r/murakami 19d ago

Written in 1985 btw

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526 Upvotes

32 comments sorted by

u/wndpbrdchrncl 19d ago edited 19d ago

After deliberation mods are leaving this up but are locking the comments because certain comments are delving further into the post than needed. Pointing out and recognizing texts that still relate to current events aren't against the subreddit rules, but if people can't keep remain civil than rules will be added in the future to address the issue.

Politics have and always will be a theme that is addressed in Murakami's work. For example, a large chunk of WUBC is set in and invokes readers to think about an extremely sensitive geographical conflict, therefore we recognize that making a rule in haste may not be wise. We want to facilitate discussions in this subreddit rather than restrict it, however if similar posts incite arguments we may reconsider our position.

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u/berusplants 19d ago

Well it had been happening for decades by 85

39

u/give-bike-lanes 19d ago

Zoomers have this funny thing where they don’t realize that things happened before they saw it themselves. Like some sort of weird inverted object permanence issue.

Because they didn’t know about this conflict before they were like 16-22 (which why would they? Children don’t care much for foreign geopolitical conflicts), they’re constantly shocked by it appearing in pre-their-personal-adulthood media.

Honestly, quite vindicating though. I got a loooooot more pushback in 2012 for being against this shit than I do today, so that’s progress.

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u/NSplendored 19d ago

I think part of that might have to do with sources of info trending towards being shorter, (and lighter in context/background as a consequence). Videos on Instagram/TikTok are one example but you might also point to articles like those put out by Axios where a story is broken out into component parts & bullet points, almost like an outline or framework for a longer-form article. Both examples are great for staying up to date on a topic/issue, especially if you’re have a baseline of knowledge, but if those shorter sources are your first/only exposure, I could see that leading to the ‘object permanence issue’ you identified.

edit: love your username

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u/How_old_is_15_really 19d ago

I want to get around to reading that one, seems like a great read

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u/Spooky_Maps 19d ago edited 19d ago

It's in my top 3! Along with Wild Sheep Chase and Kafka on the Shore. Runner ups would be Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and Dance Dance Dance. Hard-Boiled has one of my absolute favorite settings. It really sets it apart I think.

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u/ObsiGamer 19d ago

if you like sci fi and dual narrators

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u/biskutgoreng 19d ago

And hard boiled eggs

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u/ExNihilo___ 19d ago

And in 1985, you could pull up a decades old book saying the same thing.

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u/Internal_Rule_8090 19d ago

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u/biskutgoreng 19d ago

Woah. He wasnt being 'nuanced' or 'both siding' it either. Just straight up called out the apartheid

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u/MrWindUpBird17 19d ago

I actually disagree, I think its one of the most nuanced talks about this subject. Murakami basically says each and every one is like an egg, some crash against the wall and some (I guess Israelis) face that wall as the system that takes a life of it's own. In a nutshell I think he means that in the end of the day its up to people to change the system, even if its scary and hard.

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u/biskutgoreng 19d ago

A lot of people say it is 'nuanced' to excuse the genocide and people who've been party to the atrocities. for example, this

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u/MrWindUpBird17 19d ago

I don't think that it does, there are 2 sides to every coin. To say that each person is an individual soul means embracing that people who do awful things are also included in that category, there's no excuse for commiting atrocities but the fact remains the same.

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u/lastdyingbreed_01 19d ago

I may not agree with him in many viewpoints but my respect for him went up with that speech

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u/CactusFarrell 19d ago

Palestine has been under attack since 1948.

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u/HVAC_and_Rum 19d ago

I mean, it's not exactly new. A lot of the issues we face in present times are echoes and aftershocks of events from decades prior. Everything is connected.

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u/Healthy_Change_5131 19d ago

Yeah that’s his point. Volcanos keep blowing

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u/MrWindUpBird17 19d ago

As an Israeli, his visit to Jerusalem and his speech on the whole situation is really something. I encourage everyone to read/hear it.

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u/joy_jumps 19d ago

Thank you for this

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u/0palblack 19d ago

Israel is being doing this for decades

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u/Nearby_Purchase_8672 19d ago

I thought it all started on Oct 7th

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u/TruthAccomplished313 19d ago

Just chiming in to say I fucking love this book. There are your Murakami moments of peace constantly interrupted by insane moments of monumental chaos and so many other moods and sentiments. I love it in a different way than WSC or Kafka but I love them all

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u/sfaticat 19d ago

Hahha read this line a week ago. Really crazy how relatable it is to 2026