69: Sixty-Nine

69 is one of my favorite coming-of-age stories. It contains few enough "insight moments" to remain digestible. But there is something to think about, laugh at, admire, or learn on nearly every page. I'm not sure how much of the book is based on actual events in Murakami Ryu's life, but the story was realistic enough to keep me engaged. Murakami does a great job injecting humor into the first-person narrative, which also serves to develop the main character of Ken. There is a clear pattern: every 10 pages or so, Ken claims he did something sensible, then contradicts himself with "of course that wasn't the case. Instead, I ______." Without patronizing the reader, Murakami also touches on subjects like national identity, group membership and influences, Japanese culture, and social biases. Though a quick read 69, is thought-provoking and, to me, very effective in setting up several archetypal characters and subsequently refining some while showing the changes of others. As this mirrors real life - some people change while others seem to be older versions of their younger selves - the character studies in 69 are highly compelling. I highly recommend 69, especially to those interested in Japan or fans of Murakami Haruki or Natsuo Kirino.

Mention the name Ryu Murakami and there are usually visions of nihilism, self-destructive sex and drugs, and a dismal portrait of the scum-encrusted shadow world of the rebellious youth of Japan. After all, this is the author of the novel that spawned the film "Audition" and who wrote the infamous opening lines of "Coin Locker Babies," "The woman pushed on the baby's stomach and sucked its penis into her mouth; it was thinner than the American menthols she smoked..." Pure punk rock on page. No future. So, pick up a book titled "69," the fourth book translated into English by the prolific author, and your expectation is... ...anything but this. Anything but a brilliant, light-hearted, fast-paced trip through the lazy hazy days of the Summer of 69, a time of unprecedented freedom when a guy and his good buddies could throw together a band, a rock festival, and maybe a little bit of student rebellion all for the hope that the prettiest girls in school might be just a little more impressed with them and let them in on that magic secret they keep under their skirts. Don't get me wrong, this is still punk rock, but this is punk rock before it got a name, and still had the skin of innocence and the youthful sheen of tearing things down with hope for a better future. This is just fun. As he did in "Almost Transparent Blue," Murakami has stitched together his own past with a dream of idealized youth, creating a believable world of kids giving full reign to their impulses, free from the controlling influence of authority. His protagonist in "69," Kensuke Yazaki, didn't exactly just get his first real six-string at the 5 and Dime, but he is the drummer for a garage band that plays the latest Stones and Cream, although they have never had a real gig. He drops quotes of Rimbaud poetry and recommends counter-culture books, although he has never actually read them. He would totally smoke marijuana if he knew how to get any, and he would totally join in on the Free Love movement if any girl would let him. But Yazaki is a small-town kid, and while he can read about the goings on in San Francisco and even Tokyo, maybe fantasize a bit, his own little backwater town isn't exactly bursting into the future. He's not going to let that stop him, though. He's got a plan, he's got a buddy, and he's got a girl to impress. He's seventeen years old, its the summer, and the year is 1969. Its time to do something stupid, something outrageous, and have a good time. Ryu Murakami shows his range with "69." He is a lot more than the dark shadow of modern Japanese literature, much more than the Batman to Murakami Haruki's Superman. Most of all, he sums up what it means to be young all in one line. "Victory went to whoever had the most fun." Amen.

69 is a light-hearted comedic novel unlike the other three translated novels by the same author, and should not be compared side-by-side with their heavy postmodern themes. Instead, 69 offers the viewpoint of a youth born in a small Japanese town influenced by western movements of that time, in particular the avant-garde, the political situation and the music of that time. Combining politicos, yakuzas, greasers, rock musicians who only knew how to sing "dontcha know" and play three chords and your average high-schooler, Ryu Murakami has captured a perfect snapshot of youth. Possible themes involve the concept of American occupation of Japan during that time, Japanese youth and their fickle-minded apathy (combined with a short attention span), but these are only painted with broad strokes as the narrative refuses to dwelve further into these possible issues, although one can guess the author's viewpoint on these issues through their passing mention thereof. Nonetheless, the time and themes in this novel are immaterial. This novel is skillfully rendered, hilariously portrayed, and light-hearted enough to illicit a laugh from even the most gloomy postmodernists. In the pursuit for heavy meanings, perhaps we have overlooked what 69 represents: it is the beauty of youth that is meant to be lived-- instead of wasted-- that truly counts beneath the mish-mash of social groups presented in this novel.

Those looking for a book about sex don't read this one. Hehe, the 69 here refers to the year 1969 not the position. The hero of this book is Ken Yazaki. A very intelligent 17 year old who wants to be on the top of popular culture. He spews off the names of french writers, poets, and film directors, without having read their work or watced their movies. Ken, however, is a very charismativ individual who gets people to follow him easily. His main two followers are his best friends Adama and Iwase. Ken is bored living in his small town in westerrn Kyushu and wants to do something dramatic. First he joins a Communist clique in his school that he takes over as soon as he joins, and later he throws a rock festival.The book is quite funny. Ken is a very likeable individual who starts off many paragraphs with tall tales and then he says that really didn't happen. It is quite entertaining. I have read three of Murakami's books now, and I believe this one falls somewhere between _Almost Transparent Blue_ and _Coin Locker Babies_ Good book that gives the reader a glimpse of late 60s Japan.

This book is nothing short of hilliarious