Asparagus, popcorn, wrestlemania

I just finished Haruki Marukami's Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World, and it is one of the most unbelievably brilliant novels I've ever read. It has the most incredible structural work I've seen maybe ever, so creative and unique. I'd heard the name Marukami kicking around the internet, but I generally don't read writers who are from the contemporary half of this century, which I really should work to correct. Marukami is the new touchstone for me. He's the next evolutionary step from Kafka, who I love, but Kafka's got nothing on this guy, except maybe some existential dread, which is all deadpan, hardboiled in Marukami. How freaking awesome is that? I'm not generally a gusher. I usually cast a pretty critical eye on the things I love most. I'm sure I'll get more critical as I read more of his stuff, but right now I just have to lavish mountains of praise on this man and his work. It is unquestionable genius. There can be no question.