Scan barcode
nicetsukki's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
jmsci2's review against another edition
I enjoyed the first story but otherwise did not find the other stories compelling or interesting. It was not really keeping my attention so I stopped reading.
porcelain's review against another edition
3.5
Kino was by far my favorite. Big, big fan. I just don't think Murakami is for me. At least, I shouldn't be listening to his books on a packed commute and be subjected to hearing about how the gentle west wind strokes the narrator's innocent fourteen-year old penis (his words).
azk's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
nette1008's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written, so reflective of Japan. Felt engaged and curious through all the stories.
therealchriscam's review against another edition
5.0
Easily one of my favorite reads recently. Each story taught me something new or provoked another thought within me. Even some of the stories I didn’t identify with initially captivated me towards the end.
gregz_newdorkreviewofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
First appeared at http://www.thenewdorkreviewofbooks.com/2017/05/men-without-women-murakamis-stories.html
Murakami's new collection includes seven stories tied together by the common theme of lonely dudes with unusual relationships with women. Several of these stories are delightfully mundane by Murakami standards, but that doesn't mean they're in the least disappointing. There's a theater actor who hires a woman to be his driver, and unloads the story about his wife's death and possible infidelities. There a fellow who gets a call in the middle of the night informing him a former girlfriend has committed suicide. And there's even a shut-in whose care-taker comes over, has sex with him, proclaims to have been a lamprey eel in a past laugh, and tells him various stories (yeah, this last one is probably approaching the Murakami you know and love).
But my favorite in the collection is actually the most Murakami-ish. It's titled "Kino," about a guy named Kino who catches his wife cheating on him with one of his co-workers and quits his job to open a bar. Weird things happen, including a cat that shows up periodically (I told you it's Murakami-ish). There's a mysterious guy named Kamita who comes in periodically and sits at the end of the bar reading big books. Kamita eventually warns him that he needs to close the bar and escape. Which he does, though he's not sure why. And it rains a lot, and he finally feels sadness about his divorce. It's so awesome, such a strange, mysterious little story.
Another story, titled "Samsa In Love," is also just amusingly weird — Murakami imagines if Kafka's cockroach woke up as Gregor Samsa, a reverse Metamorphosis! And the Samsa character is surprised when he discovers sexual desire for a handy-woman who comes over to fix a lock.
The most serious story is "Yesterdays," which weaves Murakami's love of the Beatles with a story about how love is often about timing, and how about reminiscing about love often gives it more weight than it had in the moment. It's a really terrific, insightful story — about the most "normal" thing from Murakami I've read. I loved this one too.
There are a few misses here, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. Murakami is just so droll, here, so strangely goofy, that you can't help but smirk along with him.
Murakami's new collection includes seven stories tied together by the common theme of lonely dudes with unusual relationships with women. Several of these stories are delightfully mundane by Murakami standards, but that doesn't mean they're in the least disappointing. There's a theater actor who hires a woman to be his driver, and unloads the story about his wife's death and possible infidelities. There a fellow who gets a call in the middle of the night informing him a former girlfriend has committed suicide. And there's even a shut-in whose care-taker comes over, has sex with him, proclaims to have been a lamprey eel in a past laugh, and tells him various stories (yeah, this last one is probably approaching the Murakami you know and love).
But my favorite in the collection is actually the most Murakami-ish. It's titled "Kino," about a guy named Kino who catches his wife cheating on him with one of his co-workers and quits his job to open a bar. Weird things happen, including a cat that shows up periodically (I told you it's Murakami-ish). There's a mysterious guy named Kamita who comes in periodically and sits at the end of the bar reading big books. Kamita eventually warns him that he needs to close the bar and escape. Which he does, though he's not sure why. And it rains a lot, and he finally feels sadness about his divorce. It's so awesome, such a strange, mysterious little story.
Another story, titled "Samsa In Love," is also just amusingly weird — Murakami imagines if Kafka's cockroach woke up as Gregor Samsa, a reverse Metamorphosis! And the Samsa character is surprised when he discovers sexual desire for a handy-woman who comes over to fix a lock.
The most serious story is "Yesterdays," which weaves Murakami's love of the Beatles with a story about how love is often about timing, and how about reminiscing about love often gives it more weight than it had in the moment. It's a really terrific, insightful story — about the most "normal" thing from Murakami I've read. I loved this one too.
There are a few misses here, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. Murakami is just so droll, here, so strangely goofy, that you can't help but smirk along with him.
saashraf_'s review against another edition
4.0
Five stars for Kino, Samsa In Love and Men Without Women.
أحب روايات موراكامي، لكنها المرة الأولى لي مع قصصه القصيرة. الأمر أشبه بتكثيف نكهتك المفضلة في قطعة بونبون صغيرة تتلذذ بها على مهل. تقرأ كينو وتتذكر "ارقص، ارقص، ارقص" وأجزاءها، تتذكر الجرذ وال Sheep man. أحب استخدامه الدائم للمجازات، كل مشاعرك وصراعاتك تتحول إلى أشخاص وأماكن وأساطير لا تملك أن تغض الطرف عنها. كل ما يخاف منه كينو يتحول لثعابين حقيقية تهدد الحانة التي يملكها، منطقته المريحة. أسئلتك المعقدة عن جدوى الحياة يختزلها سامسا إلى الأساسيات: ماذا يحدث خارج المنزل؟ لماذا لم أُخلق سمكة أو دوّار شمس؟ ويختار أن يتجاهلها كلها في سبيل أن يرى الفتاة الحدباء مرةً أخرى، ويحب حدبها لأنه يذكره بحدب في روحه غير ظاهر، لكنه يشبهه. يحوّل بطل رجال بلا نساء كل رجال العالم إلى بحّارة وغير بحّارة، وكل الإنجازات المبهرة إلى موانئ غريبة شهية. أحب كتابات موراكامي لأنها تجعل كل شيء أكثر وضوحًا وأقرب. مجموعة مجازات رائعة.
أحب روايات موراكامي، لكنها المرة الأولى لي مع قصصه القصيرة. الأمر أشبه بتكثيف نكهتك المفضلة في قطعة بونبون صغيرة تتلذذ بها على مهل. تقرأ كينو وتتذكر "ارقص، ارقص، ارقص" وأجزاءها، تتذكر الجرذ وال Sheep man. أحب استخدامه الدائم للمجازات، كل مشاعرك وصراعاتك تتحول إلى أشخاص وأماكن وأساطير لا تملك أن تغض الطرف عنها. كل ما يخاف منه كينو يتحول لثعابين حقيقية تهدد الحانة التي يملكها، منطقته المريحة. أسئلتك المعقدة عن جدوى الحياة يختزلها سامسا إلى الأساسيات: ماذا يحدث خارج المنزل؟ لماذا لم أُخلق سمكة أو دوّار شمس؟ ويختار أن يتجاهلها كلها في سبيل أن يرى الفتاة الحدباء مرةً أخرى، ويحب حدبها لأنه يذكره بحدب في روحه غير ظاهر، لكنه يشبهه. يحوّل بطل رجال بلا نساء كل رجال العالم إلى بحّارة وغير بحّارة، وكل الإنجازات المبهرة إلى موانئ غريبة شهية. أحب كتابات موراكامي لأنها تجعل كل شيء أكثر وضوحًا وأقرب. مجموعة مجازات رائعة.
qnawal97's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
tl;dr just seemed like an anthology of men who were impacted by apparently rampant female infidelity? I would say its refreshing since its not the typical cheating man stories but it’s not any better when it feels like the only value women are adding to these lonely men’s lives is sexual. Only plus point is the prose is lovely.