Haruki Murakami fans discussion
Short Stories
>
Your favorite Murakami short story?
date
newest »

message 1:
by
Hertzan
(new)
Feb 26, 2008 11:33AM

reply
|
flag

On meeting my 100% woman... was also good.


I really found all of After the Quake to be completely marvelous. I any collection there are some stories that are better than others, but the leanness of ATQ combined with the shared focus of the works really makes it read like 5 parts of a whole - each story can stand on its own, but when read together they sort of coalesce into something magnificent and really powerful. So I'm going to cheat here and say that ATQ is my favorite Murakami short story, or perhaps that I like all 5 stories equally. Much in the same way that you'll never get a mother to tell you which child she loves more than the others, I will not be forced to choose here.

Awesome piece of work, with the theme of the monotony, and the trappings of routine, and how in the end no matter how far we try to run away from routine, we'll be trapped one way or another (or at least that's how I perceived it. =)
Shinigawa Monkey was my 2nd favourite.


I think Birthday Stories as well, but I'm not too sure =)

I think Birthday Stories as well, but I'm not too sure =)"
Jonathan, Shannon, thanks I wrote that down on my list of books to read.

Birthday stories is just edited by Murakami, includes only one written by him, which is published already in BWSW. Worth reading also, of course. Each story and author is presented by HM.

"Thailand" in "After the Quake" is my absolute favorite.
By the way, "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" from Knopf is such a great book. I was so surprised by the wonderful selection of Murakami's short stories. I had read all the stories in Japanese, but I couldn't help buying the book because there aren't any books like this in Japan.
By the way, "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" from Knopf is such a great book. I was so surprised by the wonderful selection of Murakami's short stories. I had read all the stories in Japanese, but I couldn't help buying the book because there aren't any books like this in Japan.


This is a perfect example of how to express one of those abstract emotions that we often only scratch the surface of, expressed fully and concretely in an excellent story.
EDIT 2/20/10 - After finishing the book The Elephant Vanishes, I have to say my favorite was the title story itself. The Elephant Vanishes is a perfect example of Murakami's work; he brings out a subtle feeling that borders on the edge of our concious reality, through a story that is surreal but concrete. In the case of this particular story, that feeling was centralized around outgrowing something that always seemed strong and reliable, and more powerful than yourself. I recently moved back to my hometown, which is a small/medium town after having been living in a major city for many years, and upon returning I felt "bigger" than everything - the people and things I used to look up to in this town seemed to have shrunk in size and importance, and many of them were no longer there.



"The Year of Spaghetti" was great too.
@ lizzy - did you see the movie version of "All God's Children Can Dance"? It was quite good I thought

"The Year of Spaghetti" also struck a cord. Hmm.. come to think of it, I've been cooking nothing but spaghetti, pasta, penne and such for the past 3 weeks or so while listening to Rossini "for some reason". I should get out more :-).


I absolutely love "Kafka on the shore" and "Norwegian Wood" <3

I'm not sure this is the right place to ask but I asked this on an Amazon thread a while back & no-one knew the answer & I was wondering if anyone could help me as it's getting to me now!.
In The Wind Up Bird Chronicle edition I read (Vintage)there is Murakami Biography at the back & it states in it that "Kafka On The Shaw" was so popular in Japan that it spawned a spin off book containing Murakami's replies to some of his thousands of e-mails which where sent to him by fans of the novel".
Does anyone know to which book they are referring? I would love to read it. I have searched but got no leads so far???
Thanks Furny x

I'm not sure this is the right place to ask but I asked this on an Amazon thread a while back & no-one knew the answer & I was wondering if anyone could help me as it's getting to me now!..."
Furny, from what I've read his replies were never published in a book. I think they were published on a website or something. Actually, I've also tried to find them, and I think the reason I can't is because the replies were never translated into english. Hope this helps...
And to answer the thread question, my fave Murakami short is possibly "Aeroplane: Or How He Talked To Himself As If Reciting Poetry" from "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman". I love the god dang eff out of that story

It is a shame though I was hoping to be able to find & read it!.


plus 1Q84! At the beginning I didn't like the female character but then, throughout the three books, I found his last work as good as, if not better than, his other best works!

Hanalei Bay
and some more short stories :) His short stories are incredibly intriguing as much as his novels :)

and the book "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" is one of the best short stories collection! it's been ages since i read all the murakami short stories, next on my re-read, then im sure i can name some more favourites on here! :D
Willy wrote: ""On Meeting My 100 Percent Woman One Fine April Morning"!!! :)
and the book "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" is one of the best short stories collection! it's been ages since i read all the murakami..."
I 100% agree with everything :) That story is also my favorite, but I like "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" short stories collection best!
and the book "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" is one of the best short stories collection! it's been ages since i read all the murakami..."
I 100% agree with everything :) That story is also my favorite, but I like "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" short stories collection best!

I just began Blind Willow Sleeping Woman on Tuesday though, so perhaps that will change... ^_^



Yes, I like that one too. It's in New Penguin Parallel Text Short Stories in Japanese.
My hands-down favorite Murakami short story is "The Kangaroo Communique." A kind of obsession I can relate to there.

Brian wrote: "'A Window' from The Elephant Vanishes is my favourite. A really beautiful little story. I also love The Year Of Spaghetti, but the last line of the piece ruins it for me a little, so 'A Window' is ..."
I don't remember which one was 'A Window,' maybe I should read The Elephant Vanishes again...
I don't remember which one was 'A Window,' maybe I should read The Elephant Vanishes again...

"There are some things about myself I can't explain to anyone. There are some things I don't understand at all. I can't tell what I think about things or what I'm after. I don't know what my strengths are or what I'm supposed to do about them. But if I start thinking about these things in too much detail, the whole thing gets scary. And if I get scared, I can only think about myself. I become really self-centered, and without meaning to, I hurt people. So I'm not such a wonderful human being."
Books mentioned in this topic
The Elephant Vanishes (other topics)Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman (other topics)
New Penguin Parallel Text: Short Stories in Japanese (other topics)