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isabelle_rosewrites's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
anastasia_r's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
chelsm123's review against another edition
Some of the stories were good, others not so much. Didn’t grab me enough to finish the book.
sonnetson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Murakami is such a fantastic writer, and though I've been a longtime fan of his stuff, on this read through of The Elephant Vanishes his technical brilliance really clicked for me. I always thought of Murakami as a sort of imaginative concepts guy, but unlike some of the other authors he draws influence from (Kafka, for example, though not in a way that is detrimental to Kafka's work) he is able to really evoke with his imagery the world they're experiencing. Murakami sets up strange worlds without making them the point; you see it and understand it, but the characters and concepts aren't secondary to to the landscape.
trin's review against another edition
4.0
Short stories, among which are definitely the most surreal examples of Murakami’s work I’ve read so far. I love the sly humor of a lot of these (“The Second Bakery Attack”) and some (“Sleep,” “The Dancing Dwarf”) are creepy enough to rival the [author: Koji Suzuki] I’ve read. Overall, I like Murakami’s long-form work better—a novel gives him more time to build atmosphere and create a world—but then, the same could be said for almost any author I enjoy. Oooh, I think I’m throwing down! Novels > Short Stories — discuss!
jeanbigurra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hanzy's review against another edition
3.0
It’s hard giving a rating for the collection as each story made me feel differently.
I sort of hated the first few short stories but going on forth with the rest, I started feeling differently and quite enjoyed some of the tales. These stories are bizarre… more of psychological explorations, experiences and feelings that we can’t really put to words but Murakami does just that. I’d say if you’re to read this collection, go with a bit of an open approach, not expecting any plot or satisfactory endings. The characters aren’t the most likable and there’s some apathy, some undistinguished personality trait that seems to be shared by almost all of them. You can’t attach yourself to the storyline or the characters, but you see the shades of human nature and at times it may even resonate with you. I wholly dislike his explicitness though and strongly believe the stories could do well without them.
Also, each of these tales seems to have some connection between them which was another point of interest for me personally.
I sort of hated the first few short stories but going on forth with the rest, I started feeling differently and quite enjoyed some of the tales. These stories are bizarre… more of psychological explorations, experiences and feelings that we can’t really put to words but Murakami does just that. I’d say if you’re to read this collection, go with a bit of an open approach, not expecting any plot or satisfactory endings. The characters aren’t the most likable and there’s some apathy, some undistinguished personality trait that seems to be shared by almost all of them. You can’t attach yourself to the storyline or the characters, but you see the shades of human nature and at times it may even resonate with you. I wholly dislike his explicitness though and strongly believe the stories could do well without them.
Also, each of these tales seems to have some connection between them which was another point of interest for me personally.