Over the Fall 2016 semester, the RA Book Club read and
discussed Colorless by Haruki
Murakami. See below for the RA’s
reactions to the book.
Clare
Colorless is a novel about a young man whose friends
abruptly abandon him during the formative years of high school. This incident
spirals Tsukuru Tazaki into a depression that he struggles to overcome. Later
on, he meets a girl who encourages him to find out the reason behind his
friends' abandonment in order to ease his emotional pain and find fulfillment.
He does just that and their reasoning is far from reassuring. His journey to
find answers and mature into his own colorless self is chronicled in this
heartbreaking yet uplifting novel about friendship, identity, and finding
oneself through others.
Swati
I've read a lot of Murakami and find many of his novels
to be similar. His writing is always gorgeous and poetic, and the little
flashes of magic realism add so much depth and intrigue to his work. That said,
Colorless fell a little flat for me. There seemed to be a lot of plot points
that went unexplained (or were just never returned to) and the main character
was a stereotype of a wealthy male with zero emotional depth or growth (sorry
Tom!). Murakami has a habit of hitting you over the head with his metaphors and
this novel felt incredibly repetitive. I still love his writing - he's just so
quotable! - but the plot felt frivolous and reductive (Spoiler: I also strongly
dislike the use of false rape accusations, women have it hard enough as it
is!). I will end this review on a good note, though. My absolute favorite
section was Tsukuru visiting Eri in Finland. The writing is beautiful and the
loneliness of the two characters is echoed throughout Murukamis' descriptions
of Finland's cold forests and roads. I loved the conversation between the two,
which felt so genuine and caring and warm, unlike much of the other
conversations in the novel. Overall I wasn't terribly impressed with Colorless,
but it had really incredible moments and Murukami is still an excellent writer.
Oindrila
In Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage,
Haruki Murakami explores friendship, love, and loss by creating an intriguing
narrative about one man, Tsukuru Tazaki, and his journey to understand the
loneliness that seems to plague every relationship in his life. His story is
left unresolved, perhaps as a way of showing the reader that you need to truly
live to know the future. This book consists of confusing, yet fascinating
fantasies of the mind that contradict the reality we think we know to be true.
For me, this book did not answer any questions or provide me with a complete,
wholesome story; instead, it challenged my own understanding of what it means
to truly connect with someone, my work, or the universe at large. I highly
recommend it to anyone looking for an easy, compelling read.
Shirley
“Colorless" is a book to be read little by little,
and requires one to take time to process all the ideas and themes that emerge
from the readings. I think there’s an overarching idea that the author wanted
to impress on his readers: one must get over past events in life and continue
to live in the present, because the present is what’s real. Yet, the thing that
struck me most is how the boundary between reality and dream dissolved very
early on in the book. The writing was very nuanced and subtle, yet profoundly
interesting. Murakami surely knows how to hook his readers.
Paula
This is the first book by a Japanese author that I have
ever read, and it coincides with a time in which I have grown increasingly
interested in Japanese culture, in its historical evolution and in its current
form. I wonder if I would have read this book differently had I known more of
Japanese notions of privacy, work culture, family, and other themes that were
addressed in the book.
Although we did discuss some references to both the
Japanese tradition compared to some Westernized aspects of the book, however,
Murakami’s novel was more an exploration of literary style to me than a study
on Japanese culture, And to me, it did not yield the best result. I appreciated
our conversations because they made me find symbols I had not noticed before,
but sometimes I was annoyed by what I felt was an excessive emphasis on
symbols, as if everything had to have a transcendental meaning and Murakami was
following a writer’s manual to scream through his words, “Hey! Here’s a
literary metaphor!” I also felt, and I believe many others would agree, that
the author aimed too high at the beginning and the story never lived up to the
initial suspense, never gave a satisfactory ending. It was as if, in the first
half of the book, Murakami had been slowly blowing air into a giant balloon
through the mystery of the rape, Haida’s story, Tzukuru’s dreams… to the point
in which it was about to burst, when Tzukuru decides to visit his old friends
and even travel to Finland. But, instead of giving that pop that the reader’s
anxiously waiting for, the balloon all of a sudden loses air and becomes just
another piece of rubber. I had so many questions at the end, but not the kind
of questions that a good, ambiguous ending wants you to have, but rather the
feeling that the story had not been properly finished, that the author had
forgotten loose ends he had left behind and never came back to them. What
initially seemed to me a novel of mystery and suspense did not end with a gasp
of surprise but rather a shrugging of the shoulders and a large question mark.
Mehak
After two semesters of being a member of RA book club,
this semester has been my favorite due to both the richness of topics to
discuss on the book as well as the quality of the discussions we had at our
meetings. My only blip/regret of the semester was the misnumbering of the pages
in my book as that ruined the experience of reading the book for me as crucial
information was given away early on. However, overall, the content of the book
kept me engaged and our discussions led me to consider things I would not have
considered had I read the book on my own, which is exactly what I feel a book
club should do. Would love to read more of Murakami's works in future semesters
on my own!
Jaclyn
Overall I really enjoyed the experience of reading and
interacting with the book. Murakami’s writing style is so unique and it kept me
thinking even after I had stopped reading. While I wouldn't put it on a
favorites list, I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking to read
something a little outside of the ordinary. This book for me is one of those
rare books that I feel compelled to pick back up and comb through again,
picking up new connections and details.
Iris
Colorless is the first Murakami book I've read. I
thoroughly enjoyed the first part of the novel. Tazaki's transition from
adolescent to adulthood was heartfelt- from the pure and
innocent relationship his group of friends had to their disassociation
from him which lead him into an abyss, from meeting Haida and Sarah to
reaching out to his old friends and finding out the truth. Murakami's use of
magic realism exceeded my expectations. I could imagine the story of Haida's
story very clearly in my head, the rural mountain and piano. I did not like the
abundant sex scenes in the story, however, I felt a lot of them were
unnecessary and out of place. I was disappointed by the ending of the book, I
felt as if though there was no character growth at all and I did not walk away
with any lessons, and that to me is very important when reading a book.
Tanvi
Colorless was an extremely engaging, fast-paced book
that I found difficult to put down. Up until chapter 10, the book was gripping,
the characters Murakami built and their interactions with each other elicited
my curiosity to a point where it became difficult to stop reading. I saw a lot
of myself in Tsukuru’s struggle to find his own identity. Trying to find his
niche in his group of friends sums up my experiences in middle school. However,
the character is emotionally stunted even at the age of 34, which made the book
so interesting to read. Having a discussion halfway through the book was
insightful and allowed me to reflect on what I had read so far. I was also
fascinated by the discussion around death and the number four in the book and
it was something I looked out for in the later half of the book, but it seemed
to fizzle out. My favorite part of the book however, was Tsukuru’s trip
to Finland and his conversation with Kuro. I thought the premise was set up
incredibly in the way Murakami describes Tsukuru’s anxiety and trepidation
regarding his impending meeting with Kuro and her side of the story. Once he
finds their summer cottage, Murakami’s language turns so beautifully
descriptive, with the colors, scenery and their body language around each
other, that I could imagine sitting on the couch and watching the two friends
talk. This detail also helps bring out the beauty, subtlety and decadence of
Kuro’s pottery and allows us a glimpse into her evolution as a person.
Murakami weaves an incredible story about his
protagonist, Tsukuru. Having read some of his other work, it seemed that
Murakami refrained from employing a lot of his signature style of magical
realism apart from the literal description of Tsukuru’s dreams. However, I
think he could have done a little more to explain the significance of his
dreams by clarifying Haida’s fate and how he and his story factor into to
Tsukuru’s life after his trip to Finland. Although I can accept the fact
that Murakami chose not to bring up Haida or Sara considering the focus is on
his protagonist, what disappointed me was that Tsukuru didn’t learn what I was
expecting him to from his journey. Murakami created a flawed character to begin
with and I was rooting for him to overcome his insecurities and grow as a
person at the end in this coming-of-age story, but it seemed like he hadn’t
learnt anything during his pilgrimage. He once again puts all his eggs in one
basket and becomes entirely emotionally reliant on Sara. This was a little
disappointing to me as a reader after investing so much in him on his journey
to reduce his dependence on his group of friends. It almost felt like Kuro’s
character development and story was better thought out and executed than
Tsukuru’s. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it to
others, but thought the end was a little abrupt and disappointing.
Yingxin
Colourless was a fascinating read as we explored
Tsukuru's life, both past and present, and his interactions with his colourful
high school friends as well as his new friends like Sarah and Haida. This being
the first novel by Murakami that I have read, I found it interesting as others
in the book club were able to compare his style of writing to his other books
and draw similarities such as his fondness for allegories and repeating
similes. Other traits that we observed included the use of Western music and
art references as well as the manipulation of the fine line between dreams and
reality. I really enjoyed reading and discussing Colourless in book club, the
one exception being that I was slightly disappointed by the lacklustre ending
where readers are left to guess at so many hanging plot points.
India
Huruki Murakami’s Colorless constantly walks and blurs
the line between reality and fantasy. Even though the book’s plot is very slow
moving, and at often times unexciting, every moment and every description plays
an important part in the exploration in finding meaningfulness in life. By
following Tsukuru and his search for an impactful purpose in life, the reader
at first sees him as illogical, bland, and unmoving, but as the book goes on we
start to see ourselves in him. We feel the need to find closure, and understand
that some things need explanation and it is impossible to leave everything in
the past. Additionally, when we hear the genre of the book “magic realism”, we
expect some sci-fi crazy plot, but instead I was surprised that Murakami shows
us that often times our dreams can be blurred with reality, or our sense of
reality. We all live the life that we create, and appreciate things based on
our own perspectives, sometimes perspectives that need input and shaping from
others. The mystery that Tsukuru is able to finally solve at the end of the
book after 16 years displays that “reality” can be interpreted and seen
differently through the different lenses of each individual person.
Nicole
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami is a surreal novel
laced with the trademark whimsy Murakami is known for. The narrative follows
Tsukuru Tazaki, a seemingly colorless man, as he revisits his nearly fatal
exile from his high school friend group. The rejection has haunted Tsukuru for
over fifteen years, and further intrigue and mystery surface through bizarre
and often sexually charged dreams, some of which are never explained. Tsukuru
occupies a magical realist world that is sometimes too shadowy and abstract to
be accessible to readers, but his malaise and the struggle to conquer it are
compelling enough to evoke a vested interest. Tsukuru as a protagonist holds
the reader's attention but never fully establishes enough of a connection for
his pain and mental anguish to feel thoroughly palpable. Solving the mystery of
his exile often takes a backseat to long moments of listlessness or philosophical
conversations. Nevertheless, the premise and the rainbow cast of characters
heavily dependent upon symbolism, shared histories and complex social
relationships create a microcosm that is equal parts pensive and hopeful. The
novel ends not with a bang but the whispered promise of things to come.
Anna
Overall, I’m glad to have read and discussed Colorless
Tsukuru Tazaki. I didn’t know much about Haruki Murakami when I started to read
Colorless, but I had looked him up and expected to see some of his trademark
magic realism throughout the book and didn’t get much of that except in a few
of the dream sequences. I suppose I’ll have to venture into his other works for
that! I enjoyed the book overall and would recommend it to certain people. I
feel that I may have enjoyed it less if I hadn’t gotten other people’s
perspectives on it. There were times when I was confused about why certain
characters acted they way they did or certain plot lines occurred but the book
club setting was extremely helpful. I enjoy following Tsukuru through his
journey both to come back from the edge of a deep depression and to find out
why his friends dropped him so abruptly. I understand Tsukuru was the main
character, so it makes sense that the focus was on his journey. However, I wish
the supporting characters would have been developed more than just in how they
related to him and his progression. I still feel like said progression was
never really completed! I would have really loved to get an ending that tied up
more loose ends (mostly did she say yes or no!?).
Joshua
Reading Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of
Privilege was an interesting experience for me. This was only my third time
participating in a book club and my first time doing one where the author
wasn't present to discuss the literature with us. However, I thought the book,
the format of our discussion, and the themes that were present were really fun
to talk about with other RAs and with Tom. Colorless was, frankly, not my
favorite Murakami book. 1Q84 is, I think, by far his best work (though
Norwegian Wood is also fantastic!). Overall, there was some beautiful word
usage--aided by the translation, I think--that made me have to stop and
reconsider the book. Some of the characters, like Haida, felt unresolved to me.
I think the book ended rather abruptly and I would have liked to see another
twenty or thirty pages to kind of wrap everything up. Tsukuru, as a character,
though, was interestingly complex if not very apathetic. He wasn't a character
I WANTED to root for, but a character I ended up pulling for about halfway
through the book. I wanted to see him take an active role in his life, and he
did to an extent, which was satisfying. The one thing I'm still hung up on,
though, is the significance of the 4s on all page numbers being a different
color. That might be something formal to think about more analytically on my
next read.
Arabella
The story was in no ways mind-blowing, but it had very interesting
things to say about individuality and identity. I loved how familiar themes
quietly unfold in the book: identity and self-realization, unresolved emotional
pain from the past and elusive dream states. The main character was a bit
bland, but in hindsight that is exactly what Murakami seems to be trying to
accomplish: this idea that everyone must have a certain characteristic that
sets them apart. I was a bit displeased by how some of the characters reacted
to certain situations because I couldn't imagine handling something so
passively. But overall it was a solid reading experience.
