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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Een bijzonder fijn wegleesboek, als altijd met veel souplesse geschreven, inclusief alle herkenbare thema's als jazz, barren, seks, onverklaarbare gebeurtenissen, impliciete boodschappen, maaltjes die gekookt worden, drank en Tokyo. Omdat het korte verhalen zijn, gaat Murakami nooit echt de diepte in, maar dat is ook weleens fijn. Elke dag absolute catharsis is ook weer zo wat. Ideaal boek voor tussendoor, als je wel iets moois wilt lezen waarvan je onder de invloed raakt, maar geen zin hebt om door te halen en een kater op te lopen.
What a marvellous piece of an art. Stories about relation, exploring the depth of its existance and odds it could endure.
slow-paced
compelling evidence of men’s interior lives (jury is still out though)
perfect, gorgeous
perfect, gorgeous
I enjoy Murakamis short stories a lot more than his novels as an adult. I can appreciate the illogical plot lines in a shorter capacity than a full novel.
His writing (well the translation) reads so simple but it’s still so captivating and engrossing.
Glad I picked this up.
His writing (well the translation) reads so simple but it’s still so captivating and engrossing.
Glad I picked this up.
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I just don’t like Murakami at all — I’ve tried a few times now, and while this is miles better than Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki, it is still not really good? I used to blame lost in translation, but I think that airy, detached style is just the way he writes. This has a further problem as a collection of short stories that have no cohesive theme to them. It’s just … rough.
1. Drive My Car - It’s not surprising this gained life as an (honestly, phenomenal) adaptation. It has the most to say and is the best of the book.
2. Yesterday - A good coming-of-age story about a freaky kid and how he tries to pimp out his girlfriend? I still had hope for the collection at this point.
3. An Independent Organ - Probably the least interesting of the book, with some good old misogyny baked in. I don’t think we needed a romantic anorexia storyline, ever?
4. Scheherazade - We’re losing steam at this point. The idea is well-done though and I like the idea of a casual fling drawing herself out through multiple visits … but a creepy fetish and psychotically disconnected reactions kill it.
5. Kino - The only one outside of Drive My Car you should read. A haunting story that I can only interpret as the final fleeting moments of this sad man before he dies. It’s very Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I liked it.
6. Samsa In Love - Ooh! A Kafka riff where the cockroach turns into a man! Love it! Wait, why is it all about how rock hard he gets over a woman with a hunchback? Wtf, Murakami??
7. Men Without Women - Our title piece. Where a man spends pages about how his dead ex-girlfriend would give him an erection and how he will never have an erection again, or something. I was ready to through the book into the sun by this point.
1. Drive My Car - It’s not surprising this gained life as an (honestly, phenomenal) adaptation. It has the most to say and is the best of the book.
2. Yesterday - A good coming-of-age story about a freaky kid and how he tries to pimp out his girlfriend? I still had hope for the collection at this point.
3. An Independent Organ - Probably the least interesting of the book, with some good old misogyny baked in. I don’t think we needed a romantic anorexia storyline, ever?
4. Scheherazade - We’re losing steam at this point. The idea is well-done though and I like the idea of a casual fling drawing herself out through multiple visits … but a creepy fetish and psychotically disconnected reactions kill it.
5. Kino - The only one outside of Drive My Car you should read. A haunting story that I can only interpret as the final fleeting moments of this sad man before he dies. It’s very Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I liked it.
6. Samsa In Love - Ooh! A Kafka riff where the cockroach turns into a man! Love it! Wait, why is it all about how rock hard he gets over a woman with a hunchback? Wtf, Murakami??
7. Men Without Women - Our title piece. Where a man spends pages about how his dead ex-girlfriend would give him an erection and how he will never have an erection again, or something. I was ready to through the book into the sun by this point.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A really interesting collection of short stories about men (unsurprisingly), in various guises. I could believe that Murakami might not know how to write women, but what he does write is written and translated interestingly, with some fun magical realism plot points. ‘Kino’ was a high point for me in the book, and all the stories were interesting, but I’m not left with much of a recollection of what happened in them, if anything did.