Since people keep asking who I think should win, here is my answer:
While Juan Goytisolo is alive, giving the Nobel Prize in Literature to absolutely anybody else is a travesty.
So I don’t care what politically motivated decision is made this time or any other time. If Goytisolo isn’t given the Nobel, this prize is worthless. And please don’t argue with me about this if you don’t want to become my sworn enemy.
I’m kidding, it’s OK to argue.
Clarissa's Blog 
Goytisolo would be an excellent choice. I fear it will never happen because he isn’t supported at home, in Spain.
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Exactly. He is very uncomfortable, and this choice is always highly political.
At least, I hope Murakami gets it. He’s nothing special but the other people on the list are completely unrecognizable.
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I am a fan of Murakami, partly because I read a lot of other Japanese fiction in translation, like Soseki, Kawabata, and others and I like the way he departs from those models while also engaging in dialogue with them. I fear he is too young, hip, and relevant to get the prize, though.
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Murakami just released what is supposed to be his magnum opus, 1Q84. I have pre-ordered it, mostly because it is very long. 🙂
I’ll post a review when I read it.
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I’m betting Murakami gets it, because it seems like the Nobel committee only pays attention to Japan when a disaster or the anniversary of a significant past disaster hits Japan, like Kenzaburo Oe, who won his prize on the 50th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombings.
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Are any of the Nobel Prizes not political? Are any of them meaningful? Do they have any value, other than the prize money for the recipient? Just looking at the list of previous Peace Prize winners makes me want to vomit.
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Exactly. There is so much manipulation and scheming going on around these prizes that they lose all meaning.
What a shame.
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Are the linked books translated adequately? Should one start with the first volume “Marks of Identity”?
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Marks of identity is good and easier to read than Count Julian. Count Julian, however, is the true masterpiece. They are not really connected to each other, so they don’t have to be read as a trilogy.
The writer’s erudition is immense, and the translators don’t always manage to keep in step with him. But I used translated versions in class, and they worked. I have to warn, though, that this is very difficult reading. Although the beauty of the text is worth it.
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