Haruki Murakami's five favorite books

Oh Murakami… These topics always generate a division of opinions in me. On the one hand I like to know what books each of the authors I read reads., but on the other hand it is uncomfortable for me because it forces me to add to the list a handful of books that I hadn't planned to readYou already understand me…

But hey, to be honest I always end up enjoying them, so since I like to share today I bring you Haruki Murakami, one of the most internationally recognized contemporary Japanese writers and famous for novels like Tokyo Blues (Norwegian Wood), Kafka on the Shore, 1Q84, Chronicle of the bird that winds up the world and South of the border, west of the sun.

In case you don't know him, you should know that his work is characterized by a fascinating combination of the everyday with surreal elements, creating worlds that seem normal but are imbued with a magical and dreamlike touch. Murakami He is also recognized for his ability to deeply explore human emotions, especially loneliness, nostalgia, and the search for meaning. You'll see...

The 5 books Murakami recommends

Apart from having time to write those enormous works, Murakami is an avid reader and has frequently spoken about the books that have most marked and influenced him in his literary career.

Do you want to find out what his favorite books are and what he thinks about them? Yes. That's why you're here, isn't it? Here's a selection of Murakami's five favorite titles, which, according to his own quotes, he values most highly.

1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

"If I were forced to choose just one book [that has meant the most to me], I would choose Gatsby without hesitation. If it weren't for Fitzgerald's novel, I wouldn't be writing the kind of literature I am today (in fact, I might not even be writing, though that's a different matter)."

This novel, originally published in 1925, is considered one of the masterpieces of American literature. Set in the age of jazz and economic prosperity, Fitzgerald deeply and critically explores the fragility of the American dream, the obsession with success, and the superficiality of high society—themes that resonate in many of Murakami's works.

2. The long goodbye, by Raymond Chandler

«Philip Marlow is Chandler's fantasy, but for me he's real. I translate what I like to read. I've translated all of Raymond Chandler's novels. I love his style. I've read The Long Goodbye five or six times.»

Raymond Chandler revolutionized the crime novel genre with this work, introducing one of literature's most iconic detectives, Philip Marlowe. This novel stands out for its elegant style and sharp dialogues. and a trenchant social critique, reflecting the moral decay and corruption of Los Angeles. Murakami particularly admires Chandler's ability to create complex and compelling characters.

3. The castle, by Franz Kafka

"I discovered Kafka's work when I was 15, and the book was The Castle. It was an incredibly great book. It shocked me tremendously. The world Kafka described in that book was so real and unreal at the same time that my heart and soul seemed to split in two."

Kafka is one of the key authors in Murakami's literary development, and The Castle is emblematic of his style and themes. Published posthumously, explores the absurdity of bureaucracy and the alienation of the individual in an incomprehensible world. The work has profoundly influenced the surrealist and existentialist aesthetics present in many of Murakami's own novels.

4. The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

"Most writers weaken as they age. But Dostoevsky didn't. He kept getting bigger and more magnificent. He wrote The Brothers Karamazov in his fifties. It's a great novel."

Considered one of the most important works of world literature, The Brothers Karamazov is a complex and passionate novel that Intensely explores morality, faith, reason, and family relationships in 19th-century RussiaMurakami particularly appreciates Dostoevsky's exploration of the human soul, revealing authentic, complex, and deeply human characters.

5. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

"It's a dark, very disturbing story. I enjoyed it when I was seventeen, so I decided to translate it. I remembered it as funny, but it's dark and powerful. I must have been disturbed when I was young."

Published in 1951, this novel by Salinger is an undisputed classic that captures the essence of adolescent conflict, rebellion against social conventions and the desperate search for identity and meaningMurakami personally translated this novel into Japanese, demonstrating his deep respect and affinity for the work and its ability to portray universal and eternally relevant emotions.

Furthermore, Murakami mentions Raymond Chandler, Kurt Vonnegut, and Richard Brautigan as his main literary influences on his website. These authors complement a broad and diverse literary landscape that greatly enriches the Japanese writer's own work.

Without a doubt, a magnificent selection to delve deeper into the creative universe of Haruki Murakami!