Subtlety, or why Haruki Murakami is a genius
This entry was originally posted on 29 January 2004 at 12:31 p.m.
A couple of days ago, i saw someone complain that Haruki Murakami's writing style is too "flat," as though his characters are just going through the motions. Although i disagree with the sentiment, i thought it was a very interesting criticism, as it highlights a tendency among some contemporary authors that i cannot stand: the use of "loaded" phrases and imagery, and a tendency to make every word drip with "meaning."
Stories have parts to them. Some parts are supposed to be laden with purpose: pivotal moments, realizations, resolution to significant conflicts, significant conflicts themselves. It makes sense for the action to slow down in these places, for characters to think things through, to feel things, to be overwhelmed or noticeably underwhelmed. These are the moments that make a story what it is.
There are other parts of stories that are meant to be functional or utilitarian, that set the scene, or get a character from one place to another, or introduce something new. These parts aren't necessarily trite or prosaic or pedestrian; they are often meaningful by nature, especially if their presence is necessary for some reason. A conversation, a prop, an image--all of these things can advance a story and be meaningful without being loaded. For example, think of the basic setup for a knock-knock joke:
These phrases aren't dripping with heart-rending significance; they're there to set up and advance the joke--in fact, they're necessary for the joke to exist, much less progress.
There are other parts that lie somewhere in the middle. They provide information that might be important within some later context, they inform the reader of the character's state of mind or motive, they provide details that make an image more powerful, or they set the mood for a scene. These kinds of things are neither significant nor necessary, but they add a certain amount of flesh and subtlety to the story.
Many contemporary writers tend to rely far too heavily on the first category--the pivotal moments, realizations, and so on, that drive the plot. As a result, their prose becomes melodramatic, their words scream and wail like the characters in a soap opera. Their characters might be even-keeled, but the prose careens moans and generally makes itself far more obtrusive than it should--to the point where the story becomes lost.
What's worse is that this tendency to write stories where every phrase resounds with emotion lessens the impact of the moments that are supposed to be significant or important or pivotal. If every word drips with meaning, the parts that matter become invisible, even anticlimactic.
Murakami writes in a way that emphasizes the second and third categories: movement conveyed by phrases of necessity, and details that provide flesh or fodder for later scenes. His characters reflect this quality: emotionally, they are often spare, quiet, and observant. When the pivotal moments arrive, there is no need for him to add much to his prose, because the scenes he has painted have been so subtle that even the barest hint of significance is enough to move the reader.
Many contemporary writers seem to believe that their job involves creating images that stand out, garish creations made of primary colors and heavy black lines. Their work can be read and understood easily; their images are similar to those of a television show, where everything is provided for the reader. Murakami offers images that fade into one another, transitions gentle enough to leave the reader wondering where they occurred. His work is not always easy to read--it often requires an eye that can distinguish the faintest shades of gray. He feels no need to overwhelm his readers with emotion; he assumes that they are sensitive enough to see the colors for what they are.
It's no wonder that so many readers feel underwhelmed by his books--they've lost their ability to distinguish the more delicate hues from having been barraged by the clunky cacaphony loved by so many contemporary writers.
A couple of days ago, i saw someone complain that Haruki Murakami's writing style is too "flat," as though his characters are just going through the motions. Although i disagree with the sentiment, i thought it was a very interesting criticism, as it highlights a tendency among some contemporary authors that i cannot stand: the use of "loaded" phrases and imagery, and a tendency to make every word drip with "meaning."
Stories have parts to them. Some parts are supposed to be laden with purpose: pivotal moments, realizations, resolution to significant conflicts, significant conflicts themselves. It makes sense for the action to slow down in these places, for characters to think things through, to feel things, to be overwhelmed or noticeably underwhelmed. These are the moments that make a story what it is.
There are other parts of stories that are meant to be functional or utilitarian, that set the scene, or get a character from one place to another, or introduce something new. These parts aren't necessarily trite or prosaic or pedestrian; they are often meaningful by nature, especially if their presence is necessary for some reason. A conversation, a prop, an image--all of these things can advance a story and be meaningful without being loaded. For example, think of the basic setup for a knock-knock joke:
- "Knock-knock!"
"Who's there?"
These phrases aren't dripping with heart-rending significance; they're there to set up and advance the joke--in fact, they're necessary for the joke to exist, much less progress.
There are other parts that lie somewhere in the middle. They provide information that might be important within some later context, they inform the reader of the character's state of mind or motive, they provide details that make an image more powerful, or they set the mood for a scene. These kinds of things are neither significant nor necessary, but they add a certain amount of flesh and subtlety to the story.
Many contemporary writers tend to rely far too heavily on the first category--the pivotal moments, realizations, and so on, that drive the plot. As a result, their prose becomes melodramatic, their words scream and wail like the characters in a soap opera. Their characters might be even-keeled, but the prose careens moans and generally makes itself far more obtrusive than it should--to the point where the story becomes lost.
What's worse is that this tendency to write stories where every phrase resounds with emotion lessens the impact of the moments that are supposed to be significant or important or pivotal. If every word drips with meaning, the parts that matter become invisible, even anticlimactic.
Murakami writes in a way that emphasizes the second and third categories: movement conveyed by phrases of necessity, and details that provide flesh or fodder for later scenes. His characters reflect this quality: emotionally, they are often spare, quiet, and observant. When the pivotal moments arrive, there is no need for him to add much to his prose, because the scenes he has painted have been so subtle that even the barest hint of significance is enough to move the reader.
Many contemporary writers seem to believe that their job involves creating images that stand out, garish creations made of primary colors and heavy black lines. Their work can be read and understood easily; their images are similar to those of a television show, where everything is provided for the reader. Murakami offers images that fade into one another, transitions gentle enough to leave the reader wondering where they occurred. His work is not always easy to read--it often requires an eye that can distinguish the faintest shades of gray. He feels no need to overwhelm his readers with emotion; he assumes that they are sensitive enough to see the colors for what they are.
It's no wonder that so many readers feel underwhelmed by his books--they've lost their ability to distinguish the more delicate hues from having been barraged by the clunky cacaphony loved by so many contemporary writers.
posted by Circus at 12:37 PM
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