Scan barcode
A review by versmonesprit
After the Quake by Haruki Murakami
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I had the worst start to the new year, having been drugged by people I loved and trusted. Still under the effects of a bad trip, I felt no joy, no will of any kind. I had planned on using my day off to read another book, but all I wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry.
But I’m nothing if not ridiculously self-competitive, and so couldn’t bear the idea of breaking my reading streak. If I had to read something, I decided, it should be familiar waters. There’s no other author whose pen unfailingly comforts my soul than Haruki Murakami.
And so came after the quake from my shelves. Immediately I felt at home with Murakami’s signature tone. This could’ve been easily unfair to him, as I struggled to connect with anything for a good while afterwards; but it also speaks volumes to the marvels of Murakami’s craft that I enjoyed these while reading, and appreciate them all the more now that I’m looking back on the book.
Through the six stories, we’re introduced to the vastly different ways the Great Hanshin earthquake impacts or at the very least finds its way into the thought patterns of the various characters. Murakami never takes us to its centre, never exploits the real trauma experienced by real people. If anything, after the quake is a collage of how the inner and the personal always take precedence, how even the most serious of matters can serve as a backdrop to our own private lives. But I wouldn’t go as far as calling this selfishness: none of Murakami’s characters are bad people. He isn’t an author who places judgement either; he only shows, and what he shows is often highly relatable in a very human way.
A tragedy can serve as a reminder to live the day, to love more, to hold on tighter, as a motivation to connect, to keep on going, sometimes even to regret and reevaluate. In that, yet again, Murakami’s layered characters of ink come alive like true people of flesh. Whether melancholic, realistic, absurd, or emotional, Murakami — as expected of a true master like him — nails the “vibe”.
Dreams crop up as a theme, and by far the best take on it (as well as the star among the six) is Super-Frog Saves Tokyo. Its renown more than well-deserved, it’s a must-read! As it’s best experienced with fresh eyes, I won’t elaborate beyond saying it feels exactly like a Studio Ghibli movie!
A story collection for when you want to go through the feels…
But I’m nothing if not ridiculously self-competitive, and so couldn’t bear the idea of breaking my reading streak. If I had to read something, I decided, it should be familiar waters. There’s no other author whose pen unfailingly comforts my soul than Haruki Murakami.
And so came after the quake from my shelves. Immediately I felt at home with Murakami’s signature tone. This could’ve been easily unfair to him, as I struggled to connect with anything for a good while afterwards; but it also speaks volumes to the marvels of Murakami’s craft that I enjoyed these while reading, and appreciate them all the more now that I’m looking back on the book.
Through the six stories, we’re introduced to the vastly different ways the Great Hanshin earthquake impacts or at the very least finds its way into the thought patterns of the various characters. Murakami never takes us to its centre, never exploits the real trauma experienced by real people. If anything, after the quake is a collage of how the inner and the personal always take precedence, how even the most serious of matters can serve as a backdrop to our own private lives. But I wouldn’t go as far as calling this selfishness: none of Murakami’s characters are bad people. He isn’t an author who places judgement either; he only shows, and what he shows is often highly relatable in a very human way.
A tragedy can serve as a reminder to live the day, to love more, to hold on tighter, as a motivation to connect, to keep on going, sometimes even to regret and reevaluate. In that, yet again, Murakami’s layered characters of ink come alive like true people of flesh. Whether melancholic, realistic, absurd, or emotional, Murakami — as expected of a true master like him — nails the “vibe”.
Dreams crop up as a theme, and by far the best take on it (as well as the star among the six) is Super-Frog Saves Tokyo. Its renown more than well-deserved, it’s a must-read! As it’s best experienced with fresh eyes, I won’t elaborate beyond saying it feels exactly like a Studio Ghibli movie!
A story collection for when you want to go through the feels…