Jena's review
After the Quake
by Haruki Murakami
Jena's review
After the Quake by Haruki Murakami
Jena's review
rating:
These six stories are all related to the devastating Kobe earthquake of 1995. The stories are set in the months between the natural disaster and the poison gas attacks that occurred in Tokyo's subways. Both of these events dramatically changed the physical and social landscape of Japan. For each of the characters in these stories, the earthquake's emotional aftershock set off an unreal chain of events. I have not read any other Murakami books...what struck me in this collection is how detached the characters are from what is going on around them...they are detached from the disaster and their communities. However, this does not mean the characters are lacking in emotions and needs. The character development is solid...even though the stories are short. The short "Super Frog Saves Tokyo" is surreal...I wasn't expecting it as part of the collection of stories. I am not big into fantasy or surreal stories...However, I thoroughly enjoyed "Super Frog"!
