Novelist as a Vocation

Haruki Murakami was the first fiction writer who spurred me into reading books. He is a constant reminder of why I enjoy reading, and it is an honour for me to write this review, and a treat to discover the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of what makes a Murakami novel distinctively his.

In Novelist as a Vocation, Murakami shares his beginnings as a novelist and his journey to the present day in the form of an intimate conversation. From that first light- bulb moment of realising that he wanted to write, to winning a prize and being published, to the ups and downs of mixed reviews and criticisms, we learn more about the master storyteller’s inspirational life.

He also discusses his approach to writing and the role of the novel, making references to music, art and literature. I found it very easy to connect with his metaphors about the writing process: ‘More than anything else, music helped move this process forward. I wrote as if I were performing a piece of music. Jazz was my main inspiration. As you know, the most important aspect of a jazz performance is rhythm. You have to sustain a solid rhythm from start to finish – when you fail, people stop listening.’ Humbly, he attributes his prolific career to discipline, to staying mentally focused and turning out 10 pages a day. He also places importance on staying physically fit with exercise to make sure he has the stamina to do just that.

Norwegian Wood took Murakami’s name to an international stage, but in his honest account, this level of success requires humility as well as hard work: ‘What I did in Japan when I debuted I did all over again in America. In my forties I pushed the reset button back to being a newcomer.’ I believe fans of Murakami will truly enjoy Novelist as a Vocation. More importantly, aspiring writers, musicians and artists will find Murakami’s words of advice to be a shining torch on their path to keep moving forward.

Luc Yong is from Readings Carlton