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danielle2121's review against another edition
2.0
Drive my car - 2/5
Yesterday - 2/5
An independent organ - 2/5
Scheherazade - 3/5
Kino - 1.5/5
Samsa in love - 3.5/5
Men without women - 1.5/5
After reading 90% of Murakami’s fictional novels, at this point I’m just so over the way he writes about women.
Yesterday - 2/5
An independent organ - 2/5
Scheherazade - 3/5
Kino - 1.5/5
Samsa in love - 3.5/5
Men without women - 1.5/5
After reading 90% of Murakami’s fictional novels, at this point I’m just so over the way he writes about women.
callmeromo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Drive My Car:
This story is about an elderly man, Kafuku, who is an actor and teacher, who lost his wife to cancer sometime ago. Thier child had died three days after birth as well. He needs a chauffeur since he has glaucoma and he needs someone to drive him around for his job and other duties. He confesses much to his driver, Misaki, a young woman who is not charismatic, is a smoker, quiet, an excellent driver, and quite tomboyish. They grew very close throughout their time together and Kafuku lets Misaki know about his wife and how they were so in love, but she had multiple affairs even so. Sometimes the silence brings about so much, even moreso than the talking. This story was very intimate, it was raw and hurtful. You could feel Kafuku's pain and curiosity throughout the book. I think he needed a listener to be his driver, and someone who could keep the silence when it was needed. It was depressing to hear him act out his absentmindedness of his wife's affairs. The pain he must have felt would be immense.
- 4.25/5
Yesterday:
This story is about a man, Tanimura from a richer part of Japan, Ashiya, though he didn't grow up rich. Tanimura meets Kitaru, a man who grew up also in a richer part of Japan, Denenchofu, but also didn't grow up wealthy. They meet in their coffee shop job and eventually become friends, very good and close friends. So close that Tanimura would go to Kitaru's house and sit outside of the bathing room while Kitaru would take his hour long baths and they would speak through the slightly ajar door. They would speak about everything and anything during this time. They would do this just about every day after work. By the way, they are both 20 year olds at this point in time. Turns out that Kitaru has this girlfriend, sort of, that they have basically been together since grade school. Although Kitaru doesn't really know how he really feels about having a life with Erika, his girlfriend. He thinks life shouldn't be so easy and comfortable. I really think this story is about the relationship between Tanimura and Kitaru, above anything else. I'm not a huge fan of how Erika is mainly there for her deep and unyielding love for Kitaru. I thought she should be deeper than that. Yes she is still an academic, went to school without him, dated other people as well, but I think she could have had more depth than that. Although, I still thoroughly enjoyed this story. The pain was so real and how Murakami conveyed each characters pain, loneliness, and longing for another and different things in life was so sharp. This story greatly hurt me emotionally. It did feel as though these characters were all mindlessly going throughout life with a vital piece of them missing, and unable to reacquire it. Tanimura loved having Kitaru as a friend, though it was for a short time only, just about three months. Kitaru longed to be somebody else, who was different, uncomfortable, and uniquely himself at all times. Erika longed for a relationship, a meaningful and intense relationship with somebody, but she ultimately failed to get that. She wanted a life with Kitaru, and that dream she had was depressing and vivid.
- 5/5
An Independent Organ:
This piece involved a man who had been lied to by a woman, and he reports that it is the work of an independent organ. The man was older, well off, handsome, and a womanizer. He would usually have about 3 or 4 women in his life at all times. But he eventually found himself falling in love with one particular woman. He became irrevocably in love with her, and could only think of her. She had a husband and a child, so it would never work out. Although, he would have wanted it to work out between them. She would not leave her husband and child though. As time progressed he eventually did not see her, and he went searching for her. Apparently, she had taken off with another man and left her husband and child behind. The man then withered away, starved himself, and became ill or lovesick. He could not get out of bed or do anything. Eventually he passed away and wondered how could the woman lie to him and her husband for so long.
Schehezarade:
This story is about a man who is sick, we aren't sure why, but he doesn't go out of his house. He has someone do his shopping for him and whatnot. His current helper is a woman, she is married as well. She ends up sleeping with the man, though the act feels more like an obligation. He doesn't object to it. After they sleep together the woman, whose name he doesn't know but he calls her Schehezarade after a character in a story, tells the man Harabe a story of her past life that she recalls or about her younger years. Anyways, she tells him a story and then leaves at 1630. They don't get too intimate but it is still quite intimate. One day she tells Harabe about her younger years and how she became infatuated with a boy in her junior year of high school. She would break into his house and just be there in his room. She would take a pencil, a badge, one of his shirts and she would leave things in return as well, a few strands of hair, or an unused tampon. As she is retelling her story if her youth she gets turned on by it and she and Harabe have intimate sex that is different than the usual. She climaxes and it is much different than before. After that she says she must go home and Harabe reflects how his life would be if she left for good. There would be no more stories, no intimacy with women, no sex, and he would be very lonely.
Kino:
This story is about a man named Kino who bought a bar and has a regular customer Kamida. Kamida is quiet, reads a book, and orders the same drink, whiskey with water. Kamida somehow helps Kino get out of a quarrel with two mob men. Kino is grateful and finds out his wife is cheating on him so he leaves her, but with no hard feelings. Kino is then warned one day by Kamida that Kino must go away for some time since there are bad omens of snakes around the bar that Kino owns. Kino leaves and is traveling to different places, following Kamida's instructions. Eventually Kino learns while he is traveling that he is so alone, he misses his wife and her warmth.
Samsa in love:
This story is about Samsa who I believe is reincarnated into this man who has no clue why he is, where he is, and what most things are. He calls a locksmith since his lock is stuck and she comes over and tries to repair it, but finds that she does not have the right tools to do so. She ends up talking with Samsa and he seems to fall in love with her, despite her being a hunchback. He is fascinated by her and wishes to see her again. The story ends with the possibility of him seeing her again.
Men Without Women:
This story is about a man whose ex girlfriend's husband calls him in the middle of the night 0100 and tells him that his wife has committed suicide. It is the third ex of this man who has committed suicide. He goes on to describe meeting her as a fourteen year old and how she gave him half her eraser in class and he fell in love with her. Continuing, he describes how it feels to be the second most loneliest man in the world, only beaten by the husband. He describes it so well and says how you lose one woman and you lose all woman. There is a permanent stain on your soul shirt that does not go away. A unicorn is most likely so lonely as well since we never see two together at a time. This last short story is beautifully morose and descriptive. I love how Murakami writes.
This story is about an elderly man, Kafuku, who is an actor and teacher, who lost his wife to cancer sometime ago. Thier child had died three days after birth as well. He needs a chauffeur since he has glaucoma and he needs someone to drive him around for his job and other duties. He confesses much to his driver, Misaki, a young woman who is not charismatic, is a smoker, quiet, an excellent driver, and quite tomboyish. They grew very close throughout their time together and Kafuku lets Misaki know about his wife and how they were so in love, but she had multiple affairs even so. Sometimes the silence brings about so much, even moreso than the talking. This story was very intimate, it was raw and hurtful. You could feel Kafuku's pain and curiosity throughout the book. I think he needed a listener to be his driver, and someone who could keep the silence when it was needed. It was depressing to hear him act out his absentmindedness of his wife's affairs. The pain he must have felt would be immense.
- 4.25/5
Yesterday:
This story is about a man, Tanimura from a richer part of Japan, Ashiya, though he didn't grow up rich. Tanimura meets Kitaru, a man who grew up also in a richer part of Japan, Denenchofu, but also didn't grow up wealthy. They meet in their coffee shop job and eventually become friends, very good and close friends. So close that Tanimura would go to Kitaru's house and sit outside of the bathing room while Kitaru would take his hour long baths and they would speak through the slightly ajar door. They would speak about everything and anything during this time. They would do this just about every day after work. By the way, they are both 20 year olds at this point in time. Turns out that Kitaru has this girlfriend, sort of, that they have basically been together since grade school. Although Kitaru doesn't really know how he really feels about having a life with Erika, his girlfriend. He thinks life shouldn't be so easy and comfortable. I really think this story is about the relationship between Tanimura and Kitaru, above anything else. I'm not a huge fan of how Erika is mainly there for her deep and unyielding love for Kitaru. I thought she should be deeper than that. Yes she is still an academic, went to school without him, dated other people as well, but I think she could have had more depth than that. Although, I still thoroughly enjoyed this story. The pain was so real and how Murakami conveyed each characters pain, loneliness, and longing for another and different things in life was so sharp. This story greatly hurt me emotionally. It did feel as though these characters were all mindlessly going throughout life with a vital piece of them missing, and unable to reacquire it. Tanimura loved having Kitaru as a friend, though it was for a short time only, just about three months. Kitaru longed to be somebody else, who was different, uncomfortable, and uniquely himself at all times. Erika longed for a relationship, a meaningful and intense relationship with somebody, but she ultimately failed to get that. She wanted a life with Kitaru, and that dream she had was depressing and vivid.
- 5/5
An Independent Organ:
This piece involved a man who had been lied to by a woman, and he reports that it is the work of an independent organ. The man was older, well off, handsome, and a womanizer. He would usually have about 3 or 4 women in his life at all times. But he eventually found himself falling in love with one particular woman. He became irrevocably in love with her, and could only think of her. She had a husband and a child, so it would never work out. Although, he would have wanted it to work out between them. She would not leave her husband and child though. As time progressed he eventually did not see her, and he went searching for her. Apparently, she had taken off with another man and left her husband and child behind. The man then withered away, starved himself, and became ill or lovesick. He could not get out of bed or do anything. Eventually he passed away and wondered how could the woman lie to him and her husband for so long.
Schehezarade:
This story is about a man who is sick, we aren't sure why, but he doesn't go out of his house. He has someone do his shopping for him and whatnot. His current helper is a woman, she is married as well. She ends up sleeping with the man, though the act feels more like an obligation. He doesn't object to it. After they sleep together the woman, whose name he doesn't know but he calls her Schehezarade after a character in a story, tells the man Harabe a story of her past life that she recalls or about her younger years. Anyways, she tells him a story and then leaves at 1630. They don't get too intimate but it is still quite intimate. One day she tells Harabe about her younger years and how she became infatuated with a boy in her junior year of high school. She would break into his house and just be there in his room. She would take a pencil, a badge, one of his shirts and she would leave things in return as well, a few strands of hair, or an unused tampon. As she is retelling her story if her youth she gets turned on by it and she and Harabe have intimate sex that is different than the usual. She climaxes and it is much different than before. After that she says she must go home and Harabe reflects how his life would be if she left for good. There would be no more stories, no intimacy with women, no sex, and he would be very lonely.
Kino:
This story is about a man named Kino who bought a bar and has a regular customer Kamida. Kamida is quiet, reads a book, and orders the same drink, whiskey with water. Kamida somehow helps Kino get out of a quarrel with two mob men. Kino is grateful and finds out his wife is cheating on him so he leaves her, but with no hard feelings. Kino is then warned one day by Kamida that Kino must go away for some time since there are bad omens of snakes around the bar that Kino owns. Kino leaves and is traveling to different places, following Kamida's instructions. Eventually Kino learns while he is traveling that he is so alone, he misses his wife and her warmth.
Samsa in love:
This story is about Samsa who I believe is reincarnated into this man who has no clue why he is, where he is, and what most things are. He calls a locksmith since his lock is stuck and she comes over and tries to repair it, but finds that she does not have the right tools to do so. She ends up talking with Samsa and he seems to fall in love with her, despite her being a hunchback. He is fascinated by her and wishes to see her again. The story ends with the possibility of him seeing her again.
Men Without Women:
This story is about a man whose ex girlfriend's husband calls him in the middle of the night 0100 and tells him that his wife has committed suicide. It is the third ex of this man who has committed suicide. He goes on to describe meeting her as a fourteen year old and how she gave him half her eraser in class and he fell in love with her. Continuing, he describes how it feels to be the second most loneliest man in the world, only beaten by the husband. He describes it so well and says how you lose one woman and you lose all woman. There is a permanent stain on your soul shirt that does not go away. A unicorn is most likely so lonely as well since we never see two together at a time. This last short story is beautifully morose and descriptive. I love how Murakami writes.
mahpachi's review against another edition
4.0
7 stories, 7 heartbreaks.
Needed it, enjoyed it so much.
Needed it, enjoyed it so much.
ezrasupremacy's review against another edition
3.0
generally speaking i’d say i enjoyed the style of writing more than the actual plot, but the short stories “kino” and “samsa in love” have found a special place in my heart, and i liked them enough to re-read them before i had even finished the collection.
juliarziegler's review against another edition
5.0
Front to back - phenomenal. Drive my car or independent organ were my favorite stories. But they all were beautiful. And they all tied together in some way or another…prayer, infidelity, discomfort. I love the way he writes dialogue too. Time to go through all his work now I imagine.
xtianxb's review against another edition
4.0
No es lo mejor de Murakami debo decir, hay relatos que son atrapantes y puedes sentir cierta conexión con los personajes, considero que es una lectura ligera. Fácil de leer, en 1 semana o 2 sin presiones.
ilovegravy's review against another edition
3.0
There’s something about Murakami that I cannot but hate. Is it that he knows how to put in words feelings that even my mind is unable to grasp. Is it that he speaks about these feelings while I choose to stand by “You don’t know what you don’t know”. Is it that he indirectly forces you to acknowledge your deeply-hidden presumptions that I am in a constant denial of.
I don’t know how I feel about this book but it surely made me annoyed, dispirited and somewhat incredibly bitter to never have felt the way I wouldn’t have wished upon anyone.
I don’t know how I feel about this book but it surely made me annoyed, dispirited and somewhat incredibly bitter to never have felt the way I wouldn’t have wished upon anyone.
tjasar's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
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? It's complicated
3.0
snubbeltraden_'s review against another edition
2.0
Kai se olisi teoksen nimestä täytynyt arvata, mutta tässä oli odotettuakin enemmän seksismiä ja siihen liittyvää pervoilua. Tämän tähden oli varsin vaivaannuttavaa luettavaa.
Toki Murakami kirjoittaa osaa, toinen tähti pääosin sen ansiosta, mutta kun sisältö oli tuollaista, ei lukeminen juuri huvittanut.
Toki Murakami kirjoittaa osaa, toinen tähti pääosin sen ansiosta, mutta kun sisältö oli tuollaista, ei lukeminen juuri huvittanut.
alcmusso's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5