Novelist As a Vocation

English language

Published Feb. 5, 2022 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

ISBN:
978-0-451-49464-1
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3 stars (2 reviews)

A unique look at the craft of writing from a bestelling master of storytelling.

In this engaging book, the internationally best-selling author shares with readers what he thinks about being a novelist; his thoughts on the role of the novel in our society; his own origins as a writer; and his musings on the sparks of creativity that inspire other writers, artists, and musicians.

Readers who have long wondered where the mysterious novelist gets his ideas and what inspires his strangely surreal worlds will be fascinated by this highly personal look at the craft of writing.

6 editions

Interesting insights

3 stars

Novelist As A Vocation is an overlapping series of eleven essays, originally written by Murakami just as an exercise for himself, but which have now been overhauled and published in this collection. I suppose I should admit here than, when offered the book, I didn't think I had actually read anything else by Murakami. As it turned out I was reminded that I had read his running memoir several years ago (before I started reviewing everything I read), but I am yet to pick up a Murakami novel. That said, I am fascinated by the myriad ways in which writers ply their craft so I was still curious about Murakami's insights.

As he repeatedly tells readers, he has been a novelist for thirty-five years (at the time of the Japanese publication), yet his experience seemed somewhat atypical from what I had expected. He has interesting ideas about the characters and …