Happy Birthday, Murakami

In honor of Haruki Murakami's birthday this week, here's a repost from 2010 about a Murakami-esque author. 

I swear I did not read the blurb on the back of this book when coming up with this comparison myself. So, Vendela Vida, I agree. Atmospheric Disturbances by Rivka Galchen is quite.

Never read Murakami? Start here. Or with this more recent essay about his love of t-shirts. 

Never heard of Galchen? Start here.

Never mind? Go here for other authors on The New Yorker's list of 20 under 40 to watch. And read.

“the cicadas were the only sound”

 After years of living in the chilly, wet Pacific Northwest, I can barely remember the humid bath that is Japanese summer. Reading The Hole by Hiroko Oyamada (translated by David Boyd) brought it all back, as well as the listlessness one feels living in a small town before making friends.

Asa and her husband have moved back to his hometown. Apart from cooking and some light cooking, Asa doesn’t have much to fill the long, humid days of summer. One day, her mother-in-law asks her to run an errand, so she sets out on a path by the river. Distracted by a strange animal, she falls into a hole.

Although Asa’s rescued fairly quickly, the incident sets off a series of strange events. Since Asa tells the story, we’re never quite sure what’s real, and what isn’t. Although not much happens in the way of plot, the tense mood Oyamada crafts makes this an intense and discomfiting read.

Challenge 3. Read a non-European novel in translation