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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
I swear, I could read only Murakami books for the rest of time. This collection of excerpts and short stories kept me entertained and wondering. I especially loved the tale of the little green monster that proclaims his love to the lady- Murakami somehow manages to make me feel hate and pity for the little guy at the same time- I was completely conflicted. An incredible task that few authors can accomplish. Another great book from my favorite author!
3.5
I will maybe post a full review at some point but for now, these are my top thoughts about this book:
1. Honestly, I truly disliked some of these stories. A lot of them I enjoyed. So... my overall thoughts are a bit middling.
2. 'Sleep' was by far my favorite. Like, miles ahead of every other story.
3. Murakami is just an amazing writer (and credit to a fantastic translation as well!) There were so many lines where I just needed to pause and think about the words, they were just so good.
I will maybe post a full review at some point but for now, these are my top thoughts about this book:
1. Honestly, I truly disliked some of these stories. A lot of them I enjoyed. So... my overall thoughts are a bit middling.
2. 'Sleep' was by far my favorite. Like, miles ahead of every other story.
3. Murakami is just an amazing writer (and credit to a fantastic translation as well!) There were so many lines where I just needed to pause and think about the words, they were just so good.
A few of the stories were good, but nothing to really get excited about.
fast-paced
After reading "Kafka on the Shore" which I loved, I borrowed this book. It is a surprisingly pleasant read!
It was kind of slow at the beginning -- I didn't quite like the first few stories. Then "Lederhosen" came along and I liked that story very much. For some reason, the scene where the mother watches a man who looks exactly like her husband trying on a lederhosen and finds it intolerable and then decides to leave her husband is extremely believable to me. I can totally identify with her (actually I can see myself doing that, leaving a guy for something entirely trivial) which is a strange thing to say with Murakami's characters. Apparently the author does not only know 30-year old lonely guys, but he also has some knowledge about some women, women like me.
Several of the last few stories are among my favorites: "A Slow Boat to China," "The Silence," and "The Elephant Vanishes." These are master pieces!
In the last part of "A Slow Boat to China," China, as an image for unreachable mystery, magic and beauty, is excellently portrayed. This idea that something we long for but can never get because it is so far away, but because it is so far away we want it even more, and we want it so much and we think it's so beautiful that we almost do not want to get it, is not a new idea in any sense, but it is rare that an author can convey that idea so beautifully.
"The Silence" also aims to convey a deep concept. Indeed, the silent majority who doesn't deliberately do any harm is the most dangerous and pathetic people. Again with the magic touch of the author, the idea doesn't seem to be forced upon the story, but very naturally flows from it.
"The Elephant Vanishes" is probably the best story to capture the essence of Murakami's concerns in his writings -- reality vs. imagination, perception being an unreliable means to approach truth, and pragmatism destroying beauty. In Murakami's world, there is no line between the reality and imagination, and there is no boundary to contain a real world. The world he construes is bizarre and surreal but at the same time, I feel it is oddly in place with the real world which is mundane and boring.
It was kind of slow at the beginning -- I didn't quite like the first few stories. Then "Lederhosen" came along and I liked that story very much. For some reason, the scene where the mother watches a man who looks exactly like her husband trying on a lederhosen and finds it intolerable and then decides to leave her husband is extremely believable to me. I can totally identify with her (actually I can see myself doing that, leaving a guy for something entirely trivial) which is a strange thing to say with Murakami's characters. Apparently the author does not only know 30-year old lonely guys, but he also has some knowledge about some women, women like me.
Several of the last few stories are among my favorites: "A Slow Boat to China," "The Silence," and "The Elephant Vanishes." These are master pieces!
In the last part of "A Slow Boat to China," China, as an image for unreachable mystery, magic and beauty, is excellently portrayed. This idea that something we long for but can never get because it is so far away, but because it is so far away we want it even more, and we want it so much and we think it's so beautiful that we almost do not want to get it, is not a new idea in any sense, but it is rare that an author can convey that idea so beautifully.
"The Silence" also aims to convey a deep concept. Indeed, the silent majority who doesn't deliberately do any harm is the most dangerous and pathetic people. Again with the magic touch of the author, the idea doesn't seem to be forced upon the story, but very naturally flows from it.
"The Elephant Vanishes" is probably the best story to capture the essence of Murakami's concerns in his writings -- reality vs. imagination, perception being an unreliable means to approach truth, and pragmatism destroying beauty. In Murakami's world, there is no line between the reality and imagination, and there is no boundary to contain a real world. The world he construes is bizarre and surreal but at the same time, I feel it is oddly in place with the real world which is mundane and boring.
Let me start by that I don't like short stories and that I like Murakimi's books quite a lot. Some of them I've read more than once.
Then why did I started reading this book? Well because I wanted to read Barn Burning before seeing the movie.
I wasn't disappointed by Barn Burning, but a lot of other stories were incomplete, as if they were chapters of other books.
Then why did I started reading this book? Well because I wanted to read Barn Burning before seeing the movie.
I wasn't disappointed by Barn Burning, but a lot of other stories were incomplete, as if they were chapters of other books.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
if you're thinking of getting into murakami, i recommend starting here. has all of his signature characters, tropes, and magical realism. also shows off his range as a writer and each story stands out in its own way.
my most to least favorite stories:
1. sleep
2. the last lawn of the afternoon
3. a slow boat to china
4. barn burning
5. on seeing the 100% perfect girl one beautiful april morning
6. the silence
7. the elephant vanishes
8. lederhosen
9. a window
10. the dancing dwarf
11. the wind-up bird and tuesday's women
12. the second bakery attack
13. family affair
14. tv people
15. tfotreteiuhiopatrorw (too lazy to type out the full title)
16. the kangaroo communiqué
17. the little green monster
my most to least favorite stories:
1. sleep
2. the last lawn of the afternoon
3. a slow boat to china
4. barn burning
5. on seeing the 100% perfect girl one beautiful april morning
6. the silence
7. the elephant vanishes
8. lederhosen
9. a window
10. the dancing dwarf
11. the wind-up bird and tuesday's women
12. the second bakery attack
13. family affair
14. tv people
15. tfotreteiuhiopatrorw (too lazy to type out the full title)
16. the kangaroo communiqué
17. the little green monster
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Varying quality on the short stories. I really enjoyed some of them but others were distractedly full of sex.
My experience with Murakami is that I really enjoy his more long from works but his shorter fiction doesn't capture the same magic. Maybe you need time to settle in his worlds?
My experience with Murakami is that I really enjoy his more long from works but his shorter fiction doesn't capture the same magic. Maybe you need time to settle in his worlds?