Just started reading this. I like it so far.

>>9149870
That feely when /lit/ doesn't appreciate Jap lit.

I read Mishima for a while but I found my not-being a Jap pretty jarring at times. Now I really like Kobo Abe and a couple Ryu Murakami novels.

>>9149950
Could you recommend me some Abe and Murakami pieces?

And I live...I was close to y-you, and I loved to catch the Mr. flying in the sun. Catch me drinking of your wine, oh shit, I'm gonna put my dick in you and make the devil blush. All your sisters will be such "j." My sick friend Lil came. Morning comes and goes: blows by the blows and I fuck the girl in the add. How in the offer of July the fucking predator seems my ass out behind the niches, fuck, shit and you will die, you ducking beautiful dumb nugget. Lil, whatever, but I gotta go. Babies, hey, home up sometimes. OK, well, I don't know what to think or say. Hash duck. Shit up for honor and ever; you're so beautiful baby. I like to be you so much. Listen now, I ducked your brother, so don't cry, no don't. The very gods black tirade are pouring down. I cannot best to see your beasts as she lay under the midnight moon with her restless body storing the stew until the magic morning. Arrows and the magic pouring calms her her baby skin under her black dress, her hair thrifts in to get the necklace, which constricts and chokes like ruthless Vince. Listen to Chara, Track 8.

>>9150005
Yeah but in exchange you have to endure all this shit I'm about to type.

I'm honestly not super well read on Murakami. I thought Popular Hits of the Showa Era was hilarious and fucked up at the same time. I immediately bought From the Fatherland With Love after, but I really haven't been able to get through the first like 50 pages.

I think his darker and better novels are In the Miso Soup and Coin Locker Babies, but I haven't personally read those.


As for Abe, I've personally been flying through his work in the last few months so I can confidently rank them in this order:

Face of Another
The Box Man
Secret Rendezvous
The Woman in the Dunes

Face of Another, to me, has a perfect blend of weird and introspective--introspection to the point that the narrator is inflicting mental anguish on himself. The novel is very focused too and more grounded in realism which makes this one more of a page turner.

Box Man is a bit more surreal. It shifts perspectives a lot and the narration tends to go in some odd tangents. It really reeks of the humor you'd find in some of Beckett's novels.

Woman in the Dunes is one of his most highly regarded works I think, but I personally find it way too safe to the point that it's boring. I guess there's a greater existential significance to the message but I personally just don't find it as thought provoking or humorous as the other two.

Secret Rendevouz so far is also a pretty good choice, sharing aspects of both Box Man and Face, but I wouldn't start with this one. I would suggest either of the first two.

The next one I have yet to read is the Ark Sakura, which sounds like a blast, but I have to finish Secret first.

>>9150028
Thank you, I really appreciate it. Gonna start with Abe.

>>9149950
>Ryu Murakami
About 4 or 5 years ago I got Almost Transparent Blue in a roll for thread and I really enjoyed it.

>>9149870
the third one sucks. except for that ending, which is hilarious.

Runaway Horses truly is the best book, though. it's a masterpiece.