Murakami's life has been heavily influenced by Western culture ever since he was a small child. His novels are laced with references to Western music and literature, for which he is often the subject of scrutiny by Japanese critics. Even so, it is perhaps a result of this that has allowed him to develop an international cult-like following because it was after Norwegian Wood was published in 1987 that the writer went from being Japan's best kept secret to a New York Times best-selling author. If this book sounds at all familiar to you, it is because the title is a reference to a Beatles song, and in fact, most of his books are tributes to his Western influences. The author's next big breakthrough came in 1995 with The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, a book that fuses reality and fantasy and is the first of his works to contain the same surreal elements that have come to later define him.
In 2002, Kafka on the Shore was published and went on to win the Franz Kafka Prize, a prominent literary award, and garner the author even more acclaim. In October 2011, the highly anticipated 1Q84 was released to the English-speaking world and received such praise that Murakami was compared to Charles Dickens, and the book has been regarded as his magnum opus. All the while, between pumping out these page-turning literary feats, Murakami has also published various collections of short stories as well as works of non-fiction, which include recounts from the survivors of the sarin gas attacks which plagued Tokyo's subway system in 1995. Whether it is fact or fiction you are after, there are so many pages of Murakami to sift through that the author can stay quiet forever, as his words are best enjoyed line by line interpreted by your imagination.
1. Which was NOT a factor in Murakami's decision not to conform to Japan's social norms?
(A) His marriage to his wife before college graduation.
(B) His parents' encouragement to try something new.
(C) His lack of interest in scholastic endeavors.
(D) His passion for jazz music and Western culture.
2. Which best describes what Over There is?
(A) It is anywhere that is away from Murakami's home.
(B) It is a secret room that is built into his Hawaiian home.
(C) It is a place where Murakami lets his mind get away from his surroundings.
(D) It is the one place where his wife is not allowed to disturb him.
3. Why do some Japanese criticize Murakami's work?
(A) The Japanese are not happy with the way he spent his childhood.
(B) The Japanese don't understand English music or literature.
(C) The Japanese are not fans of American culture.
(D) They believe his writing is too westernized for a Japanese author.
4. What did the publication of 1Q84 do for Murakami's career?
(A) It put him among the ranks of some of the world's best authors of all time.
(B) He was finally praised and accepted by the Eastern world because of his lifelong struggle.
(C) It won him the Franz Kafka Prize three times in a row.
(D) It meant that he had a knack for writing non-fiction books as well as fiction ones.
村上春树的生活从年幼时起就深受西方文化的影响。他的小说中参杂了西方音乐和文学的主题，也因此他经常成为日本评论家审视的对象。即使如此，也许正因为这样，在 1987 年出版了《挪威的森林》之后，这位作家由日本的最高机密成了《纽约时报》中最畅销的作家，也让他在国际间培养了一群死忠的书迷。如果这本书对你而言非常熟悉，这是因为它的书名是参照披头四乐团的歌，而且事实上，村上春树大部份的书都是向对他造成影响的西方人事物致敬。这位作家下一部突破性大作是 1995 年的《发条鸟年代纪》，这本书混合了现实和想象，而且这是他第一部包含了超现实要素的作品，而这些要素之后也成了他的特色。
2002 年，村上春树出版了《海边的卡夫卡》，接着又赢得了著名的文学奖项 卡夫卡文学奖，这让这位作家获得了更多的赞赏。2011 年十月，受到众人高度期待的《1Q84》在英语国家出版，获得了许多赞许，让村上春树得以和查尔斯．狄更斯相提并论，而这本书也成了他的旷世巨作。一直以来，在大量出版这些令读者爱不释卷的文学巨作之余，村上春树也出版了许多短篇故事集和非小说类的作品，其中还包括了来自 1995 年困扰东京地铁系统的沙林毒气攻击事件幸存者所做的叙述。不论你喜欢的是真实故事或是虚构小说，村上春树都有许多作品供你翻阅，让这位作家可以永远保持沈默，因为他的文字最适合运用你的想象力一行一行细细品尝和解读。
答案： 1. B 2. C 3. D 4. A
《挪威的森林》是村上春树于 1987 年所出版的一部长篇小说。村上春树称《挪威的森林》内容兼具激烈、寂静及哀伤，是一本百分之百的爱情小说。全书采第一人称及对话的方式书写，小说中描写出年轻人在感情之中的挣扎，从中展现出一种迷惘感。小说的情节设定在 1960 年代晚期，当时日本各大学罢课事件频传，而《挪威的森林》刻画了当时人们的伪善和软弱，反映出在青年运动下学生的鼓动。（资料来源：维基百科）
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