My 'Novel' Account of Human Possibility (original) (raw)

Life writing: from the Story of the World to the Story of the Self

Revista Transilvania, 2020

The aim of the present study is at least twofold, combining practical and theoretical perspectives: the former one is meant to highlight the enduring power of storytelling as the epitome and vital essence of connecting life and literature; and the latter one resorts to a relatively recent concept, i.e. career construction theory delineating the notion of "later career novel". "Career construction theory tells us that the dialogic self uses memories and emotions to create life themes across past, present and future." 1 We have therefore selected two contemporary writers, Julian Barnes and Haruki Murakami, to best illustrate this scholarly goal. Julian Barnes is represented here by two of his recently published writings: Levels of Life (2013) and The Only Story (2018), whereas Haruki Murakami`s meditation on writing and running-What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2007)-unveils a rich, valuable memoir and a collection of advice in matters of living and writing, apparently written in a leisurely and lively manner, appealing to the reader, a genuine gem of personal and authorial lives, a true manual for athletes training for long-distance races and aspiring writers alike. It is essential, at this preliminary stage, to distinguish between a memoir, with a marked open emphasis on autobiography, and a novel relying primarily on matters of fiction; where the emergence of life writing is a merger of the two. Haruki Murakami`s memoir may be read on several levels: there is a loneliness as a common denominator of both running and writing as solitary endeavors in a race against time and competing with oneself rather than comparing with other participants: either runners or writers; and there is also a particular discipline, which may be read as organization, structure, rigor, a steady pace and rhythm to keep the process going and the flow of creative energy in continuous supply.