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lydzzz357's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
justinkhchen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
An overall 'just fine' collection of short stories loosely tied together by a central element (the 1995 Kobe earthquake), with big discrepancy between its highs and lows (see below for individual review). Haruki Murakami's recognizable flourishes is present throughout, but with the exception of 2 stories (Landscape with Flatiron, Honey Pie), the remainder reads more like half-formed ideas desperately needing further refinment. After the Quake is just enough to quench my thirst for Murakami's surrealist imagination, and a potent reminder to pick up another novel of his soon.
- - -
UFO in Kushiro: 3 stars
Classic Murakami setup (Japanese middle age man, runaway wife, mysterious object, love hotel), but its overall looseness makes it more of a draft than a fully fleshed-out idea. The ending came very abruptly, even though it also presented a very interesting perspective that altered the interpretation of earlier actions. Thought-provoking even if it's not completely fulfilling.
Landscape with Flatiron: 4.5 stars
Beautifully melancholic, with surreal and evocative imagery in the vein of René Magrittee. A simple midnight bonfire gathering turned into a somber exchange about isolation, personal fear (of being trapped in fridge—which is surprisingly terrifying), and death. This one packs a punch. p.s.: Remember to check out 'To Build a Fire' by Jack London, a constant reference in this story.
All God's Children Can Dance: 2.5 stars
Really interesting protagonist with a boundary-pushing backstory (relationship to faith, occult and Oedipus complex), but the plot is almost nonexistent, so much so it feels a little anti-climatic, spending time constructing such an unique character with so little to do.
Thailand: 3 stars
A nice change of scenery beyond Japan; this is another very mellow story, until the surrealist element crept in (very effectively implemented, and didn't feel rushed) during the last few pages. This almost feels like a companion piece to the first story, UFO in Kushiro, with a female protagonist.
Super-Frog Saves Tokyo: 3.5 stars
The most outlandish entry in this collection; Haruki Murakami has a knack for creating charismatic creature character, and it's fully on display here—I love this classic-literature-quoting humanoid frog! Once again, with its great setup and the melancholic (plus surprisingly gory) resolution, the story seems to lack an actual 'climax', with the culminating event communicated halfheartedly in a paragraph. Out of all the entries in After the Quake, this is the one I would love to have expanded into a novel.
Honey Pie: 4 stars
A contemplative tale of unrequited love. I enjoyed its meta elements (the protagonist is a writer specialized in writing short stories), and the metaphoric storytelling (the writer making up a children story that has striking parallel to his real-life relationships); it is also the most fleshed-out entry here, without feeling like it's missing any narrative pieces. The only negative is that it's quite derivative, with strong shades of Norwegian Wood.
**2021 #MURAKAMIMARATHON Buddy Read**
An overall 'just fine' collection of short stories loosely tied together by a central element (the 1995 Kobe earthquake), with big discrepancy between its highs and lows (see below for individual review). Haruki Murakami's recognizable flourishes is present throughout, but with the exception of 2 stories (Landscape with Flatiron, Honey Pie), the remainder reads more like half-formed ideas desperately needing further refinment. After the Quake is just enough to quench my thirst for Murakami's surrealist imagination, and a potent reminder to pick up another novel of his soon.
- - -
UFO in Kushiro: 3 stars
Classic Murakami setup (Japanese middle age man, runaway wife, mysterious object, love hotel), but its overall looseness makes it more of a draft than a fully fleshed-out idea. The ending came very abruptly, even though it also presented a very interesting perspective that altered the interpretation of earlier actions. Thought-provoking even if it's not completely fulfilling.
Landscape with Flatiron: 4.5 stars
Beautifully melancholic, with surreal and evocative imagery in the vein of René Magrittee. A simple midnight bonfire gathering turned into a somber exchange about isolation, personal fear (of being trapped in fridge—which is surprisingly terrifying), and death. This one packs a punch. p.s.: Remember to check out 'To Build a Fire' by Jack London, a constant reference in this story.
All God's Children Can Dance: 2.5 stars
Really interesting protagonist with a boundary-pushing backstory (relationship to faith, occult and Oedipus complex), but the plot is almost nonexistent, so much so it feels a little anti-climatic, spending time constructing such an unique character with so little to do.
Thailand: 3 stars
A nice change of scenery beyond Japan; this is another very mellow story, until the surrealist element crept in (very effectively implemented, and didn't feel rushed) during the last few pages. This almost feels like a companion piece to the first story, UFO in Kushiro, with a female protagonist.
Super-Frog Saves Tokyo: 3.5 stars
The most outlandish entry in this collection; Haruki Murakami has a knack for creating charismatic creature character, and it's fully on display here—I love this classic-literature-quoting humanoid frog! Once again, with its great setup and the melancholic (plus surprisingly gory) resolution, the story seems to lack an actual 'climax', with the culminating event communicated halfheartedly in a paragraph. Out of all the entries in After the Quake, this is the one I would love to have expanded into a novel.
Honey Pie: 4 stars
A contemplative tale of unrequited love. I enjoyed its meta elements (the protagonist is a writer specialized in writing short stories), and the metaphoric storytelling (the writer making up a children story that has striking parallel to his real-life relationships); it is also the most fleshed-out entry here, without feeling like it's missing any narrative pieces. The only negative is that it's quite derivative, with strong shades of Norwegian Wood.
**2021 #MURAKAMIMARATHON Buddy Read**
yew676's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
phoenix2's review against another edition
2.0
After the Quake is a collection of stories that involve somehow the same big earthquake. The stories vary in genre and in themes, some of them more on the boarders of slice of life and others were pure magical realism.
Admittedly, however, some were better than others, like the final one, for instance.
The writing is also pretty matter of facts, with a fast pace and naturally use of the semiotics.
Admittedly, however, some were better than others, like the final one, for instance.
The writing is also pretty matter of facts, with a fast pace and naturally use of the semiotics.