[Winter Contest Entry 2013] An Exposition of the Mind
1
xninebreaker
FAKKU Writer
I see that you've half-assed your title! And you've got some technical/grammar errors as others have pointed out; nonetheless, I thought the story to be really quite good.
In some strange way, I feel sympathy for Tarou, and with that, I disagree with the prevailing opinion that there needed to be more specifics. I was not connecting with the events, but rather Tarou's constant internal dialogue. Peeking into his mind we see his rashness, his naivety, his indecisiveness, his lust, his poor judgement, and so on. In a contest that subjects you to 2k words, some stories opt to focus on dialogue, others depend on a strong descriptive narrative; I think that the internal dialogue in this story does a great job at connecting the reader to Tarou.
Reading Tarou's experiences, reactions, eventual train-wreck, and his resolution was excellent.
FGRaptor mentioned that the text conversations should be formatted differently as most of the actual dialogue occurs between Tarou and Kouji. Alternatively, I think that Tarou and Aoki should've been skyping or something. Too much of their conversations are messages and you lose out on a lot of intimate expressions and/or internal dialogue that could have occurred. I mean they even had cam sex!
Too bad we didn't get more Aoki since all of it was internal dialogue by Tarou. Or better yet, Kouji's thoughts about what was going on! Oh man, that would've been interesting assuming that he snooped around a bit. Anyways, it was a nice read.
In some strange way, I feel sympathy for Tarou, and with that, I disagree with the prevailing opinion that there needed to be more specifics. I was not connecting with the events, but rather Tarou's constant internal dialogue. Peeking into his mind we see his rashness, his naivety, his indecisiveness, his lust, his poor judgement, and so on. In a contest that subjects you to 2k words, some stories opt to focus on dialogue, others depend on a strong descriptive narrative; I think that the internal dialogue in this story does a great job at connecting the reader to Tarou.
Reading Tarou's experiences, reactions, eventual train-wreck, and his resolution was excellent.
FGRaptor mentioned that the text conversations should be formatted differently as most of the actual dialogue occurs between Tarou and Kouji. Alternatively, I think that Tarou and Aoki should've been skyping or something. Too much of their conversations are messages and you lose out on a lot of intimate expressions and/or internal dialogue that could have occurred. I mean they even had cam sex!
Too bad we didn't get more Aoki since all of it was internal dialogue by Tarou. Or better yet, Kouji's thoughts about what was going on! Oh man, that would've been interesting assuming that he snooped around a bit. Anyways, it was a nice read.
0
mibuchiha
Fakku Elder
@Dawn:
...uh, I did not intend in any way or form to write about Japanese people, or any specific group whatsoever. The names Tarou, Kouji and Aiko were chosen only because they sounded generic to me. Sure, one may say they're generic Japanese names, but after years of anime one tends to come up with Japanese names first. Why Tarou and Kouji are generic names should be obvious... as for Aiko, it was simply Ai initially, but then every female Japanese names get much more generic just by tacking a -ko so you got her name.
So no, Tarou and others are no more Japanese than he is English etc. I apologize about the misconception that the names might have caused, but then if I go for John you think this is a story about English youth... sure is hard to escape racism eh?
And yes, I was utterly ignorant of Murakami Haruki. Still is actually, since I don't consider knowing his name much of a knowledge at all.
Refer to this:
This is largely unexplored, mainly because of the word limits (lies, it's because I am a terrible author and assumed it to be implicit). but Tarou's ideas on what qualifies as 'talk' is different from the norm. To put it simply; while to a normal observer they do talk and appear quite close, to him it was just another forgettable exchanges of sounds that seemed necessary for a smoother daily life.
I had intended to show this indirectly through a typical Tarou-Kouji exchange, which to him what the act of talking is, but since that pushed things way beyond the word limit and back then I somehow saw it as not too important, being too fixated on getting the Tarou-Aiko interaction right... I scrapped it. I see now it was a bad decision, since it as much contributes to explaining Tarou's personality as his exchanges with Aiko, but yeah, too bad. If there is enough demand I'll see about writing this the way it was supposed to be... but that would be another lie as well, since the me who wrote this before reading the responses was different from me who read it.
The ending does seem weird and sudden, I'm aware. I tried to give hints to how Tarou and Aiko's relationship pre-story but it wasn't enough, apparently. Simple answer: colleague and friends. Tarou had something resembling a crush to her. While Aiko enjoyed his presence as a friend and somewhat attracted to him as well. To her Tarou was no outsider, but to Tarou, he is an outsider to virtually everyone but a very select few. One of those being Kouji. I guess that's what you can an introvert.
Again, it's one of the parts that I believe could be better explained by putting in a typical Tarou-Kouji exchange.
@xnine:
I did!
Ikr he's a stupid bastard smh.
Another deliberate choice. Tarou HATES mics. He will never use them until he was left with no other option. To him, it makes perfect sense for one to never hear his voice until one is physically present before him and vice versa. Also because to an extent text chat is something he found to be convenient.
Glad you like it.
...uh, I did not intend in any way or form to write about Japanese people, or any specific group whatsoever. The names Tarou, Kouji and Aiko were chosen only because they sounded generic to me. Sure, one may say they're generic Japanese names, but after years of anime one tends to come up with Japanese names first. Why Tarou and Kouji are generic names should be obvious... as for Aiko, it was simply Ai initially, but then every female Japanese names get much more generic just by tacking a -ko so you got her name.
So no, Tarou and others are no more Japanese than he is English etc. I apologize about the misconception that the names might have caused, but then if I go for John you think this is a story about English youth... sure is hard to escape racism eh?
And yes, I was utterly ignorant of Murakami Haruki. Still is actually, since I don't consider knowing his name much of a knowledge at all.
Tarou and Aiko acted really imitate in the first paragraph, but later on, you said they barely talk to each other.
Refer to this:
We barely talked before, and when we did, it was all so superficial.
This is largely unexplored, mainly because of the word limits (lies, it's because I am a terrible author and assumed it to be implicit). but Tarou's ideas on what qualifies as 'talk' is different from the norm. To put it simply; while to a normal observer they do talk and appear quite close, to him it was just another forgettable exchanges of sounds that seemed necessary for a smoother daily life.
I had intended to show this indirectly through a typical Tarou-Kouji exchange, which to him what the act of talking is, but since that pushed things way beyond the word limit and back then I somehow saw it as not too important, being too fixated on getting the Tarou-Aiko interaction right... I scrapped it. I see now it was a bad decision, since it as much contributes to explaining Tarou's personality as his exchanges with Aiko, but yeah, too bad. If there is enough demand I'll see about writing this the way it was supposed to be... but that would be another lie as well, since the me who wrote this before reading the responses was different from me who read it.
The ending does seem weird and sudden, I'm aware. I tried to give hints to how Tarou and Aiko's relationship pre-story but it wasn't enough, apparently. Simple answer: colleague and friends. Tarou had something resembling a crush to her. While Aiko enjoyed his presence as a friend and somewhat attracted to him as well. To her Tarou was no outsider, but to Tarou, he is an outsider to virtually everyone but a very select few. One of those being Kouji. I guess that's what you can an introvert.
Again, it's one of the parts that I believe could be better explained by putting in a typical Tarou-Kouji exchange.
@xnine:
I see that you've half-assed your title!
I did!
Peeking into his mind we see his rashness, his naivety, his indecisiveness, his lust, his poor judgement, and so on.
Ikr he's a stupid bastard smh.
Too much of their conversations are messages and you lose out on a lot of intimate expressions and/or internal dialogue that could have occurred. I mean they even had cam sex!
Another deliberate choice. Tarou HATES mics. He will never use them until he was left with no other option. To him, it makes perfect sense for one to never hear his voice until one is physically present before him and vice versa. Also because to an extent text chat is something he found to be convenient.
Glad you like it.
0
leonard267
FAKKU Non-Writer
mibuchiha wrote...
And yes, I was utterly ignorant of Murakami Haruki. Still is actually, since I don't consider knowing his name much of a knowledge at all.
You are missing out. I will do a summary and my views on Norwegian Wood soon enough. The translation is good but I hate the story for what it is, just as I dislike Tarou in the story. Not to say it was badly written.
1
mibuchiha
Fakku Elder
Now I am tempted to try. Will have to reload my paypal for that.
Bought, waiting for it to arrive. Will read it after I finish 1984. This shit better be as good as you guys make it out to be.
Now that you mention it, I do know two Japanese novels. Those two were the only I've read. Totto-chan, but that's not relevant here... the second one was Kokoro.
A fucking gem, though I forgot most of its finer details.
Bought, waiting for it to arrive. Will read it after I finish 1984. This shit better be as good as you guys make it out to be.
Now that you mention it, I do know two Japanese novels. Those two were the only I've read. Totto-chan, but that's not relevant here... the second one was Kokoro.
A fucking gem, though I forgot most of its finer details.
0
The name of the trilogy is 1Q84, btw, not 1984, 1Q84. But again the actual setting of the story is in 1984 anyway, lol.
I think you would find those enjoyable, considering you write this kind of stories.
I think you would find those enjoyable, considering you write this kind of stories.
0
mibuchiha
Fakku Elder
Yeah, but as of now I am reading 1984. Yes, THAT 1984.
Late, I know, but what the heck. One book at a time lest I risk finishing none.
Late, I know, but what the heck. One book at a time lest I risk finishing none.
2
leonard267
FAKKU Non-Writer
5. Non-parody of Mibuchiha's Entry : An Exposition of the Giving a Piece of My Mind
Mibuchiha, you may regret asking me to tell you what Norwegian Wood is about because I decided to write a review of the story in my style which is rather difficult to appreciate.
If you don't want to read the book thoroughly and favour a synopsis, here is the Wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Wood_(novel)
Here is the e-copy of the novel itself. Not sure when it will be taken down:
http://www.macobo.com/essays/epdf/Haruki%20Murakami%20-%20Norwegian%20Wood.pdf
The translator did a good job. It is very easy to read perhaps because of the first person perspective and the simple language used. I deem a well written article to be one that can be browsed through at 2000 words a minute. This is one example.
Now should you proceed further, feel free to make withering remarks about my review of Norwegian Wood:
Norwegian Wood was set in the 1960s, a bizarre era where (almost) everyone took leave of their senses and decided to complete the ruin and devastation the Second War wrought by bringing about social and cultural ruin. Established traditions and views on fidelity and modesty were driven to the ground to be spat on. Nearly all of my short life I came to wrongly associate these so-called value systems that replaced these time-honoured traditions as "Western values". I know better now.
It did not affect my part of the world but it sure did affect the West and that Asian anomaly of a country that thinks it is part of the West called Japan. Personally, I feel sorry for their descendants who had to suffer the consequences of the excesses of the sixties. Call this expression of disgust a pointless digression if one wills. However, this airing of opinions serves as explanation of my biases towards Norwegian Wood and the background of this story. Now, allow me to complain about it:
The title is of course derived from that song from that band from that era. The protagonist Tarou Watanabe Toru (Surnames come before the name in this part of the world. I personally don't endorse the silly drive to adopt Western naming conventions that followed the Meiji Restoration.) begins recounting his wasted life as a wasted wastrel in what can be called a wasteland of a country called Japan in the late 1960s that then specialises in the manufacture of less than quality products and cars that break down before one can finish singing, "So I lit a fire. Isn't it good that I burnt down some Norwegian wood?"
What followed was a (morose and dare I say whiny?) recollection of a series of ghastly activities like engaging in copulation at an age when I was doing things more worthy of pursuit, like receiving a proper education and deciding that that age is a good age to kick the bucket as a nod to more primitive times a hundred thousand years ago when the lifespan of a human being was no more than twenty years. That I feel serves as the best summary of the entire book.
Yet, what is a book review without going in to what actually happened other than the rather vague assertion that the entire book is about inserting one's appendage into any orifice imaginable and killing oneself after that is done? Here are a few examples that I will try to list in a chronological fashion:
1a) Story begins with Tarou Toru and two very close friends, Kizuki whose genitals hang out of the body and Naoko whose genitals do not.
1b) Tarou Toru wants to mate with Naoko. Naoko wants to mate with Kizuki.
1c) Kizuki killed himself. Naoko also wants to kill herself after learning that Kizuki killed himself. For your information, Naoko's sister killed as herself as well.
1d) Tarou Toru had a girlfriend during that time. He fooled around with her then dumped her after Kizuki killed himself. The reason for doing so? He is an emotional wreck with no sense of fidelity of responsibility so so can't give a good reason why he wanted to break up with her. He enjoyed his solitude more. He preferred to be single.
2a) Fast forward to college where both Tarou Toru and Naoko, who on reflection ought to have killed themselves by now, were taking drama and literature.
2b) Turns out Naoko wanted to kill herself after all (after doing it with Tarou Toru) so she sent herself to an asylum a sanatorium which was run by a MILF the Moro Islamic Liberation Front an attractive and mature lady called Reiko. More on her later.
2c) Made friends with prone-to-catching-sexually-transmitted-diseases philanderer Nagasawa. He had a girlfriend called Hatsumi who must be suffering the psychological equivalent of a Battered Woman Syndrome. Tarou Toru and Nagasawa had the disturbing habit of picking up women together and doing it so frequently that one wonders if their manhoods have not dropped off in the process.
2d) Shared a room with possibly the only person that I liked in the story called the Stormtrooper. Obsessed about cleanliness, has a Golden Gate Bridge fetish (a fetish that I can fully sympathise with being in construction), styles his hair properly, looks as if he ought to be staying home with his parents and a refreshing break from the depressing ruminations of sex and suicide.
2e) Acquainted (then fell in love) with what would become a loud, obnoxious and annoying love toy of a humanoid called Midori. If she were one of those Japanese silicon robots with artificial intelligence that are obviously the love toys of the future, I would gladly buy it as a punching bag. The euphemistic terms used to describe people like her could range from ebullient to jocular to easy going. I prefer to use more direct words like ill-bred and promiscuous.
3a) Climax of the story involves everyone disappearing or killing themselves and more attempts at procreation! Hooray!
3b) Naoko killed herself over God knows what. That male slut Nasagawa's girlfriend, Hatsumi, killed herself over God knows what. The Stormtrooper disappeared without a trace but going by the patterns and trends established by what is written so far it is plausible to say that he also killed himself over God knows what. And I wish Midori can kill herself over God knows what. That didn't happen though.
3c) More sticking of Tarou Toru's appendages to the least expected of orifices! Sad and traumatised that your emotional wreck of your childhood friend committed suicide? Go on a pilgrimage with no destination for a few months then **** your new girlfriend and **** the a MILF the Moro Islamic Liberation Front an attractive and mature lady called Reiko who took care of your recently deceased childhood friend!
3d) What happened towards the end of the story could one of the most self-incriminating and infuriating monologues I have ever heard. Apparently Tarou Toru is regretting sleeping around without any consideration of the consequences. Of course, he is not as mopey and suicidal as Naoko so he goes about fooling about with Reiko anyway. Speaking of Reiko...
3e) Reiko has a nut loose in her skull like Naoko it seems. She claims that she is sexually assaulted by a thirteen year old female adolescent. To that my response is sceptical and raucous laughter best written in capitalised and bold fonts:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
3f) Looks as if Tarou Toru ended with Midori in the end which was an abrupt and inconclusive question, "Where are you?" How on earth does this connect to that scene at the very beginning of the story where the author is on a plane to West Germany? I can answer that inconclusive question though. It feels as if I am no longer on the mortal plane, having been transported to the netherworld filled with
nether regions.
The elephant in the room I feel as I conclude my review of Norwegian Wood is, why is it named thus?
I don't think there were many forests mentioned in the novel, less so Norwegian ones.
I don't recall the story mentioning blocks of wood (which was what the original song meant by wood) in that story though I am convinced most of the cast in that story are blockheads and deserved to be clubbed by blocks of wood.
One may point to the fact that that emotional wreck Naoko is sensitive to that song and thinks suicidal thoughts upon hearing it. Let me reproduce the song for you:
I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me...
She showed me her room, isn't it good, Norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere,
So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair.
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine
We talked until two and then she said, "It's time for bed"
She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh.
I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath
And when I awoke, I was alone, this bird had flown
So I lit a fire, isn't it good, Norwegian wood.
It is painfully obvious that this song is about a one-night stand. The fact that Naoko feels suicidal about it is a very compelling reason why she should remain in that asylum sanatorium!
However, I am of the opinion that wood in the context of this story ought to the sexual innuendo for some part of the male's body. I am not sure about the constitution or the virility of Norwegian males though but I am sure it should be quite impressive given the number of times our dear hero Tarou Toru fooled around, behaving irresponsibly and hedonistically with no thought about the consequences.
Coupled that with the fascination of suicide and I find myself asking this question to the protagonist of this story and all those who engaged in that disgusting act of killing themselves: How can you justify whatever you have done with vague, unclear and poorly communicated thoughts about your feelings? I say it is much honest to admit that you have poor judgement, poor emotional resilience, you are enslaved to your carnal desires and could do with proper help.
My parents who are of your generation never dared to do what these bunch of clowns portrayed in that novel had done and would have despised those who did so. I believe, in a very self-righteous and arrogant fashion, that I, who was born towards the end of the 20th century, never had those 'angsty' and emotionally unsure moments experienced by Tarou Toru.
Oh yes, I should sign off with a moral of the story, shouldn't I:
Mibuchiha, you may regret asking me to tell you what Norwegian Wood is about because I decided to write a review of the story in my style which is rather difficult to appreciate.
If you don't want to read the book thoroughly and favour a synopsis, here is the Wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Wood_(novel)
Here is the e-copy of the novel itself. Not sure when it will be taken down:
http://www.macobo.com/essays/epdf/Haruki%20Murakami%20-%20Norwegian%20Wood.pdf
The translator did a good job. It is very easy to read perhaps because of the first person perspective and the simple language used. I deem a well written article to be one that can be browsed through at 2000 words a minute. This is one example.
Now should you proceed further, feel free to make withering remarks about my review of Norwegian Wood:
Norwegian Wood was set in the 1960s, a bizarre era where (almost) everyone took leave of their senses and decided to complete the ruin and devastation the Second War wrought by bringing about social and cultural ruin. Established traditions and views on fidelity and modesty were driven to the ground to be spat on. Nearly all of my short life I came to wrongly associate these so-called value systems that replaced these time-honoured traditions as "Western values". I know better now.
It did not affect my part of the world but it sure did affect the West and that Asian anomaly of a country that thinks it is part of the West called Japan. Personally, I feel sorry for their descendants who had to suffer the consequences of the excesses of the sixties. Call this expression of disgust a pointless digression if one wills. However, this airing of opinions serves as explanation of my biases towards Norwegian Wood and the background of this story. Now, allow me to complain about it:
The title is of course derived from that song from that band from that era. The protagonist Tarou Watanabe Toru (Surnames come before the name in this part of the world. I personally don't endorse the silly drive to adopt Western naming conventions that followed the Meiji Restoration.) begins recounting his wasted life as a wasted wastrel in what can be called a wasteland of a country called Japan in the late 1960s that then specialises in the manufacture of less than quality products and cars that break down before one can finish singing, "So I lit a fire. Isn't it good that I burnt down some Norwegian wood?"
What followed was a (morose and dare I say whiny?) recollection of a series of ghastly activities like engaging in copulation at an age when I was doing things more worthy of pursuit, like receiving a proper education and deciding that that age is a good age to kick the bucket as a nod to more primitive times a hundred thousand years ago when the lifespan of a human being was no more than twenty years. That I feel serves as the best summary of the entire book.
Yet, what is a book review without going in to what actually happened other than the rather vague assertion that the entire book is about inserting one's appendage into any orifice imaginable and killing oneself after that is done? Here are a few examples that I will try to list in a chronological fashion:
1a) Story begins with Tarou Toru and two very close friends, Kizuki whose genitals hang out of the body and Naoko whose genitals do not.
1b) Tarou Toru wants to mate with Naoko. Naoko wants to mate with Kizuki.
1c) Kizuki killed himself. Naoko also wants to kill herself after learning that Kizuki killed himself. For your information, Naoko's sister killed as herself as well.
1d) Tarou Toru had a girlfriend during that time. He fooled around with her then dumped her after Kizuki killed himself. The reason for doing so? He is an emotional wreck with no sense of fidelity of responsibility so so can't give a good reason why he wanted to break up with her. He enjoyed his solitude more. He preferred to be single.
2a) Fast forward to college where both Tarou Toru and Naoko, who on reflection ought to have killed themselves by now, were taking drama and literature.
2b) Turns out Naoko wanted to kill herself after all (after doing it with Tarou Toru) so she sent herself to an asylum a sanatorium which was run by a MILF the Moro Islamic Liberation Front an attractive and mature lady called Reiko. More on her later.
2c) Made friends with prone-to-catching-sexually-transmitted-diseases philanderer Nagasawa. He had a girlfriend called Hatsumi who must be suffering the psychological equivalent of a Battered Woman Syndrome. Tarou Toru and Nagasawa had the disturbing habit of picking up women together and doing it so frequently that one wonders if their manhoods have not dropped off in the process.
2d) Shared a room with possibly the only person that I liked in the story called the Stormtrooper. Obsessed about cleanliness, has a Golden Gate Bridge fetish (a fetish that I can fully sympathise with being in construction), styles his hair properly, looks as if he ought to be staying home with his parents and a refreshing break from the depressing ruminations of sex and suicide.
2e) Acquainted (then fell in love) with what would become a loud, obnoxious and annoying love toy of a humanoid called Midori. If she were one of those Japanese silicon robots with artificial intelligence that are obviously the love toys of the future, I would gladly buy it as a punching bag. The euphemistic terms used to describe people like her could range from ebullient to jocular to easy going. I prefer to use more direct words like ill-bred and promiscuous.
3a) Climax of the story involves everyone disappearing or killing themselves and more attempts at procreation! Hooray!
3b) Naoko killed herself over God knows what. That male slut Nasagawa's girlfriend, Hatsumi, killed herself over God knows what. The Stormtrooper disappeared without a trace but going by the patterns and trends established by what is written so far it is plausible to say that he also killed himself over God knows what. And I wish Midori can kill herself over God knows what. That didn't happen though.
3c) More sticking of Tarou Toru's appendages to the least expected of orifices! Sad and traumatised that your emotional wreck of your childhood friend committed suicide? Go on a pilgrimage with no destination for a few months then **** your new girlfriend and **** the a MILF the Moro Islamic Liberation Front an attractive and mature lady called Reiko who took care of your recently deceased childhood friend!
3d) What happened towards the end of the story could one of the most self-incriminating and infuriating monologues I have ever heard. Apparently Tarou Toru is regretting sleeping around without any consideration of the consequences. Of course, he is not as mopey and suicidal as Naoko so he goes about fooling about with Reiko anyway. Speaking of Reiko...
3e) Reiko has a nut loose in her skull like Naoko it seems. She claims that she is sexually assaulted by a thirteen year old female adolescent. To that my response is sceptical and raucous laughter best written in capitalised and bold fonts:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
3f) Looks as if Tarou Toru ended with Midori in the end which was an abrupt and inconclusive question, "Where are you?" How on earth does this connect to that scene at the very beginning of the story where the author is on a plane to West Germany? I can answer that inconclusive question though. It feels as if I am no longer on the mortal plane, having been transported to the netherworld filled with
nether regions.
The elephant in the room I feel as I conclude my review of Norwegian Wood is, why is it named thus?
I don't think there were many forests mentioned in the novel, less so Norwegian ones.
I don't recall the story mentioning blocks of wood (which was what the original song meant by wood) in that story though I am convinced most of the cast in that story are blockheads and deserved to be clubbed by blocks of wood.
One may point to the fact that that emotional wreck Naoko is sensitive to that song and thinks suicidal thoughts upon hearing it. Let me reproduce the song for you:
I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me...
She showed me her room, isn't it good, Norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere,
So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair.
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine
We talked until two and then she said, "It's time for bed"
She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh.
I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath
And when I awoke, I was alone, this bird had flown
So I lit a fire, isn't it good, Norwegian wood.
It is painfully obvious that this song is about a one-night stand. The fact that Naoko feels suicidal about it is a very compelling reason why she should remain in that asylum sanatorium!
However, I am of the opinion that wood in the context of this story ought to the sexual innuendo for some part of the male's body. I am not sure about the constitution or the virility of Norwegian males though but I am sure it should be quite impressive given the number of times our dear hero Tarou Toru fooled around, behaving irresponsibly and hedonistically with no thought about the consequences.
Coupled that with the fascination of suicide and I find myself asking this question to the protagonist of this story and all those who engaged in that disgusting act of killing themselves: How can you justify whatever you have done with vague, unclear and poorly communicated thoughts about your feelings? I say it is much honest to admit that you have poor judgement, poor emotional resilience, you are enslaved to your carnal desires and could do with proper help.
My parents who are of your generation never dared to do what these bunch of clowns portrayed in that novel had done and would have despised those who did so. I believe, in a very self-righteous and arrogant fashion, that I, who was born towards the end of the 20th century, never had those 'angsty' and emotionally unsure moments experienced by Tarou Toru.
Oh yes, I should sign off with a moral of the story, shouldn't I:
Leonard267 does not like Norwegian Wood.
0
mibuchiha wrote...
Yeah, but as of now I am reading 1984. Yes, THAT 1984.Late, I know, but what the heck. One book at a time lest I risk finishing none.
Oh, THAT 1984. Heard a great deal about it, haven't actually read it though.
1
Xenon
FAKKU Writer
I actually fairly enjoyed this. It’s quaint and provides an interesting look behind someone who simply views interpersonal relationships a bit differently than normal. Psychologically speaking, the question is a strong one and incredibly interesting. How do we all view relationships, as tools or something more? Perhaps different things at different times in our lives. It got me slightly philosophical, and that’s a good feat to give your reader. I would say, however, that you work to eliminate your heavy use of ellipses. Allot yourself the use of a very small number of them in future works, and only in speech, even in first person. Or, do as you wish. That’s my recommendation.
Disclaimer: I am an editor by nature. I read word-for-word and I pick up almost every little thing. So, the only way I can express my corrections is by directly reposting your story. Additions are in red, comments are in dark red, removals are strike-through. If you have any questions about my corrections, feel free to ask.
Disclaimer: I am an editor by nature. I read word-for-word and I pick up almost every little thing. So, the only way I can express my corrections is by directly reposting your story. Additions are in red, comments are in dark red, removals are strike-through. If you have any questions about my corrections, feel free to ask.
Spoiler:
1
mibuchiha
Fakku Elder
So, I have finished Norwegian Wood. Now, since I can't sleep after suffering a terrible hangover that I somehow cured by reading a food porn blog (I thought hunger intensifies hangover? What the fuck, body???) I'll write my thoughts about it.
Starting with the conclusions, it was a very good read. Thank you for the recommendation. I found it to be rather disgusting, but in the sense that it was worth the time to continue reading. I wouldn't call it stellar as I did BNW or 1984, as NW contain a very limited amount of beauty those two contained, particularly BNW in which it was the central point of, but it was without a doubt a good read. However, it was a little too explicit for my tastes. Although it was understandable given the kind of story it was, I still found it a little bit repulsive.
I'll go through each character one by one to better illuminate what I thought about the story.
Toru: No point talking about him, since he is the POV from which I evaluate others. I do find many of his decisions questionable, but probably not in the same sense as others do. Hopefully this will be better illustrated when I talk about others.
Kizuki: Seems like a chill dude, but he is largely unexplored. His suicide seems a little sudden, but I don't share the same sense of loss that Toru and Naoko have, so it is difficult to say what's the big deal with his death. Maybe if I understand why he does it... alas, he is unexplored.
Naoko: What. The. Flying. Fuck. That. Is. Lovable. About. This. Bitch. I. Have. Absolutely. No. Idea. Actually, I doubt I want to understand. She seems to be a pile of unstable mess beyond any kind of repair, as she proves herself to be near the end. Okay, so she has some sort of inferiority complex. And then Kizuki killed himself, making the pain worse since in both cases they're sudden and she has no idea why they happen. Uh... huh. Again, I have no idea what's the big deal. Sure, losing someone you love sucks, I'm not saying it doesn't. But to the point she can't fucking write a damn letter to someone else who is unrelated (no matter what you say, Toru is NOT Kizuki or the sister) to these events, I don't understand. It's not like Toru caused their deaths. He suffered too. I don't know, maybe I just have little tolerance for moaning bitches, as much as I hate myself when I moan about my own misfortunes. Why the fuck did Toru or anyone else have anything resembling positive emotions to this female again?
Reiko: Overall a cool person, I guess she's Naoko that has come to terms with her messed-up-ness. This makes her a lot more tolerable... but had she been younger, I bet I'll hate her just as much as Naoko. Actually even more so, since although the problem with her childhood was understandable, I think she's making too big a deal about that teenage slut. And since that was her breaking point... respect -1000.
Midori: A little too promiscuous for my taste, but otherwise a meh girl. Nothing much to say.
Nagasawa: "Don't feel sorry for yourself. Only arseholes do that." The only element of beauty in the novel, except for very rare good Toru moments.
Now, to those saying that my work was quite similar to NW... assuming you meant Tarou was similar to Toru... I strongly disagree. It was very different, at least to me, the idiot author. Tarou had no choice to make, and he had to deal with in Aiko. What he had to deal with was something entirely inside... his methods, the results of his exploration, things like that. It is more internal, the way I see it. In fact, I would argue Tarou is most similar to Nagasawa, perhaps in his formative days (we saw Nagasawa in what I say 'completed', or at least 'close-to-completion' state). Having wrote this, I imagine Nagasawa must have felt something similar to Tarou when he was beginning to reel in the numbers.
Overall, it was an excellent read. Thanks again to everyone who recommended this to me.
Oh, and yes, I have no idea what is that ending.
Starting with the conclusions, it was a very good read. Thank you for the recommendation. I found it to be rather disgusting, but in the sense that it was worth the time to continue reading. I wouldn't call it stellar as I did BNW or 1984, as NW contain a very limited amount of beauty those two contained, particularly BNW in which it was the central point of, but it was without a doubt a good read. However, it was a little too explicit for my tastes. Although it was understandable given the kind of story it was, I still found it a little bit repulsive.
I'll go through each character one by one to better illuminate what I thought about the story.
Toru: No point talking about him, since he is the POV from which I evaluate others. I do find many of his decisions questionable, but probably not in the same sense as others do. Hopefully this will be better illustrated when I talk about others.
Kizuki: Seems like a chill dude, but he is largely unexplored. His suicide seems a little sudden, but I don't share the same sense of loss that Toru and Naoko have, so it is difficult to say what's the big deal with his death. Maybe if I understand why he does it... alas, he is unexplored.
Naoko: What. The. Flying. Fuck. That. Is. Lovable. About. This. Bitch. I. Have. Absolutely. No. Idea. Actually, I doubt I want to understand. She seems to be a pile of unstable mess beyond any kind of repair, as she proves herself to be near the end. Okay, so she has some sort of inferiority complex. And then Kizuki killed himself, making the pain worse since in both cases they're sudden and she has no idea why they happen. Uh... huh. Again, I have no idea what's the big deal. Sure, losing someone you love sucks, I'm not saying it doesn't. But to the point she can't fucking write a damn letter to someone else who is unrelated (no matter what you say, Toru is NOT Kizuki or the sister) to these events, I don't understand. It's not like Toru caused their deaths. He suffered too. I don't know, maybe I just have little tolerance for moaning bitches, as much as I hate myself when I moan about my own misfortunes. Why the fuck did Toru or anyone else have anything resembling positive emotions to this female again?
Reiko: Overall a cool person, I guess she's Naoko that has come to terms with her messed-up-ness. This makes her a lot more tolerable... but had she been younger, I bet I'll hate her just as much as Naoko. Actually even more so, since although the problem with her childhood was understandable, I think she's making too big a deal about that teenage slut. And since that was her breaking point... respect -1000.
Midori: A little too promiscuous for my taste, but otherwise a meh girl. Nothing much to say.
Nagasawa: "Don't feel sorry for yourself. Only arseholes do that." The only element of beauty in the novel, except for very rare good Toru moments.
Now, to those saying that my work was quite similar to NW... assuming you meant Tarou was similar to Toru... I strongly disagree. It was very different, at least to me, the idiot author. Tarou had no choice to make, and he had to deal with in Aiko. What he had to deal with was something entirely inside... his methods, the results of his exploration, things like that. It is more internal, the way I see it. In fact, I would argue Tarou is most similar to Nagasawa, perhaps in his formative days (we saw Nagasawa in what I say 'completed', or at least 'close-to-completion' state). Having wrote this, I imagine Nagasawa must have felt something similar to Tarou when he was beginning to reel in the numbers.
Overall, it was an excellent read. Thanks again to everyone who recommended this to me.
Oh, and yes, I have no idea what is that ending.