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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A collection of stories about, as the title suggests, men who, due to a series of events, are without women.
Personally I think the first stories are the most interesting, and gradually they fade, but after all, it's Murakami, and obviously even the "boring" stories are interesting.
The third chapter in particular left a lasting impression on me; I don't think it will be easy to forget. I recommend reading this book even for this chapter alone.
As for the rest, I have to say it's interesting, entertaining, and great for reading on the beach.
(before reading I suggest you to look for the trigger warnings)
Personally I think the first stories are the most interesting, and gradually they fade, but after all, it's Murakami, and obviously even the "boring" stories are interesting.
The third chapter in particular left a lasting impression on me; I don't think it will be easy to forget. I recommend reading this book even for this chapter alone.
As for the rest, I have to say it's interesting, entertaining, and great for reading on the beach.
(before reading I suggest you to look for the trigger warnings)
I have zero recollection of reading this book. I'm pretty sure I read it in my Murakami era. I gave it 4 stars (?), and I don't really know where they came from. Like, you can't imagine when I went to add this book in Goodreads and I find I have already read it (I'm my defence I'm pretty sure I read 4 or 5 Murakami novels one after the other, and his characters are not distinctive enough to make them memorable). EDIT: After checking, it wasn't during my Murakami era (that was before I had a Goodreads account and I was still in high school) so I probably found this book somewhere and read it. This and Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of pilgrimage (whose Spanish title sounds much cooler 'Los años de peregrinación del chico sin color') were the only Murakami books I read after high school and to be honest, there are Japanese writers whose work I enjoy much more. So good riddance, I guess.
So, this time I read it because I loved Drive my Car and I wanted to check whether the parts I liked the least came from Murakami and, wouldn't you know it, there actually were. What surprised me is that the movie borrows from at least two different stories in this collection and they were the scenes or conversations that weirded me out the most. So yeah, I still hate you Murakami, even though you writing style is excellent.
My favourite story in all of the collection was Yesterday because how the narrator recalls his time with Kitaru and he is oddly endearing. So if you want to read any of these stories, just go ahead and read this one.
All in all, I'm feeling generous so I'd say this is a three stars read.
If you looking for the stories that made it into Drive My Car (the movie), you should check Drive My Car (duh) and Sherezade. There are echoes of Oto in some of the others, but if you want read the most direct inspirations, those two are it. Also the movie is much better than any of these short stories
So, this time I read it because I loved Drive my Car and I wanted to check whether the parts I liked the least came from Murakami and, wouldn't you know it, there actually were. What surprised me is that the movie borrows from at least two different stories in this collection and they were the scenes or conversations that weirded me out the most. So yeah, I still hate you Murakami, even though you writing style is excellent.
My favourite story in all of the collection was Yesterday because how the narrator recalls his time with Kitaru and he is oddly endearing. So if you want to read any of these stories, just go ahead and read this one.
All in all, I'm feeling generous so I'd say this is a three stars read.
If you looking for the stories that made it into Drive My Car (the movie), you should check Drive My Car (duh) and Sherezade. There are echoes of Oto in some of the others, but if you want read the most direct inspirations, those two are it. Also the movie is much better than any of these short stories
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2 points just because the book is really not my cup of a tea…
Reading a Murakami awakens and untangles some deep and convoluted complexities of my feelings. I can't seem to stop devouring it. I scour for that bittersweet tinge of pain. Also for that strange yet slow surge of melancholia, suspense, interest, and curiosity that will surely leave you hanging. I admire the smoothness of prose, the perusal of sarcasm, the throw of lines. It's like living the moment with the characters and this is what I find more satisfying to me so far.
On the other hand, if youre a Murakami reader for sure this one wont be a spoiler to say that, yeah, it's all about the pathology of his usual lonely guy.
On the other hand, if youre a Murakami reader for sure this one wont be a spoiler to say that, yeah, it's all about the pathology of his usual lonely guy.
My first time reading Murakami, this was a series of short stories rather than one of his more famous novels. Many of these stories felt underdeveloped but maybe I will enjoy his novels more. I hope to read one of the full-length novels to compare but if you are looking to start reading his works, I recommend starting with a novel - even though I haven’t read one yet.
“He loved one woman so deeply that it made him want to reduce himself to nothing.”
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
"Žmonės būna savanaudiškai įsitikine, kad kiti privalo patirti tokias pat kančias, kaip ir jie patys."
"Tačiau rašyti apie esmę, kuri nėra tikrovė, tai tas pats, kas skirti pasimatymą kitoje mėnulio pusėje."
"Tačiau rašyti apie esmę, kuri nėra tikrovė, tai tas pats, kas skirti pasimatymą kitoje mėnulio pusėje."