From book: Following the sucess of Kafka on the Shore comes a collection that gives free rein to Murakami’s mastery. From the surreal to the mundane, these stories exhibit his ability to transform the full range of the human experience in ways that are instructive, surprising and relentlessly entertaining.
As Ruper Thompson wrote in Esquire, “Murakami brilliantly conveys the absolute oddness of ordinary life”. Here are animated crows, a criminal monkey, an ice man, as well as the dreams that shape us and the things we might wish for. Whether in a chance reunion in Italy, a romantic exile in Greece, a holiday in Hawaii or in the grip of everyday life, Murakami’s characters confront loss, or sexuality, or the glow of a firefly, or the impossible distance between those who ought to be closest of all.
———–
This book is a collection of 25 short stories from Haruki Murakami. Fans of this author will certainly be delighted by these 25 short stories that are every bit as enthralling as his other volumes and novels. Imagine the delight of reading one novel times 25; that is the joy a fan can derive from this volume. However, I am not a fan.
There is something about the way Murakami writes that makes me expect the appearance of a ghost in the next line. He is one of the few who can set up a pastoral scene with such elegance that makes way for all possibilities in the next paragraph. The appearance of a talking monkey, for example. It’s that surreal embedded in everyday like that disturbs me the most. It almost always feels like being sent to infernal hell and yet doused with ice-cold water. I guess “hell froze over” can sum up pretty much I feel about reading Murakami.
Perhaps precisely because each story sets out in the mundane that I often wish to derive some learning point or meaning out of it. I fail most of the time; perhaps there isn’t a lesson to learn after all. I can’t deal with the unanswered “and so?” at the end of each story and each book I read that is by Murakami – there never seems to be a meaningful conclusion I can live with. But this doesn’t mean I hate his work or anything; just that I hate having my feathers ruffled in this sense.
There is one story out of the 25 that I particularly like, called Tony Takitani. What I liked about this story is how Murakami seemed to have perfectly articulated shopaholicism. See, Tony’s wife is a shopaholic who cannot control herself. I liked the way Murakami described her and what she did –
“Confronted with a piece of clothing, she seemed incapable of restraint. In a flash, a strange look would come over her, and even her voice would change.” (p.184)
So beautifully written. (I admit my judgement at this point is clouded by my own experiences.) Who else can compare shopping to being in a trance? Not even Sophie Kinsella, no.
That aside, I enjoyed the book. I like quality short stories; they are short and easy to manage.
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
UK Edition Cover. Taken from Wikipedia.
From book: Following the sucess of Kafka on the Shore comes a collection that gives free rein to Murakami’s mastery. From the surreal to the mundane, these stories exhibit his ability to transform the full range of the human experience in ways that are instructive, surprising and relentlessly entertaining.
As Ruper Thompson wrote in Esquire, “Murakami brilliantly conveys the absolute oddness of ordinary life”. Here are animated crows, a criminal monkey, an ice man, as well as the dreams that shape us and the things we might wish for. Whether in a chance reunion in Italy, a romantic exile in Greece, a holiday in Hawaii or in the grip of everyday life, Murakami’s characters confront loss, or sexuality, or the glow of a firefly, or the impossible distance between those who ought to be closest of all.
———–
This book is a collection of 25 short stories from Haruki Murakami. Fans of this author will certainly be delighted by these 25 short stories that are every bit as enthralling as his other volumes and novels. Imagine the delight of reading one novel times 25; that is the joy a fan can derive from this volume. However, I am not a fan.
There is something about the way Murakami writes that makes me expect the appearance of a ghost in the next line. He is one of the few who can set up a pastoral scene with such elegance that makes way for all possibilities in the next paragraph. The appearance of a talking monkey, for example. It’s that surreal embedded in everyday like that disturbs me the most. It almost always feels like being sent to infernal hell and yet doused with ice-cold water. I guess “hell froze over” can sum up pretty much I feel about reading Murakami.
Perhaps precisely because each story sets out in the mundane that I often wish to derive some learning point or meaning out of it. I fail most of the time; perhaps there isn’t a lesson to learn after all. I can’t deal with the unanswered “and so?” at the end of each story and each book I read that is by Murakami – there never seems to be a meaningful conclusion I can live with. But this doesn’t mean I hate his work or anything; just that I hate having my feathers ruffled in this sense.
There is one story out of the 25 that I particularly like, called Tony Takitani. What I liked about this story is how Murakami seemed to have perfectly articulated shopaholicism. See, Tony’s wife is a shopaholic who cannot control herself. I liked the way Murakami described her and what she did –
So beautifully written. (I admit my judgement at this point is clouded by my own experiences.) Who else can compare shopping to being in a trance? Not even Sophie Kinsella, no.
That aside, I enjoyed the book. I like quality short stories; they are short and easy to manage.