Book Review - Sputnik Sweetheart

See, I told you I loved the book. So much that I've written a stiff formalish book review. Not my usual practice, but what the hell.

Sputnik Sweetheart – Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami’s delicately written, mysterious novel ‘Sputnik Sweetheart’ is a fascinating and surreal read. This was the first book I read by him, and after ages I was transported by a book so much that it was unconsciously always playing in my mind and everything I did, had a shadow of the book over it.

A young Japanese school teacher narrates this story about his beloved, eccentric friend Sumire, who yearns to write and lives a careless and ‘beatnik’ existence. He is secretly in love with her, but she loves him not, and instead, she falls in love with a woman 17 years older than her.

This new love with a woman transforms Sumire, and throws her into a ‘new fictional setting,’ one she is unfamiliar with, and not used to. But her love for Mui is overwhelming, and Sumire changes into a neat, clean and suddenly feminine person and suddenly finds that she can’t write anything.

She travels to Europe with Mui, and on a Greek island, mysteriously disappears into smoke – without the slightest trace.

Our narrator is then sought out by Mui for help, and travels to Greece to help trace Sumire. In Greece, he experiences something surreal, and discovers things about Sumire, Mui, and himself that is as complete an answer and as enigmatic a question as any.

This book is an exquisite story about loss, and loneliness, and love, and discovery. Murakami’s style and words leave strong images and designs in your head that stick, and leave you with a mix of hope and surreal wonder.

Quote from a book

Reading my birthday gift - Sputnik Sweetheart, by Haruki Murakami, nice read.

Quite interesting actually, and here's a part I just came across and liked:

"Any explanation or logic that explains everything so easily has a hidden trap in it. I'm speaking from experience. Somebody once said if it's something a single book can explain, it's not worth having explained."

Shame that it's a translation though... don't think a translation can ever do full justice.

The Pure Truth

Sometimes you get hit by what is called the Truth of life. I just got hit by one. It's quite a nice feeling. Everything makes sense, for a few minutes, before the lies of the world take over again.

The one that just hit me, and it's hit me many times before, only this time I'm sitting in front of my computer, is easy to understand.

The truth is a sentiment that was also put to words by Dumbledore in a book, (I'm not Potter obsessed right now, just mentioning the source) - it goes:

The person you are depend on the choices you make.

Or something in more meaningful words. But man, its profound. And goddamn true, maybe you know it too, or maybe you don't, yet.

Orkut kills?

My eyes are filled with tears as I write this. Because a 16 year old boy has been killed for God alone knows what reason. It's all over the news, and the horrid thing is imagining the lives of everyone involved.

The family, and also, the boys who've been arrested. They are murderers. They shouldn't be.

Cyber crime is now rising in my country, and people will blame the internet, and of course, networking websites like Orkut and Facebook.

And while I disagree with the angry hate for Orkut, I'm saddened by how we're all possible prey to cyber crime. Only because there are people with hate, and people who're caught in unfortunate ideas and obsessions. I don't know what makes them do it, and I'm sure nor do they.

I can't explain. It is tragic.

Google Analytics

Do you have a blog? Or own a website? Do you want to know how many visits you had, from which country (and city) and how long they stayed on your page?

Or maybe you'd be interested in knowing where they found your blog, or how many of your visitors left your page in 1 second.

Or maybe you'd like to know that they searched for 'kitten stuck on roof' and were led to your page.

Try Google Analytics. Tells you all this, and more. And keeps you occupied when you have absolutely nothing to do besides dig out cookie crumbs from your keyboard. Anyway -

www.analytics.google.com

Nevermind

I'll always love Kurt Cobain, and his band, and his music.

To the junk heads, he's God. To the conservatives, he was a lunatic, alcoholic and drug abused rockstar who killed himself.

All I know is that he was brilliant. And started a strong new genre of music. He asked the questions no one dared to ask, and said things that weren't meant to be said.

He is a legend.

She should have stayed away from friends. She should have had more time to spend. She should died when she was born. She should have worn a crown of thorns. She should have... been a son. She should have... been a son.

I was thinking yesterday of how society has brought us up to be wary, and alarmed by people with mental stabilites, and problems. But it must be remembered that most of our most brilliant artists, scientists, painters, musicians, authors, philosophers were thought to be mad. But irrespective of the art they create, these are the poeple who's lives and situations and stories have brought out the important questions, and questions that we need to ask ourselves. Not individually, but as society.

Questions about incest, and violence, and abuse. These people with the problems, will grow up to be the most sensitive to issues, and most volatile to react. And the questions that come up, need to be answered.

On a lighter note, here is a Kurt Cobain quote that I've been admiring the past few days:

We'll float around, and hang out on clouds, and then we'll come down, and have a hang-over.

- from Dumb, by Nirvana.

The Beautiful People

Does beauty really lie in the eyes of the beholder? In fairy tales, maybe yes. I'm not quite sure otherwise.

I think, at least in most urban scenarios, that how a person looks, has a strong impact on how he lives.

Haven't you seen how the good looking (read hot) people carry themselves? Like they know that everyone in the room is admiring them. And you must have seen the not very good looking people try and be as invisible as possible... It differs from person to person, but how you looks is quite likely to affect how you carry yourself.

Dressing. The style, oomph, and how they dress is directly related to how good looking or not they are.

Of course, both of these - attitude and dressing - also depend on mindset.

The tragic part is how good looking or not people are treated by others. Over-flattered and reduced to fluffheads, or ignored and made miserable.

Arrgh, for the second time today I'm writing about something that has got everything to do with people - how they think and behave. And really, I'm at a loss for words. Because there are no rules about people's minds. And thats my reason for optimism. There are some genuine gems out there, and I do think I know a whole bunch.

Freedom of Expression

The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish.
- Robert Jackman

So true. Think about anti-India communities on Orkut. Freedom of expression?

It's a tricky topic to discuss, and here's my take.

Freedom of speech and expression is incredibly vital and important for a healthy society. Though, this freedm only has healthy reflections on society when it is used with good judgment and rational thought. Of course, what the basis of rational thought is, is a whole different argument altogether.

But I do think that as long as this 'free' expression is not offensive, or vulgar to the point of being offensive, and pays respect to the free will and opinion of others, it is healthy and regular.

But, as each person has a unique point of view, there will always, and forever exist 'relative' violations of this freedom. It's only human.