On Pornography as the Winter Museum - Seema

This story pleasantly surprised me, specifically due to how murakami interacted with themes of sex. I don’t know if it’s because I have been reading an abundance of Murakami over the past few months, but I have been growing less fond of the way he interacts with sex. The ending of Norwegian Wood left a horrible taste in my mouth. However, with this short story I was pleasantly surprised by the intimacy, simplicity, and reality of the way he wrote about sex and pornography. I am particularly fond of this story as a I spend a bit too much time in museums so it was very fascinating to see a museum through this lens. The story was riddled with metaphors about sex. The journey to navigate to the museum was akin to the journey of achieving symbiosis with a sexual partner. The letters of complaints and tasks were equivalent to qualms with past lovers and effort needed from current lovers. I liked how this story took place in winter. I have always viewed winter as a time for solitude and reflection and sexual plateauing. It was very realistic how the narrator was reflecting on his own desire in that season. This story showcased a very strong understanding of people. It is a bit ironic as the narrator wrote, “I give up on understanding people”.