Blog Post 2

When reading Murakami this year, I found his style of writing to provoke thought in a rather unique manner.  By being vague about meaning while being straightforwards with facts he is able to set the reader's mind on a course to explore and search those facts for meanings.  Despite whether the work is more realistic like 'Norwegian Wood,' or more surrealistic and fantastical like 'The Strange Library,' this technique remains prevalent.  For example, by the end of reading 'The Strange Library' my mind was full to bursting with ideas about how the various events in the book could be connected to form some overwhelming conclusion about the symbolism of the dog, the mother, and the library itself.  Of course, there aren't any end-all be-all conclusions to be found, which I think is another tactic Murakami uses.  If he remains impartial to specific meanings for the entire book, it allows the reader to formulate their own unique meanings separate from Murakami's intentions.