Have books ‘happened’ to you? Unless your answer to that question is ‘yes,’ I’m unsure how to talk to you — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
The others in the dorm thought I wanted to be a writer, because I was always alone with a book, but I… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
I write my novels personally, desperately and non-negligently. When I write my novels, I think about my novels only, and never do… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“Liest man, was alle anderen auch lesen, kann man auch nur das denken, was alle anderen denken.” — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
Which is why I am writing this book. To think. To understand. It just happens to be the way I'm made. I… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“They knew the difference between thoroughness and overkill. It was like Jay Gatsby's library: the books were real, but the pages were… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
I've always liked libraries. They're quiet and full of books and full of knowledge. — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“I find writing novels a challenge, writing stories a joy. If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
When I open them, most of the books have the smell of an earlier time leaking out between the pages - a… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
I wrote my first two long novels and an anthology of short narratives, when I was a manager of my own jazz… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
It's true that at the time I was fond of Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Brautigan, and it was from them that I… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“Not all guns have to be fired. A pistol is just a tool and where I am living is not a story… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
What do we talk about? Just ordinary things. What happened today, or books we've read, or tomorrow's weather, you know. Don't tell… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
I hate requests. They make me feel unhappy. It's like when I take a book out of the library. As soon as… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
I was enjoying myself writing, because I don't know what's going to happen when I take a ride around that corner. You… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“Writing novels is much the same. You gather up bones and make your gate, but no matter how wonderful the gate might… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“Nakata’s empty inside. I finally understand that. Nakata’s like a library without a single book. It wasn’t always like that. I used… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“And how was my time? Truth be told, not so great. At least, not as good as I’d been secretly hoping for.… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
Reading was like an addiction; I read while I ate, on the train, in bed until late at night, in school, where… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
A short story I have written long ago would barge into my house in the middle of the night, shake me awake… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“It's not just that I'm dumb. Nakata's empty inside. I finally understand that. Nakata's like a library without a single book. It… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
It is however, difficult to make your narratives relative by yourself. A novelists' work is to provide models to make your narratives… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden. The two processes complement… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
The world in books seemed so much more alive to me than anything outside. I could see things I'd never seen before.… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
I didn't read so much Japanese literature. Because my father was a teacher of Japanese literature, I just wanted to do something… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
Does G get angry because it follows F in the alphabet? Does page 68 in a book start a revolution because it follows 67? — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“To be able to talk to your heart's content about a book you like with someone is one of the greatest joys… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
The curious thing about individuals is that their singularity always goes beyond any category or generalization in the book. — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
It is my huge pleasure that my novels are translated into languages that are read among small numbers of people. — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
Everybody thinks I'm this delicate little girl. But you can't tell a book by it's cover.' To which she added a momentary… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“With my eyes closed, I would touch a familiar book and draw its fragrance deep inside me. This was enough to make… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“She and I would trade books, talk endlessly, drink cheap whiskey, engage in unremarkable sex. You know, the stuff of everyday.” — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“The book didn't come to any conclusion, and nobody wants to read a book that doesn't have one. For me, though, having… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
I had no ambition to be a writer because the books I read were too good, my standards were too high. — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
The best point of my novels, I think, is their humor. I want to keep many my works humorous. — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
I'm not a fast reader. I like to linger over each sentence, enjoying the style. If I don't enjoy the writing, I… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking. — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“Somebody once said if it’s something a single book can explain, it’s not worth having explained. What I mean is don’t leap… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
“It's difficult to teach how to write novels, but teaching swimming is just as hard.” — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
Whenever I write a novel, music just sort of naturally slips in (much like cats do, I suppose). — Haruki Murakami Copy Share Image
I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden. — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...” — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.” — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow. — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities” — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
“One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
“Eleven o'clock had come and gone. I had to find a way to bring this conversation to a successful conclusion and get out of… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
“Some people get a kick out of reading railway timetables and that's all they do all day. Some people make huge model boats out… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s… — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about” — Haruki Murakami Copy Share
