Haruki Murakami: Top ten greatest quotes

To celebrate the release of Haruki Murakami's latest novel, we've chosen ten of the legendary Japanese author's greatest and most memorable quotes

Haruki Murakami

Prompting book-lovers to queue overnight for copies of Japanese author Haruki Murakami’s latest novel, yesterday's release of the acclaimed writer's new novel Colorless Tsukuru and His Years of Pilgrimage is stirring up quite the literary storm.

And to celebrate, we've chosen ten of Murakami's greatest and most memorable quotes...

“There's no such thing as perfect writing, just like there's no such thing as perfect despair.” 
Hear the Wind Sing

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” 
Norwegian Wood

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” 
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

“If you remember me, then I don't care if everyone else forgets.” 
Kafka on the Shore

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”  

Haruki Murakami

“Silence, I discover, is something you can actually hear.” 

Kafka on the Shore

“If you can love someone with your whole heart, even one person, then there's salvation in life. Even if you can't get together with that person.”  

1Q84

“A certain type of perfection can only be realized through a limitless accumulation of the imperfect.” 

Kafka on the Shore  

“The most important thing we learn at school is the fact that the most important things can't be learned at school.” 

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running  

“Even if we could turn back, we'd probably never end up where we started.”  

1Q84

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