Any Haruki Murakami fans

[sophietom]

I'm really getting into Murakami. I especially enjoyed the Wind up Bird Chronicle and Dance Dance Dance but I've read several others. Can anyone recommend any similar authors I might enjoy? Also feel free to recommend your favourite Murakami books too

I just remembered a couple of his novels: West of the border South of the sun (I think)
Dolphin Hotel is great too really atmospheric and creepy.I'm just noticing though, my memory is terrible. I got a Margaret Atwood novel out of the library twice and only noticed when I was half way through the book that I'd read it.
That's why these online chats are good- no big pauses in conversation for recollection.

Definitely Paul Auster. I'd go for Moon Palace and The Book of Illusions over The New York Trilogy (even though the latter is his most famous) especially if you love The Wind Up Bird Chronicle (as I do, it's wonderful).

I'm a big fan! He's fab, isn't he? I've read all his books that are in English. The Wind Up Bird Chronicle is definitely my favourite. I've said this on another thread about Murakami but what I like about him is that these common elements often turn up in his books:
spaghetti
a beautiful yet mysterious woman
a woman with a beautiful ear
whisky
cigarettes
a jazz club
a cat (usually missing)
a well

I'd recommend 'What I talk about when I talk about running' or whatever it was called, his semi-autobiographical book that came out recently about running (although it isn't really about running so much as a bit of philosophy).

I never really got into Murakami. Read The Wind up Bird chronicle and found it too willfully odd. Love Douglas Coupland though, Girlfriend in a coma is one of my favourite. If you like quite fantastical reads you should try Jim Dodge. His novel Stone Junction is excellent.

Also, i think this must be my most reccommended book of all time but if it's surreal you want, this book is the king. House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski. One of the scariest, most intriging things i have ever read.

www.amazon.co.uk/House-Leaves-Mark-Z-Danielewski/dp/038560310X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=124137 7156&sr=1-1

Oh I love Murakami. There's no one quite like him, but I can recommend a couple of other japanese books. Out by Natsuo Kirino - female crime author - and Strangers by Taichi Yamada - closer in spirit to Murakami.

Inspired by this thread, I have started reading 'After Dark' today. V impressed indeedy so far.

Finished it over the weekend. I really enjoyed it - very tight and controlled writing and sympathetic to the characters whilst remaining fairly emotionally distant, interestingly. Was less impressed by the final couple of pages than I was by the rest of it though. Will deffo read another of his.

Norwegian Wood was the first I read and probably my favourite..... had a broken heart at the time and had to keep putting it down as it really got to me.

If you like oddness then Gabrielle Garcia Marquez and also Louis de Bernieres - of the "magical realism" school, top stuff

sophietom if you like Murakami, have you read any Russell Hoban? I think there is a certain similarity in feel and outlook, though Hoban is definitely a little quirkier.

I'd recommend Mr Rinyo-Clacton's Offer, The Bat Tattoo and The Medusa Frequency for starters, although they all very good and Ridley Walker (very different style) is positively visionary.