Today is World Book Day, a day meant to celebrate reading, and this week theย third edition of the Japanese Film Festival Ginmakuย will openย in Zurich. Thinking of both dates, my first book choice of 2017 is Tony Takitani fromย personal favourite Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The English version of the short story was originally published in The New Yorker magazine. I am recommending today the relatively special,ย German hardcover edition (apologies to non-German readers). Here is why:
- Gratifying. All the trademark Murakami character traits are found in a concise form in Tony Takitani. A lonesome lead male character with a profession dealing in individual precision and concentration, much like the later variations ofย 1Q84 orย Colorless Tsukuru. A uniquely attractive female lead character, with a penchant for fashion. A melancholic tale where music plays a role. One might frown at familiarity in Murakamiโs work.ย I find there is always something to discover, a new subtle angle of humanity explored. Sometimes Murakamiโs fictional work feels like a visual artistโs long struggle with a specificย subject. I foundย Takitani to be a satisfying fan read or a good first introduction.
- Transient. Tony Takitani shows us in a few strokes how the only constant in human life is that nothing lasts forever.ย Family, relationships, feelings, all are in constant flux, at varying speeds. The more the lead holds on and tries to own and control, the more precarious nature asserts itself. Like aย wind, that can be felt but not captured. In the end, even personal memories face the same fate. Takitaniย is everyman’s journeyย of self-awareness.
- Filmed. Tony Takitani is also the best movie adaptation of a Murakami work so far. From Japanese director Jun Ichikawa, the movie is extraordinary in its simplicity. The entire movie was shot in a small outdoor stage. The camera choices, with smart use of close-ups and out of focusย backgrounds create aย full illusion. The wind was an extra โactorโ, involuntarily cast, but workingย perfectlyย as an echo of theย storyโs core idea. If Ichikawa hadย this map, the movie might have turned out different.
This edition of Tony Takitani uses movie stills as theย design basis. Editions done with movie adaptations in mind often take the least effort approachย ofย movie poster as book cover. The combination of story and selected imagesย in a pared down volume works well.ย
If this suggestion inspired you to watch otherย Japanese movies, theย http://ginmaku-festival.com is a good place to start in Zurich.ย Below a link to theย German publisherโs page for the bookย and the IMDB page for the movie details:
Tony Takitani by Haruki Murakami at Dumont
Tony Takitani by Jun Ichikawa at IMDB
ISBN: 978-3-8321-7935-9
Leave a Reply