of contemporary fiction that explores the longing of unreturned love. It is somewhat of a love triangle where Sumire experiences first love, longing for Miu, an older woman who becomes her boss/mentor after a chance meeting at a wedding. Meanwhile, Sumire’s best friend is carrying a torch for her. Regardless of feelings, the three have strong bonds. The book is a testament to powerful platonic friendships and the connectedness between people.

There is a touch of Murakami’s magical realism in the second half of the book but it doesn’t take the focus off the power of relationships. I loved the metaphors within the book. Especially the use of satellites throughout and how cleverly it generated the title. If you are looking for a story about the deep connection between people and how the loss of it leaves one an empty shell of a being than I strongly suggest giving Sputnik Sweetheart a go.

Reading Murakami’s earlier works allows the reader to see how they influence his later works with similar themes, characters, and events such as a cat that disappears, going down into a well, and crossing to another side/parallel universe.

De esas novelas en las que no tengo mucho por decir más que esta puede resultar una historia del montón si no fuera por ese toque mágico/fantástico; lo surreal como concepto entre sus páginas.

«—Yo también tenía muchas ganas de verte a ti —dijo Sumire—. Después de dejar de verte lo comprendí todo muy bien, a la perfección. Lo vi tan claro como si todos los planetas, de mutuo acuerdo, se hubiesen alineado uno junto al otro. Que te necesito de verdad. Que tú eres una parte de mí, que yo soy una parte de ti.»

Sputnik, mi amor es mi primer acercamiento a Murakami y me ha convencido de leer más cosas entre su bibliografía. Sé y estoy seguro (por las críticas y reseñas de los demás), que no es lo mejor entre su creación literaria pero me resultó un acercamiento más que atractivo y sumamente interesan. Esta es una historia sobre el amor y la imposibilidad del mismo; el amor no correspondido y el deseo sexual presente con mucha intensidad. También sobre la soledad y el vacío que dejan las personas en la vida de los personajes. Es una historia lenta, en la que no pasa casi nada medianamente interesante solo hasta llegar a la mitad y aún así, el hilo conductor sigue llevándonos con una paciencia y una calma que no agrega alguna chicha que cause un terremoto en los conflictos de los personajes.

«Me asomo, alzo los ojos hacia un cielo todavía oscuro. En él, no hay duda, flota una media luna de tonos enmohecidos. Con eso basta. Estamos mirando la misma luna del mismo mundo. Estamos ligados a la realidad por una sola línea.»

A mí me gustó muchísimo los conceptos que engloba y con los que juega todo el tiempo. Es un libro que degusté con la tranquilidad que solo te puede causar estar en medio de la playa con la agradable brisa de compañía; disfrutando de un libro que no es la gran cosa pero que te deja marcado un sabor dulce en la mente que al final se torna demasiado agridulce. Porque sí, es un final que se puede interpretar de la peor forma y eso me ha dejado totalmente sin sosiego.

I knew that Sputnik is the first man-made satellite that had been launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. May be most of you know exactly the same thing. But wait,  Murakami is telling us a whole new story. He said, Sputnik means travelling companion! Isn't it Sweet?!

Sputnik Sweetheart is a story of a girl, Sumire, who fell in love with a married person in her early twenties. There's nothing wrong with that though. But what if that person is 17years older?! What if that person is a woman actually?! I still don't see why that would be a problem when it comes to love! Because Love is blind!

n  

She was living in a one room apartment in Kichijoji where she made do with the minimum amount of furniture & the maximum number of books. She'd get up at noon, and take a walk around Inogashira Park in the afternoon, with all the enthusiasm of a pilgrim making her way through scared hills.

On sunny days she'd sit on a park bench, chewing on bread, puffing one cigarette after another, reading. On rainy or cold days she'd go into an old-fashioned coffee house where classical music played at full volume, sink down into a worn-out sofa, and read her books, a serious look on her face as she listened to Schubert's symphonies, Bach's cantatas. In the evening she'd have one beer and buy some ready-to-eat food at the supermarket for dinner.

n

This part is just aww! This is Sumire! This is how she used to live. Sometimes in midnight she called her friend Mr. K and asked weird questions like, All right--can you explain, in 200 words or less, the difference between a sign and a symbol? I loved their friendship the most! Isn't it great to have someone whom you can call at any time of the day just for philosophical chitchat?!

I loved this book. And it breaks my heart to see very few stars for this book. I almost didn't read it in the first place. Then again, I thought I should read each and every work of Murakami! So, I gave this book a try and I'm so glad that I tried.

Moral is- Don't believe the stars always. Just read, read and read. You will never know what surprise a book might hold for you!

I loved the thoughts on loneliness and how the prose itself just felt lonely and sad