When a writer develops a story, he is confronted with a poison that is inside him. If you don't have that poison, your story will be boring and uninspired. It's like fugu: The flesh of the pufferfish is extremely tasty, but the roe, the liver, the heart can be lethally toxic.
Haruki MurakamiWhat I'd like to be is a unique writer who's different from everybody else. I want to be a writer who tells stories unlike other writers'.
Haruki MurakamiIt's a terrible thing when a person dies, whatever the circumstances. A hole opens up in the world, and we need to pay the proper respects. If we don't, the hole will never be filled in again.
Haruki MurakamiLife is not like water. Things in life don't necessarily flow over the shortest possible route.
Haruki MurakamiNo mistake about it. Ice is cold; roses are red; I'm in love. And this love is about to carry me off somewhere. The current's too overpowering; I don't have any choice. It may very well be a special place, some place I've never seen before. Danger may be lurking there, something that may end up wounding me deeply, fatally. I might end up losing everything. But there's no turning back. I can only go with the flow. Even if it means I'll be burned up, gone forever.
Haruki MurakamiAnd once the storm is over, you wonโt remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You wonโt even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you wonโt be the same person who walked in. Thatโs what this stormโs all about.
Haruki Murakami