Book One Chapter 14: 天吾：ほとんどの読者がこれまで目にしたことのないものごと Haruki Murakami's 1Q84

[Saida]

Welcome to the thread for chapter 14! Miraculously I was actually able to read the last chapter on schedule. Here’s to a new week.

First things first: refer to Hashing out the details for reading Murakami Haruki’s 1Q84 (Intermediate/Advanced Book) for links to the threads of the 前編 for book 1.

Thread schedule

Book One Chapter 13: 青豆：生まれながらの被害者 Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84
Book One Chapter 14: 天吾：ほとんどの読者がこれまで目にしたことのないものごと Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84
Book One Chapter 15: 青豆：気球に碇をつけるみたいにしっかりと Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84
21-02-2021: Break
Book One Chapter 16: 天吾：気に入ってもらえてとても嬉しい Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84
Book One Chapter 17: 青豆：私たちが幸福になろうが、不幸になろうが Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84
Book One Chapter 18: 天吾：もうビッグ・ブラザーの出てくる幕はない Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84
Book One Chapter 19: 青豆：秘密を分かち合う女たち Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84
Book One Chapter 20: 天吾：気の毒なギリアーク人Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84
04-04-2021: Chapter 21
11-04-2021: Chapter 22
18-04-2021: Chapter 23
25-04-2021: Chapter 24

Warnings (read please!)

This story contains themes of an adult and/or sensitive nature, including cults, sex, murder, and sexual abuse of children, both mentioned, and graphic (though not until Book 2, in the latter case).

Our character's journey so far.

Tengo has had an interesting conversation with the teacher of Fukaeri, the girl whose book he’s been editing. Apparently he never had a free Sunday, because he would be pulled along by his father, who was an NHK subscription fee collector.

第１４章：天吾：ほとんどの読者がこれまで目にしたことのないものごと
Let’s start off with a rough translation of the title:

Chapter 14: Tengo: Events that almost all readers have never seen before.

Now, poll time:

• I’m reading along
• I’m still reading book, but I haven’t reached this part yet
• I’ve finished this part
• I’m no longer reading the book

[Saida]

Page 53: 母親は男に乳首を吸われながら、忘我の表情を顔に浮かべている。その表情は年上のガールフレンドがオーガズムを迎えるときの表情にどことなく似ていた。 I needed to jisho the bolded phrase, I wasn’t sure if the expression did or didn’t look the same. Turns out it was only vaguely familiar.

[Hijiki]

Perhaps because it sounds a bit like なんとなく? At least that’s what I expected to see at the end of that sentence, so I had to look it up too. The meaning is identical, but apparently they are used with different topics (intangible, abstract things versus tangible, physical ones):
「なんとなく」は「無形」のものに使う。（気持ちとか雰囲気とか）
「どことなく」は「有形」のものに使う。（「有形」だがどこだかは、はっきりしないもの）

And another explanation:
「どことなく」は、「場所は、はっきりとは指摘できないが～」
「なんとなく」は、「理由は、はっきりとは表現できないが～」

Links for more details and examples:
1.「どことなく」と「なんとなく」についてこの二語は同じですか？違うなら... - Yahoo!知恵袋
2.「どことなく」、「なんとなく」、「どうやら」、「どうも」 -「どこと- 日本語 | 教えて!goo

[Saida]

I’m a bit behind on the reading (相変わらずですね), but on page 64/65 I come across this sentence:

父親は腹を立ってて、しばらくのあいだ口をきかなかったが、天吾にとってはとるに足らないことだ。

The part that trips me up is the last part: とるに足らない. Turns out it’s a set phrase: It’s not enough to take: It’s insignificant. So, Tengo doesn’t care that his dad is angry.

[Belerith]

Will we not talk about ヤナーチェクの「シンフォニエッタ」 - or is this my lack of classical music knowledge that’s is making me mistake this as the same piece that played during 青豆’s fateful taxi ride?

I had a total moment reading that.

[Saida]

Oh yeah!!! I was trying to catch up, so I didn’t think to mention it here, but yes! Things are getting more mysterious!