Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Hollow Man

I’m currently reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. I’ll have more to say about it in the coming weeks, but I like it very much so far. Murakami is one of those people who is infinitely better educated than I am, or could ever possibly be. He has read every book, poem and play and understood them in all their depth and complexity. And he has achieved the same profound understanding of music as well. Or perhaps he just fakes it, being a fiction writer as such? No matter, as long as he fakes it well, which he does.

Anyway, I don’t want to say much about it while I’m only about a quarter of the way through the book, so I’ll limit myself to one observation and provide one interesting link.

There is a character in Kafka that my political friends would probably appreciate. I can’t be certain, but it appears that the Johnny Walker character was modeled upon Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Perhaps not, but the resemblance is truly uncanny.

And since the characters are so fucking well-read and always quoting or referring to literary masterpieces, I actually looked up one of the references, so for your pleasure friend, I provide this link to aT.S. Eliot masterpiece. Ponder it as you drift off to sleep and your dreams will be sunlight on a broken column, under the twinkle of a fading star, for thine is the kingdom, and you will know how the world ends.