I went back to read the very first novel by Haruki Murakami, Hear the Wind Sing. That makes my reading order became the last one before the first one and there are twenty-five years in between. I am sure I will dive into his other works in the past two and half decades.
Before starting to read the book, I have already known the story about when the author decided to write his first novel; while watching a baseball game. It's a humorous answer for people asking about how it all started, but a transcript of an interview included in the introduction by the translator gives a more serious answer; he wanted to do something before turning thirty. I read this book with his intention in mind and somehow it helps me to understand how he had envisioned that he could write a story with his own style, "the way he wanted to write" he also said in the interview.
I am now in his age when he wrote his first novel, so while reading this book I could not help asking myself "Can I do this? Can I do that?" I know it's nonsense because everything is different around me but his courage to do something has certainly planted a seed in me. Hopefully, a magic bean that will grow into a big tree in one night.