*
9. The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
This reading took almost 3 weeks, longer than I intended. More than 600 pages long, with small text beautifully aligned near each other. My colleague asked me; "Is this your first Murakami's book?", I said it is my third. She said she will only read one book per author to know the writing style. I wanted to disagree but decided to only let this thought silently echoed in my mind : "You can't judge a writer by reading only one of his/her book."
If Zahir is about an obsession of finding a missing wife by Paulo Coelho. Then the Wind-up Bird Chronicle is an obsession about finding a missing wife by Haruki Murakami. They are almost alike in the theme and main focus but with a totally different lesson to be learned.
With Haruki, it's always dream-like, ambiguous, seemingly lost in the character's thought, stories in stories, and most of it doesn't even make any sense at all. Sometimes I got short "hm" while reading, in the random odd chapter of one of the unimportant character's letter or childhood experience, imagine for the whole one chapter! The story doesn't even relate at all, except to vaguely explain certain behavior or is it?
I always wonder, what makes him write about random people in his own story? He makes all characters, even the one that crosses the road or work at the laundry have their own life in the story. He is that detailed to the bones.
I always wonder, what makes him write about random people in his own story? He makes all characters, even the one that crosses the road or work at the laundry have their own life in the story. He is that detailed to the bones.
*
For anyone who wants to understand why some people love running so much, this book might give you a glimpse of what a long-distance runner feels about running. He wrote it to understand about his attachment with his routined life and while learning about himself in his running journal that he kept, he shared with the world about himself.
True, it isn't much. It is more or less like reading an informal journal. I learned about him, his routine, and his obsession. Anything to give me a glimpse of who he is as a real person in a real life, that is more than enough. I highly recommend this to people who love running, and writing.
11. Short Sufi Stories by Mohamad Yasin Owadally
This reading took less than 2 days on the train. A compilation of short stories for wisdom and guidance. The story that you heard when you were around 7-12 at sekolah agama. A light reading, I enjoyed putting yellow stickers on useful stories that I could use in the future. One of my favorite :
10. What we talk about when we talk about running by Haruki Murakami
For anyone who wants to understand why some people love running so much, this book might give you a glimpse of what a long-distance runner feels about running. He wrote it to understand about his attachment with his routined life and while learning about himself in his running journal that he kept, he shared with the world about himself.
True, it isn't much. It is more or less like reading an informal journal. I learned about him, his routine, and his obsession. Anything to give me a glimpse of who he is as a real person in a real life, that is more than enough. I highly recommend this to people who love running, and writing.
*
11. Short Sufi Stories by Mohamad Yasin Owadally
This reading took less than 2 days on the train. A compilation of short stories for wisdom and guidance. The story that you heard when you were around 7-12 at sekolah agama. A light reading, I enjoyed putting yellow stickers on useful stories that I could use in the future. One of my favorite :
You've no idea how hard I've looked for a gift to bring You. Nothing seemed right. What's the point of bring gold to the gold mine, or water to the Ocean? Everything I came up with was like taking spices to the Orient. It's no good giving my heart and my soul because you already have these. So - I've brought you a mirror. Look at yourself and remember me. O love, O pure deep love, be here, be Now, be all; worlds dissolve into your stainless endless radiance. Frail living leaves, burn with you brighter than cold stars: Make me your servant, your breath, your core.
Rumi says, "God is your mirror in which you contemplate yourself and you are His mirror in which He contemplates his divine attributes."
Ibn Arabi says, "I won't serve God like a labourer in expectation of wages".
- Love of Allah & Remembrance ( page 48 )
*
12. Langit Vanilla by Wani Ardy
I bought this book, among other books from independent poets.
I loved it ! I love how clean and neat her language is. The way writer writes things usually reflect how he/she thinks.
In my opinion, there is this trend of writing self-expresion in the form of so-called art. Even though art itself can be anything and everything, without any limitation. I strongly believe that art should be beautiful. Be it in words of poetry or story, or painting or photography. It should be beautiful. We might see things differently; some people think death is beautiful, some people don't. Some people use bad words in every breath and feels nothing, some people never even said the word "shit". So I guess we can't really put a real definition on that, huh?
To conclude this, I don't prefer to read any written books with obscene and vulgar language, even in a manner of speaking. Independent writing or not, just be aware of your language. We have enough dirts and rubbish in life.
I bought this book, among other books from independent poets.
I loved it ! I love how clean and neat her language is. The way writer writes things usually reflect how he/she thinks.
In my opinion, there is this trend of writing self-expresion in the form of so-called art. Even though art itself can be anything and everything, without any limitation. I strongly believe that art should be beautiful. Be it in words of poetry or story, or painting or photography. It should be beautiful. We might see things differently; some people think death is beautiful, some people don't. Some people use bad words in every breath and feels nothing, some people never even said the word "shit". So I guess we can't really put a real definition on that, huh?
To conclude this, I don't prefer to read any written books with obscene and vulgar language, even in a manner of speaking. Independent writing or not, just be aware of your language. We have enough dirts and rubbish in life.
Hati manusia itu sesuatu yang rumit, sulit. Sepuluh orang boleh melalui peristiwa yang sama, tapi belum tentu dua orang merasa perkara yang sama. - Pemuja Rahsia.
Kau manusia, kau tak boleh ada semua.
*
