After Dark - Haruki Murakami

Advantages: Quirky and Innovative storytelling
Disadvantages: Quite short

...After the Quake is a collection of four or five short stories by Haruki Murakami. All of these stories are linked by the use of the 1994 Kobe Earthquake as a backdrop. These are witty and insightful stories that prove Murakami is still one of the most original writers today. There is a sense of almost childlike fantasy in these stories with characters such as the Earthquake man coming to put a little girl in a box and a giant frog who has come to save Tokyo. Throughout these stories, Murakami manages to inject a warmth that is unexpected from such surreal material. The relationships between his protagonists remain believable and heartfelt throughout. All in all this is a worthy addition to Murakami's catalogue of work. It may not quite equal his previous short story collection The Elephant Vanishes or his masterpiece The Wind-Up Bird... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Entertaining, enjoyable read if taken at face value
Disadvantages: Doesn't answer the questions it asks

...Dance, dance, dance left me feeling confused. It is a novel, told in the first person, about a writer who gets mixed up with a whole host of strange people he would otherwise never have met, and it changes his life. There is a strong element of the paranormal, and Murakami seems to be trying to convey that everything that happens in our lives is for a reason and that everyone we meet is connected. However the supernatural aspect (such as the wise Sheep Man who lives in a dark place where a hotel corridor should be) and the actual events in the story never seem to marry up and consequently to me the book felt a little bit fragmented where it could have flowed. The story itself is entertaining and well written, and the characters are sympathetic, so I would recommend this book on the basis of the story alone. Just don't expect too many... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Extremely vivid surreal world.
Disadvantages: Sometimes a bit slow and attention sapping.

...'Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman' is a collection of short stories written by Haruki Murakami; well known Japanese author with works such as 'Kafka on the Shore', Norwegian Wood' and 'After Dark'. Firstly a bit about the author; Haruki Murakami was born on the 12th January, 1949 in Kyoto. He became a national celebrity after the publication of his novel 'Norwegian Wood' in 1987. Since then he has famously alternated between writing short stories and novels, as well as translating many important works into Japanese, such as F.Scott Fitzgerald and John Irving. He also won the Yomiuri Literary prize, whose previous recipients include Yukio Mishima and Kenzaburo Oe. Now for the book; 'Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman' was published in English in 2006 available as an audio book or in print and contains 24 stories, including all five of Tō... Read review

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