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eljeem's review against another edition
4.0
Of course, Haruki Murakami's "Birthday Girl" in the very end of the book outweighed the rest of the short stories. The birthday girl's "wish" is granted, and we never know what it is.
"So it was a wish that takes time to come true?"
"You could say that. Time is going to play an important role."
"So it was a wish that takes time to come true?"
"You could say that. Time is going to play an important role."
juso's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
davidcuen's review against another edition
3.0
A nice compilation by Murakami on birthday stories. An entertaining book for a rainy day
analyticali's review against another edition
3.0
Like all collections of short stories, this one is a mixed bag. My favorites were "Turning", "Forever Overhead", and "The Birthday Girl".
drywit's review against another edition
3.0
Strange birthday stories - most of them more dark and gloomy than you'd expect.
But all of them leave you feeling like just did not get enough closure, which I think is the aim of this anthology. Makes you feel grateful for your ordinary birthday, somehow.
But all of them leave you feeling like just did not get enough closure, which I think is the aim of this anthology. Makes you feel grateful for your ordinary birthday, somehow.
artisticauthor's review against another edition
5.0
I've never liked short stories. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I hated them for the longest time. I've enjoyed Murakami's collection of stories but this is the first time I've read a short story collection in which the stories are written by different authors. I can truthfully say I enjoyed every single story. Some I loved and can remember every detail of, others I can still recall with fondness, all of them moved me. It's a brilliant collection for two reasons. First, it's incredibly interesting to see what an author you admire likes to read. Second, I have always hated my birthday and the expectations associated with it, so the way all of these stories were sad at least in some part, made me feel incredibly free. Toxic positivity and high expectations do more harm than good. This is a brilliant collection that I know I will find myself reading again and again.
sonalipawar26's review against another edition
4.0
Trust Murakami to make even a special and happy day like a birthday sound morose.
Murakami has searched heaven and earth for short stories with 'birthday' as a central theme. This collection consists of stories by Russell Banks, Ethan Canin, Raymond Carver, David Foster Wallace, Denis Johnson, Claire Keegan, Andrea Lee, Daniel Lyons, Lewis Robinson, Lynda Sexson, Paul Theroux, William Trevor, and Haruki Murakami.
🔖
Almost the stories have a sombre tone to them, and, much to my surprise, I found Murakami's story, Birthday Girl, to be the least sad. In fact, it was on a happier side!
I fell in love with the beautifully written stories by these contemporary authors; their writing is effortless. I couldn't find a single boring story in this collection. Not to mention, Murakami's story outweighed the rest (call me biased).
🔖
If you're going through a reading slump or not in a mood to read a full-fledged novel, do pick this up. VERDICT: Worth reading!
Murakami has searched heaven and earth for short stories with 'birthday' as a central theme. This collection consists of stories by Russell Banks, Ethan Canin, Raymond Carver, David Foster Wallace, Denis Johnson, Claire Keegan, Andrea Lee, Daniel Lyons, Lewis Robinson, Lynda Sexson, Paul Theroux, William Trevor, and Haruki Murakami.
🔖
Almost the stories have a sombre tone to them, and, much to my surprise, I found Murakami's story, Birthday Girl, to be the least sad. In fact, it was on a happier side!
I fell in love with the beautifully written stories by these contemporary authors; their writing is effortless. I couldn't find a single boring story in this collection. Not to mention, Murakami's story outweighed the rest (call me biased).
🔖
If you're going through a reading slump or not in a mood to read a full-fledged novel, do pick this up. VERDICT: Worth reading!
zuzuzaku's review against another edition
3.0
Väčšina poviedok bola pomerne dosť meh (ale to tak s poviedkami v antológiach už býva). Najlepšie poviedky: The Birthday Cake od Daniela Lyonsa, Forever Overhead od Davida Fostera Wallacea (aj keď tú som celkom nepochopila, ale čítala sa výborne), Angel of Mercy, Angel of Wrath od Ethana Canina, Close to the Water's Edge od Claire Keegan a, samozrejme, Murakamiho Birthday Girl.
Tak či tak, je to dosť zaujímavé čítanie, keď máte narodeniny :)
Tak či tak, je to dosť zaujímavé čítanie, keď máte narodeniny :)
chiara_h's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
maccymacd's review against another edition
3.0
A strange selection of stories. As with most short story collections, some are great and others are instantly forgettable. The first few I enjoyed a lot, then the odd one here or there jumped out at me. And there were others I found exceedingly dull. Overall an interesting reading experience.