Haruki Murakami

Writer

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese author known for his unique blend of magical realism and deep exploration of love and loneliness in works like 'Norwegian Wood.'

Born
January 12, 1949
Quotes
1.1K
Rank
#24

About Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami — Life and Legacy

Haruki Murakami is a celebrated Japanese author whose works often intertwine elements of magical realism with profound explorations of human emotions. Notable for his distinct narrative style, Murakami's writing delves into themes of love, loneliness, and the surreal aspects of everyday life. In 'Norwegian Wood,' he poignantly captures the essence of love intertwined with loss, illustrating how relationships shape our identities. Murakami’s worldview is characterized by a deep understanding of the human psyche, often reflected in his characters who navigate complex emotional landscapes. He famously states, 'The most important thing we learn at school is the fact that the world is not a fair place,' highlighting his belief in confronting life's inherent unfairness. This perspective encourages readers to embrace their struggles as part of the human experience. His exploration of loneliness resonates with many, as seen in 'Kafka on the Shore,' where characters grapple with isolation while seeking meaningful connections. Murakami's ability to blend the mundane with the extraordinary allows readers to ponder the deeper questions of existence. Ultimately, his quotes and ideas continue to inspire introspection, making his work timeless and relevant in understanding the intricacies of human relationships.

Quote collection

Haruki Murakami quotes (page 1 of 55)

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"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."

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"What we see before us is just one tiny part of the world. We get in the habit of thinking, this is the world, but that's not true at all. The real world is a much darker and deeper place than this, and much of it is occupied by jellyfish and things."

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"Unclose your mind. You are not a prisoner. You are a bird in flight, searching the skies for dreams."

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"I have a million things to talk to you about. All I want in this world is you. I want to see you and talk. I want the two of us to begin everything from the beginning."

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"Most things are forgotten over time. Even the war itself, the life-and-death struggle people went through, is now like something from the distant past. We're so caught up in our everyday lives that events of the past, like ancient stars that have burned out, are no longer in orbit around our minds. There are just too many things we have to think about every day, too many new things we have to learn. New styles, new information, new technology, new terminology ... But still, no matter how much time passes, no matter what takes place in the interim, there are some things we can never assign to oblivion, memories we can never rub away. They remain with us forever, like a touchstone. And for me, what happened in the woods that day is one of these."

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"No matter how far you travel, you can never get away from yourself."

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"Say it before you run out of time. Say it before it's too late. Say what you're feeling. Waiting is a mistake."

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"I probably still haven’t completely adapted to the world. I don’t know, I feel like this isn’t the real world. The people, the scene: they just don’t seem real to me."

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"But if you knew you might not be able to see it again tomorrow, everything would suddenly become special and precious, wouldn’t it?"

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"One heart is not connected to another through harmony alone. They are, instead, linked deeply through their wounds. Pain linked to pain, fragility to fragility. There is no silence without a cry of grief, no forgiveness without bloodshed, no acceptance without a passage through acute loss. That is what lies at the root of true harmony."

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"The answer is dreams. Dreaming on and on. Entering the world of dreams and never coming out. Living in dreams for the rest of time."

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"When I first met you, I felt a kind of contradiction in you. You’re seeking something, but at the same time, you are running away for all you’re worth."

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"Sometimes when I look at you, I feel I'm gazing at a distant star. It's dazzling, but the light is from tens of thousands of years ago. Maybe the star doesn't even exist any more. Yet sometimes that light seems more real to me than anything."

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"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."

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"I was always hungry for love. Just once, I wanted to know what it was like to get my fill of it -- to be fed so much love I couldn't take any more. Just once."

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"Why do people have to be this lonely? What's the point of it all? Millions of people in this world, all of them yearning, looking to others to satisfy them, yet isolating themselves. Why? Was the earth put here just to nourish human loneliness?"

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"If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking."

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