Haruki Murakami:
(Kyoto, 12 January 1949).
Japanese writer and translator.
Murakami was born in Kioto and grew up in Kobe. His father was the son of a Buddhist priest. His mother was the daughter of a merchant from Osaka. Both taught Japanese literature. However, Murakami was always more interested in American literature, so he adopted a Western writing style that set him apart from his Japanese contemporaries.
Silence, I discover, is something you can actually hear.
You’re seeking something, but at the same time, you are running away for all you’re worth.
In the deepening spring of May, I had no choice but to recognize the trembling of my heart. It usually happened as the sun was going down.
I’ve decided to make myself strong. As far as I can tell, that’s all I can do.
And you’ll return to real life. You need to live it to the fullest. No matter how shallow and dull things might get, this life is worth living. I guarantee it.
In this world, there are things you can only do alone, and things you can only do with somebody else. It’s important to combine the two in just the right amount.
Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart.
If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.
It’s not as if our lives are simply divided into light and dark. There’s a shadowy middle ground. Recognizing and understanding the shadows is what a healthy intelligence does.
I am an imperfect person, more than you can imagine.
And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.
