Norwegian Wood Ticket Giveaway Winners
It wasn’t easy to pick the 10 winners of the tickets for two to see Norwegian Wood. There were 60+ entries for the ten spots. They were picked by me based on whatever criteria I felt at the moment. There isn’t a “if I write more, I have a better chance” system. It could be how I felt at that moment and your short poetic words caught me off guard, maybe that’s how I picked. If you didn’t get in, please try again during our next giveaway. Some of your words were too generic, in a “let me in” type of way, but if you offered just a little more, you were in the running. Here’s my picks. (I left the editing part out, some probably wrote from their smart phones and some carefully crafted their words)
The 100% Perfect Girl
I’m a huge Haruki Murakami fan. I have his more recent books but unfortunately haven’t read Norwegian Wood. I loved 1Q84. I just found out about this movie a week ago and was stoked. I’d love to attend and already know “the 100% perfect girl” who would be my date, as she’s a big fan too!
Greg Wong
-Greg, you are the dark horse, there are fans of all of his books, fans of the filmmaker, and fans of the actors who aren’t getting in, but this “100% perfect girl” is intriguing. If there’s such a thing for you and you know who she is, I’m picking you just on that merit, so hurry and ask her.
Flipping!
oh, let me count the ways…
it was the first murakami book i read almost 20 years ago. and i read it in a tiny, tiny city in southeastern japan, so that made it even more special. i lived a long time in japan, and his books kept me grand company as the still do today. in fact, i just re-read norwegian wood about a month ago and it’s still a lovely little tome to me.
i’m very excited to see this movie, especially because rinko kikuchi is in it.
flipping love her!
ALSO, i speak/read/write japanese, am a member of the Japan Society here in new york, and have always loved me some Giant Robot.
so in closing:
PICK ME! PICK ME! PICK ME!
thanks!
Jennifer Andrews
-Jennifer, Yes, we love her too. I doubt she loves us back the same. The GR plug, a great move. Have a great time.
Not Lost in Translation
My name is Adam Gross, literary enthusiast, and die hard Murakami fan. So you would like to know why I deserve to be invited to this pre-screening? Well, I’d love to tell you!
For me, one of the most interesting aspects of Murakami’s writing is the power of translation. I myself do not understand Japanese, so I am reliant on the translations of Jay Rubin and Alfred Birnbaum (and now Phillip Gabriel) to take Haruki Murakami’s words, and interpret them so I can understand his collective works. When I first got into a Murakami binge after college, I was always curious if it was Murakami that I loved, or if it was the person translating the books that I loved. They both stem from the same root, however, their interpretations of the Japanese characters can paint the picture of Murakami’s words in a different manner.
Now, why do I want to go to the pre-screening? The comparisons I have made have always been between two interpreting authors, however, I would LOVE to see a film interpretation/adaptation, and see how my vision of the book is re-created through the eyes of someone else. In preparation for the films release, I re-read it before tackling 1Q84, and it is still fresh. I would love to be able to make my comparison while it is still fresh!
Please let me know, I would love the opportunity to see the pre-release!
Adam Gross
-Adam, Giving credit to the translators. A great touch. They’re the unsung heroes in these books. You are in.
Super Fan
I am a SUPER FAN of Haruki Murakami’s books. My favorite is “Norwegian Wood,” and I have been anticipating the arrival of the movie version in the US since last year. I’ve read this book over 20 times. I would LOVE to go watch it and attend the Q&A. I am a pianist who is planning to perform a concert of musical references in this book as well as his other books coupled with dramatic readings. This would be such a wonderful opportunity to explore another dimension to his wonderful literature!! Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Eunbi kim
-Eunbi, do write something great and Play It, Don’t Say It. Great wishes for your project and have a great time.
Pinball 1973
I would love to go to this special screening b/c I am a huge Murakami fan. I pride myself on not being a fan girl usually but when it comes to Murakami, I can’t help but love everything Murakami. I’m actually about to launch a blog called Everything Murakami and will post recipes, books, and music featured in his books. I’ve read every book of his that has been translated into English including Pinball 1973 and Hear the Wind Sing. I write plays and have a play printed by Smith & Kraus that references Murakami in it – actually The Norwegian Wood book!
It would mean a lot to me to be able to go to this screening. I don’t say that lightly!
Nora Chau
-Nora, good luck with the plays and hope you get even more material from seeing the film. The books you mention especially Pinball 1973, good stuff and keep us up to date on the blog.
Tanizaki
My name is Richard Hansard. I am an Irish man who has moved, with my girlfriend, from Dublin to New York on a 1 year Visa and it would be a wonderful opportunity and experience to go see the screening of the film Norwegian Wood in NYC!
I have been a HUGE fan of Haruki Murakami’s work for many years. The first book i read was Norwegian Wood.. After reading it I waa hooked on Murakami’s world. So i dived in reading everything i could find. Always holding a special place for me Norwegian Wood was the introduction to not only Murakami but to other Japanese Literature including Yukio Mishima and Junichiro Tanizaki. None of which touched more deeply as Harukui’s writing. In addition to this I was ignorant of all songs by The Beatles.. and upon listing to the song of the same name I have become a huge fan of The Beatles.
Furthermore, I have discoverd another film based on a Murakami short story named Tony Takatani in which encouraged me to check out other asian films and directors. One and favorite of which is Tran Anh Hung.. So upon hearing he was to direct Norwegian Wood I became very excited!
However, upon finishing college.. i got on opportunity to come to New York and flew here just 1 week before the opening of the film in Dublin.
So i feel it would be an incredible experience this movie for the first time here.. and would have a lot of questions for both Tran Anh Hung and Rinko Kikuchi.
I hope you consider me for these tickets.
Richard Hansard
-Richard, The Tanizaki reference got me. Tony Takitani, starring Rie Miyazawa is awesome. Work on that spelling! You’re not penalized here, but it sounds like you need to be there. Have a blast.
Kids
These are my reasons why I would like to see the film.
1) I just finished reading Norwegian Wood the day before yesterday. I loved it. I now feel compelled to reread it. I was totally caught up in the world of the very unique characters in the novel, but the novel also touched upon universal themes such that it had resonance when I thought back on my own life. I was also amazed at how Murakami managed to make the lives and concerns of such young characters meaningful and relevant to readers twice their age (yes, I am that old, practically). In the hands of another author, the material would have turned into a teen romance, something that older readers would roll their eyes at and scoff at. But the novel totally transported me to that time in life and I understood the seriousness of everything the characters faced. Not once did I want to pat any of these twenty-year olds on the back and say “don’t worry; if you think things are screwed up now, wait until you are forty,” or anything like that. anyway, I loved this book.
2) I love Haruki Murakami. I think he is a literary god. If I were inclined to be religious in any real sense, I would build a shrine and worship him. For now, I am settling for reading every piece of Murakami’s work that I can get my hands on.
Thank you.
Bonnie Walker
- Great insights about youth and how they’re handled. Shunji Iwai movies are like this too.
Birthday Boy
Thank you to Giant Robot for this giveaway event!
I have been a big fan of Haruki Murakami for over 15 years and Norwegian Wood is one of my favorite novels (I am currently reading 1Q84).
I think Murakami is one of the most influential writers of our time. He is able to tell a story that works on different level and appeal to so many different readers of all ages and cultures.
Norwegian Wood is an astonishing, surprising and also controversial story and I am very curious how the director has solved this challenge in making this adaptation.
My husband’s birthday is also on December 14. I would like to surprise him with a ticket to this movie.
Thank you and regards,
Camilla Ønvik Pedersen
-Well, the birthday angle worked this time. I’m a sucker. Enjoy the show.
Hardboiled
Hello Giant Robot staff,
It would be fantastic to see Norwegian Wood and meet the individuals involved with the adaptation of one of my favorite books. Here’s why I want to go:
I first discovered Murakami in a face-down copy of Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World in a bookstore a few years ago, so it was only by chance that I came across his writing. After only the first page–a strange scene in an elevator–I was hooked. I tore through the rest of his books in a few months. I mapped out trips of the places in his stories and made playlists of the eclectic music he used to create his dreamy yet straight-forward tone. Norwegian Wood, though I hate to choose between Murakami novels, might be my favorite. It speaks of ethereal ideas in a down-to-earth way, and came into my life at a turning point when I really felt like I was finally growing up. As I turned through the last pages during which two characters make love in a closet, I thought, If I had read this a year ago, I would have rolled my eyes. But at that moment it didn’t seem so strange anymore.
There are few adaptations of Murakami works because his careful, individual style is so hard to replicate. Seeing Norwegian Wood and getting to learn more about how it was created would be an incredible experience.
Sincerely,
Laura Berry
-Ethereal ideas… I love it. In.
Mishima
The book Norwegian Wood will always have a special place in my heart. 15 years ago, when I was studying Japanese in Japan, I thought it would be a good idea to study Japanese by reading my favorite authors in their native language, so I started reading Mishima Yukio’s Kinkakuji, and looking up every word I didn’t know in a Japanese-English dictionary. I good friend of mine noticed what I was doing, suggested that Mishima’s written Japanese was archaic and not useful for modern-day spoken colloquial Japanese, and gave me Norwegian Wood in Japanese. I had never heard of either the book or the author, but started reading it, again looking up every Japanese word I did not know and writing down the meaning. I fell in love with Murakami as an author and made it my mission to read all of his books in Japanese. I will never give up on this goal, reading each of his books, and maintaining a vocabulary list several-dozen-pages long for each book. But of all his books, Norwegian Wood remains my favorite, since I can identify with the protagonist so closely: the friend who gave me the book was my Naoko, and the woman I eventually married was my Midori. This year is our tenth anniversary. In some ways, this book mirrors and defines my life. I would be honored to be chosen to see this premiere. Thank you for your consideration. -Alex Dalzell
- Alex, enjoy the show. Glad Murakami made a great impact on your life.