This book consists of a series of essays on the author’s thoughts about writing. Informally written they are almost conversational in style. being almost conversational in their style. Murakami reflects on his writing life and states how he prepares for and executes particular tasks, be they writing a full novel or something smaller. An interesting read which I would recommend.

The author of Norwegian Wood, Kafka on the Shore and IQ84 is one of Japan's greatest authors. In this collection of recent essays, he talks about how he came to become a novelist, why he personally feels compelled to write, details his own personal writing routine, explains what he thinks about literary awards (not much) and emphasises why it is always important for a writer to be physically fit.
It's mostly quite interesting. I suspect some of it may have lost something in the translation. Parts of the book may sound familiar to anyone who has already read Murakami's excellent earlier memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

Murakami is a bit of hit/miss with me and, even if I loved his other non fiction book, found this one a bit repetitive.
There's some interesting idea but it didn't keep my attention.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I've read a few of Murakami's books, including one non-fiction 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' and really enjoyed them. I'd class myself as a fan so I was excited to get a copy of this collection of essays.

I appreciated this insight into Murakami's background and how we became a writer. It's certainly more memoir than a guide for writers. Murakami has no training in writing, and had no plans to become a writer, until the idea randomly popped into his head one day. He then clearly had the persistence and talent to write a full-length story than won a new writer award. And the rest is history.

I did find the essays fairly repetitive and I really wish they'd been updated slightly for this 2022 English translation (it was originally published in Japan in 2015). Some of the references to ages, years etc. could have been easily updated and made it feel less dated. Some of the essays were quite dry and went on massive tangents - which is nice to read as a fan but left me feeling a bit confused at the point of some of them.

Overall, although all the essays focus on being a writer/the process of writing, they aren't particularly useful for writers and not massively exciting for non-writers. But I still love Murakami and plan to finish reading his entire backlog!

Novelist as a Vocation is an agreeably-written (sometimes too much so) collection that looks at many different aspects of being a novelist -- though mostly very much from Murakami's own atypical experience. This would seem to limit its usefulness as any sort of how-to guide, but in fact also helps make what might be Murakami's main point: that there is no one or right way to go about it; instead, everyone has to figure it out for themselves. Murakami can't help but write, he can't help be the person he is -- a true novelist -- and so, surely, the underlying message of this volume is also that anyone whose vocation it truly is similarly won't be able to do otherwise either (all of which also clearly implies that Murakami finds it difficult to believe that you can somehow will or force yourself to become a novelist either -- not that people don't keep trying ...).
Novelist as a Vocation is of greatest interest for the insight it offers into Murakami's own life and work(-processes), and, as such, is of obvious interest to any fan of his fiction. As to more general observations, lessons, or suggestions, it's probably less useful -- but no less interesting for that: writing is an unusual profession, and Murakami certainly shows that, including both the luck and peculiar determination that play significant roles in being able to make it one's profession.

Translated by Philip Gabriel and Ted Goossen, Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami is a collection of 11 short essays in which the famed Japanese author sheds a little (but not a whole lot of) light on his methods and path to becoming a novelist. Murakami’s first novel Hear the Wind Sing was first published in 1979 and this book was released in Japan in 2015. He doesn’t care too much for literary prizes or festivals and places more emphasis on diligence and developing a fixed routine, particularly where redrafts are concerned. Essentially the message is the same as that of so many other authors: success is all down to a lot of hard graft and a lot of luck. Anyone looking for practical writing tips will probably want to look elsewhere, but ‘Novelist as a Vocation’ is an engaging snapshot of a memoir. Many thanks to Vintage Books for sending me a review copy on NetGalley.

Did not finish I’m afraid. I enjoy Murakami’s fiction and I loved What I Talk About When I Talk about Running, but after a few chapters I had to put this one down. Maybe I’ll try the audiobook instead and see if that grips me a little more. Appreciate the opportunity to try this book!

I had a darned good go at reading this book. I ended up just cherry picking a few things along the way as I sped read it. It was a bit too dry and high brow for me and not really what I was expecting when I was invited to read it.
I think I will stick to just reading books rather than books about books and authors and writing! But thank you for the invite :)

This book comprises a series of essays on the author’s thoughts on writing. They’re structured quite informally, being almost conversational in their style. Murakami reflects on his writing life and details how he prepares for and executes particular tasks, be they writing a full novel or something smaller. A few things struck me:

1. In an early piece he ventures that regular readers amount to only one in twenty of the general population. That seems very low to me and might be challenged by a small amount of independent research I’ve carried out (i.e. just a basic Google search). It seems that the figure is hard to pin down and is impacted by such matters who to include or exclude, levels of literacy in some parts of the world etc. But if true, does that make us members of a fairly exclusive club?

2. I didn’t realise that he works as a translator (English to Japanese) in addition to producing his own compositions. He fits this in around his other writing tasks, sometimes to give his mind some release (a breaker) from the intense focus he has on whatever else he’s working on.

3. The number of re-writes he goes through when working on a novel makes it seem like a totally exhausting process. When he’s completed around four re-writes he then seeks views from trusted sources (notably his wife) before launching into even more re-writes. Then he gets the text translated from Japanese to English – using a tried and tested (to him) translator – and only then will he provide a copy to an editor. Then the work with the editor begins…

4. He uses a process of filing away useful pieces of information or thoughts into mental cabinets – he doesn’t write this stuff down. When he’s got enough information stored – but not before – he’ll begin writing. For his novels he hoards his most preciously guarded cabinets.

5. He runs every day for about an hour and has done for thirty years. He believes that for him to write successfully he has to take care of his body as well as his mind. Note: his book What I Talk About When I Talk About Running was an inspiration for me to complete my first ultramarathon, something he’s done on a number of occasions.

Overall, a fascinating insight into the mind of this wonderful and, I think, truly original author.

Excellent new book from the powerhouse that is Murakami.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an eArc in exchange for my honest review!

I need to put it out there that I haven't read any of Murakami's work, although it has been on my to read list for years! I suppose that when i got an offer to read this, and learn more about his writing process, I couldn't refuse.

The book is written in a series of essays all about Murakami's journey as a writer. Fans of his work would definitely enjoy this book!

I found that I was skimming the book as a went on as it didn't keep me engaged no matter how much I wanted it to.

Overall though it was really good and interesting to learn more about the author!

With his work translated into more than fifty different languages and selling by the millions, Haruki Murakami ranks among the most successful Japanese writers of all times. In this collection of gentle, calm, reflective essays, he gives us some poignant insights into his literary craft and clearly sets out the importance of creativity and fiction in today’s fast-paced work. Murakami argues for an individual involvement with literature, whether that is as a writer or as reader, or in a symbiotic relationship of writer-reader. A point that must surely resonate with his readers, and anybody interested in producing their own writing, is that writing is a joyful, uplifting experience but one that is underpinned by genuine hard graft and regular self-reflection. For anyone keen to find out more about this idiosyncratic author, for anyone keen to know more about the craft of writing, or for anyone ready to take a break from the quotidian, this will be a go-to work. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for the digital ARC I was gifted for the purpose of producing this unbiased review.

'Novelist as a Vocation' is a collection of essays originally penned by Murakami in 2015, within the introduction to the text Murakami makes this explicit to his English-speaking audience who are just now able to access the collection. Despite the seismic shift in the world on a temporal, political, and spatial since 2015, Murakami's essays prove to be timeless as their contents remain valid and powerful to readers now just as they will be to readers in the future.
Murakami's intention was to utilise prose to make his arguments conversational, that is digestible as easy to understand yet persuasive. To achieve this Murakami draws heavily on context from his own life, particularly his early career as a writer. Through his essays he advises, reassures and at times attacks the methods and institutions of education that cause harm in his native country of Japan and around the world.
Like any essay collection, a reader's enjoyment is subjective to their own preferences and experiences that they bring to the text. however, I especially enjoyed the essays titled 'So What Should I Write About' and ' A Completely Physical and Mental Occupation" which were engaging and provoked me to examine in further depth the novel as a form and the role of the novelist. Murakami dedicated paragraphs to emphasise the role of memory and chaos within the writing process, particularly the role of the novelist to conquer these aspects.
There were a few times where I personally felt Murakami indulged in tangents which veered from his argument or seemed slightly clunky, I recognise that these minor occurrences might be a consequence of attempting to remain faithful to Murakami's precise language even in translation to English. Despite this, my reading experience of the text was enjoyable and fluid so I want to highlight my appreciation to the translators Philip Gabriel and Ted Goossen.
My thanks also to Vintage Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC of 'Novelist as a Vocation' by Haruki Murakami

This is essentially Murakami answering a bunch of questions about his life, his works and every little detail you'd need to potentially be an author like him. I have read works by Murakami before so I knew some of what he writes. The way he spoke about his journey was beautiful and I genuinely learnt a few things. Do you need to be interested in Murakami or even writing to read this? No, so it's a person gift for a friend or even yourself

If you're looking for advice on how to become a writer, this book will not provide all too much help - but that's also its strength, because Murakami, in his trademark humble and calm way, mostly shares personal experiences and attitudes regarding his writing process. Riffing on broad topics like creativity, target audiences, and marketing, the author goes off on several tangents, which gives the text a highly conversational feel. And Murakami is clearly the antidote to the (in Germany still highly relevant) genius cult: For him, writing is about talent, yes, but even more about discipline and determination. He stresses the importance of structure, toughness, and diligence, which isn't exactly glamorous, but certainly very honest and true. In addition (and of course), the process of writing to him also means joy.

While this is not the most comprehensive, stringent book about writing novels (it also suffers from a certain repetitiveness in places), I enjoyed spending time with the highly sympathetic, fascinating author and had fun gathering tidbits that further illuminate his literary work (and they are in there - this book will prove useful for Murakami exegetes). To me, a currently particularly relevant argument was Murakami's insistence that not only are his novels for everyone to enjoy, he as a writer can also be anyone he wants in his texts, from the 20-year-old lesbian to the old man: It's the beauty of literature, and the power of empathy that can render stories successful, not the close connection between writer and character (which is not an argument against amplifying marginalized voices; rather, both standpoints are equally true and do not contradict each other).

Murakami also writes about his success abroad and how he went about it, so let me mention that there's a German edition of this book, Von Beruf Schriftsteller, translated by the wonderful Ursula Gräfe (who told me about her work with Murakami and other Japanese lit-related things in this interview). I'd love to read a proper autobiography of Murakami at some point, although I doubt that he - a man who hardly gives any interviews - will write one. His life and work remain endlessly fascinating to me.

...oh, and thanks to this book, I can now confirm: Haruki highly appreciates the work of his evil twin Ryū Murakami!

I must confess that I’ve tried a couple of Murakimi’s books and struggled to get into them. Probably just wrong time; I enjoy a challenging read as well as the day to day stuff, but found his writing inaccessible.

I was intrigued by this book and I gave a better understanding of how he writes, his motivation and his approach to themes that are of interest to him.. He’s clearly a particular and complex individual and the Japanese culture is difficult to fully understand as an outsider. These essays bring together his thoughts over many years and the way in which he’s developed as a novelist. I’ve found every essay a remarkable insight into both the man and the background. They’ve created a real thirst to get stuck in to one if his books and this time, I think I’ll find it totally immersive.

I enjoy any book about writing and authors. This is no exception and even if his books don’t appeal, there’s a lot of interest how a writer is influenced.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

A thoroughly enjoyable peek inside the mind and habits of this most prolific novelist. Easy, bite-sized reading that - as you would expect from Murakami - still offers much to chew over. Recommended.

I haven’t read any of Haruki Murakami’s books in the traditional sense but I have enjoyed several as audiobooks, prompted by the publicity around the publication of Killing Commendatore a few years ago (I highly recommend Rupert Degas as a narrator). I find his stories and themes intriguing, a window onto a slice of Japanese life, albeit a very specific one: they’re populated by solitary men and mysterious women, cats, and deep wells. So I was interested to read what he thinks of his work.
What I found so refreshing about Novelist as a Vocation is its lack of pretension, which I found surprising from a long-successful and renowned writer. Murakami says a number of times that something is just his opinion or works for him and him alone; this apparent lack of ego in some respects is at odds with what I might expect from other male writers of the same generation. He is self-deprecating but it doesn’t come across as false modesty, just a matter-of-fact attitude.
Written over several years and published in Japanese in 2015, these essays have only now been translated. As a translator himself, Murakami is sensitive to and appreciative of the efforts of his translators, having worked with one or two in particular over the years. I found it fascinating that he found a way to writing more freely in Japanese by writing in his (as he has it) more limited English: with fewer options to express himself, he found a rhythm. But one which requires proper graft as well as creative input – he typically writes and rewrites several times.
I don’t read much of this kind of writing, but I really enjoyed this and it has made me think I might seek out more in the same vein. And I think it’s time to poke my toe back into the slightly off-kilter world of Murakami’s fiction. I like a long novel so perhaps IQ84?!

This is a collation of essays by Huraki Muraki, put together it forms a blend of memoir, reflections on his life and advice for would be writers. As someone who read the author's novels and loved them in a much earlier period of my life, I have not read much of his more recent works, I was really looking forward to reading this in what in my view is a fascinating writer. This proved to be a mixed reading experience, I am not sure many aspiring authors would find his approach, of what can be primarily summed up as just get on with it, that useful. However, I was interested in him, such as his love of jazz, his belief on the importance of physical health and his running, his writing process, his sources of inspiration, and how a book comes alive for him and together for him, including his focus on characters. We follow his path to success, the critical reviews, and how he came to make it in America, and he offers his personal thoughts on disaparate range of subjects, but for me the highlights were the parts that focused on him, both personal and as a writer. I think these essays will appeal to fans of the author. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

If you are expecting a 'how to write fiction' from this collection of essays from Haruki Murakami then you maybe disappointed. The essays do talk about how Murakami writes.......in a sense, however they are more an insight into the mind of Murakami. The essays are his personal journey into writing, in some sense how he approaches writing but they are not a typical how to write a novel book, eg how to create plot, how to pace a novel, how to start and end, this isn't that sort of book. It's much more about the man, an insight into his thinking, similar in many ways to What I talk about when I talk about running. You read the essays to get into Murakami's mind, you read them for the joy of reading Murakami and you read them because you love Murakami.