ABSTRACT
In his essay Novelist as a Profession, Murakami expressed his views on writing, providing insights into how he had developed his personal literary style. He offered the image of a writer who has reached maturity and is in full charge of his creative power. Murakami’s relation to writing and the nature of inspiration is also present in his fictional works, where the approach to these themes is no doubt indirect, but proves equally, if not more, revealing. For example, his novel 1Q84 can also be read as a fictional reflection on the hardships of writing. The characters of Tengo and Fuka-Eri symbolise two opposite approaches to literary creation: Tengo masters writing skills but his inspiration is feeble, while Fuka-Eri cannot write but is endowed with narrative power. Another interesting sample of Murakami’s views on writing can be found in a 1989 short essay, in which he tells how the work of illustrator and mangaka Sasaki Maki helped him find his way as a writer. In an interview Murakami gave to an Italian newspaper he compared writing novels to riding runaway horses. His image of a writer who desperately clings to his horse not to fall off is a powerful metaphor for literary creation, but, at the same time, it implies a loss of control in sharp contrast with the sense of balance expressed in Novelist as a Profession. My chapter aims to investigate such a fascinating contradiction and cast light on Murakami’s relationship with inspiration and writing.
