قصص فانتازية بعضها جيد وعادي..وبعضها رائع..
قرد شيناجوا والفيل يتبخر والقزم الراقص كانت الأكثر قربا لي..
هاروكي موراكامي بالنسبة لي هو تلك المنطقة الرمادية بين الواقع والخيال...بين الجنون والعبقرية...هو يسحرك بثقافة وذكاء بما يكتبه ...

You too can write like Murakami. Just remember these simple rules -

1) Think of something weird. Multiply the weirdness by 10.

I haven't slept for last 16 nights and 17days. Today is the 17th night. I couldn't sleep. I tried. But failed. I typed in Google Search "Insomnia". It took me to the Christopher Nolan's movie. I didn't watch that movie. I like Christopher Nolan, though. So does my cat. My cat doesn't watch any TV. But whenever a Christopher Nolan movie comes he gets glued to the TV. We all have something in common. We all love darkness.

2) Give it an erotic angle

As I can't sleep, I took a walk. I walked in the dark alleys. I normally don't go to the strip club. But there was something on the neon display that attracted me. I went inside. There were two other customers. A couple. They were sitting on the corner. There was a strip dancer performing on the stage. The couple seemed not interested in the dance. They were talking to each other. I took a chair. A topless waitress came to take order. Her breasts were little saggy. Probably, when a stripper becomes old, she becomes a waitress.

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3) Make it as intriguing as possible.

The waitress asked me if I wanted a drink or a lapdance. I said, both. She took me to a room. The room had orange light. There was a stripper sitting on the bed. As soon as I sat on the bed, she started performing. I was not interested in her dance. I looked around. The wall had photos of naked women. There was a photo lying on the table in the corner. A man. From the attire, he looked like some sort of a king. He was a wearing a crown and a big moustache. I asked the stripper about the photo. She looked at me and started sobbing.

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4) Never commit on anything. Obfuscate as much as possible.

I didn't ask her why she was crying. It's not that I didn't want to know. But I didn't want her to stop crying. It was like she was letting out her emotion. I sat there for a long time. The stripper crying her heart out holding the photo. I was terribly thirsty. But I didn't ask her about my drink. I don't know what time it was. I had lost track of time. I was not sure if I was hungry. Probably I was.

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5) Don't come to any point. Let the reader decide what he/she makes out of it.

After a long time, she said, "You know. I don't belong here." Her voice was sweet. "I know" was all I managed to say. I don't know why I said that. Probably, I didn't want to hurt her. She smiled at me and left. I lied down on the bed. And I slept. My 17 days and 17 nights insomnia had come to an end. But I didn't sleep for long. I woke up in 5 minutes. I don't know why I woke up. I just woke up. But the sleep I had in those 5 minutes was deep.

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tI was just kidding. I really don't think I can write ever like Murakami. After all he is going to get that Nobel, sooner or later, isn't it?
tI was little frustrated to read similar writing pattern in all his books. When I first read Murakami I became his fan. I wanted to read more by him. But slowly as I am reading more of his writings, I am losing interest. I don't know if I will read one of his book again. May be I will. I don't know. Definitely not soon.

i say this so respectfully but whoever edited this needs to get fired xnqpdjqnfkqno

استمعت لها مع طفلي اوديوبوك بصوت إسلام عادل
كنت بين نومين لم استوعب شيئا تقريبا
لكنها أعجبت إبني ولليوم يطلب ان نعيد الإستماع لها

I love the way this man writes these weird short stories

As you can tell by me taking a two month break in the middle of reading this book I didn't like it that much. Some of the stories were quite good, but others were complete duds. I don't know if it's the style of the author but I thought that it seemed like the stories kinda just ended. With some of the stories it felt like things were starting to pick up and then would just abruptly end. I did not enjoy that. I probably won't try another Murakami book any time soon.

To Murakami's fans, I must apologize, because although I liked this collection of stories, I didn't love it. And from what I've heard, to read Murakami is to fall in love with him. However, if his novels mirror the dazzling, freakish, and surprising plot of Sleep,or have the tension that builds when you must follow outlandish characters, like the ones in The Second Bakery Attack, I'll read a Murakami novel again and again. Yet while I do admire the fragmentary poignancy of the narratives in this collection, as well as the bizarre trajectory of these stories, I found myself lost in some of the translation (Jay Rubin's translations were my favorites). And then there was the annoying issue of voice--one "voice" seemed to hover over all of these stories, creating the allusion of a novel of different stories. Yes, yes, this all sounds trivial when talking about a beloved Murakami piece, so to offer reprieve, I will simply say this, I do believe I started with the wrong title.

murakami short stories rock my socks. on a purely structural level, his sentence composition is brilliant. short, descriptive, simple, and undeniably beautiful in a way that perhaps only a writer with an eastern perspective could achieve. sometimes his sentences make you feel as if you are gazing from the summit of a mountain with no one else around. besides that, his blend of the absurd with the bitterly mundane is a juxtaposition that only the most skilled writer could pull off. with bizarre touches of humor and obscure russian literary references, whats not to love?

" يمكن ان تربح مراراً ، لكن لا يمكن ان تخسر سوى مرة واحدة ، عندها تكون نهايتك...وسوف تخسر....."

Many great stories and some of them are hard to digest.

I may read it again next time.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the story " A slow boat to China".

THIS is the second book of Murakami's short stories I have read and I've gotta say it was a bit of a mixed bag this time. There were a few that I loved and a few that I really didn't like but overall it was quite an enjoyable reading experience. The stories had spatterings of typical Murakami themes- there was a nostalgic air about them, characters struggling with isolation and reflecting on the past. A few of the stories dove a little further into magical realism than others which was fun. Definitely recommend this book! Here are my individual ratings:

The Wind-Up Bird and Tuesday's Women - 3/5 stars
This story is actually the beginning of his book The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle which I've read and quite enjoyed. I have to say I enjoyed it better as a whole book and don't think the story offered much in the short form.

The Second Bakery Attack - 5/5 stars
One of my favourites! This was a funny little story about a newlywed couple who rob a McDonalds at 2am one night. It was light and funny and very Murakami in its surreal silliness.

The Kangaroo Communique - 2/5 stars
I found this story to be kind of boring and think it went on for far too long considering it was just the kind of creepy ramblings of some guy. Quite meh.

On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning - 5/5 stars
Another one of my favourites! This was a very short story and absolutely the most bittersweet thing. It reminded me in a way of the poem 'Masks' by Shel Silverstein and I really loved it.

Sleep - 4/5 stars
This is one of those stories that I think went on slightly longer than it needed to but was still really good. It was all about a woman who finds herself completely unable to sleep for no apparent reason. It was strange and interesting and I quite liked it.

The Fall of the Roman Empire, The 1881 Indian Uprising, Hitler's Invasion of Poland, and the Realm of Raging Winds - 2/5 stars
I just din't enjoy this one. The odd title is a reference to the characters journal and phrases he uses to recall things that happen on certain days. This was just a forgettable story, it was odd. There were also some random as fuck similes mixed in there but there's a chance that they were translation errors or something.

Lederhosen - 5/5 stars
This was a really funny and charming little story within a story! It's about a marriage that fell apart over a pair of lederhosen. I really enjoyed it, the tone was great and it had some great humour.

Barn Burning - 4/5 stars
I feel like there was a point to this story and I didn't get it or something haha but I still liked it. Our narrator meets a man who, when high, talks about his love for burning barns. It was well-written and interesting. I liked that the tone was somewhat darker.

The Little Green Monster - 4.5/5 stars
This was one of the shorter stories about a little green monster which burrows up through a woman's backyard because he's in love with her. I really loved it! It was bizarre, funny and short.

Family affair - 4/5 stars
This story was (I think) the one that felt the most Murakami. It was incredibly reflective about adulthood and family and what shapes us to be the people we are, flaws and all. I enjoyed it a lot and found it very relatable.

A Window - 3/5 stars
Very relaxed and nice as a story but not particularly memorable and a bit on the boring side.

TV people - 2.5/5 stars
I found myself skimming parts of this story, especially towards the end. It was odd and disjointed but not in a way that I enjoyed all that much.

A Slow Boat to China - 5/5 stars
This was a longer story but it was up there with my favourites. It elicited some genuine emotion in me and was incredibly well-written. Just a really great story!

The Dancing Dwarf - 3/5 stars
This one was so completely weird! It was bizarre and fun and had an odd/ sudden ending.

The Last Lawn of the Afternoon - 3/5 stars
Slower than the other stories. I enjoyed that it was very reflective (that always seems to be an aspect of Murakami's writing that I really love) but overall I found it din't leave a lasting impact and was a bit of a nothing story.

The Silence - 5/5 stars
This was a great story! While waiting for a delayed flight, one man tells another about the only time he has punched someone. It was a really great story and I loved the way it developed. There was the reflection in it that I loved as well.

The Elephant Vanishes - 4/5 stars
I thought I would like this one a lot more than I did. The first half was really good and I like the mystery surrounding an elephant that had literally vanished but the conclusion wasn't as satisfying. It was still an entertaining story though!

Това ми е първи опит да чета разкази от Мураками и смея да кажа, че е доста успешен. Независимо дали пише романи, съчинения или кратки новели, той отново проявява своята ексцентрична абстрактност, която толкова много харесвам. Мураками "говори" със символи, които всеки разпознава и тълкува индивидуално, точно като в сънищата. Интересното при сим��оликата е, че тя провокира  различни емоции у всеки, според зависимостта символ--спомен - състояние. Основното нещо, върху което акцентира Мураками е индивидуалността и как отделните хора се справят с предизвикателствата и нещата от живота.
Сборникът съдържа 17 разказа, които носят своите сюрреалистични нюанси.

1) Птицата с пружина и жените във вторник   - 4 звезди- предполагам, че идеята за романа " Хроника на птицата с пружина" е тръгнала именно от този разказ и впоследствие Мураками го е наградил в самостоятелно произведение.

2) Второто нападение в пекарната  - 4 звезди

" Неправилният избор понякога води до правилен резултат и обратно."

3) Кенгурско комюнике   - 3 звезди

4) Да видиш 100% идеалното момиче в красива априлска сутрин - 4 звезди

5) Сън   - 5 звезди-- един от любимите ми разкази

" Върховете на пръстите ми само лекичко докосваха периферията на съня. И през цялото време съзнанието ми беше съвсем будно. Усеща съвсем лека сънливост, но съзнанието ми си беше там, в своята стая, от другата страна на прозирната стена, и ме наблюдаваше.
Физическата ми същност се носеше в бледата утринна светлина и през цялото време усещахкак съзнанието ми се взира, как диша току до нея. Бях едновременно тяло на прага на съня и съзнание, решено да остане будно. "

6) Крахът на Римската империя, индианското въстание от 1881, нахлуването на Хитлер в Полша и царството на бурния вятър   - 3 звезди

7) Lederhosen   - 4 звезди

" Вярно е, че късметът отчасти управлява човешкия живот и хвърля разпокъсана сянка върху територията на съществуването ни, но има ли желание- дори много по- слабо от волята да преплуваш трийсет дължини или да пробягаш двайсет километра, - има и начин да превъзмогнем повечето проблеми с помощта на наличните опори. "

8) Горящият хамбар   - 4 звезди

" Някои неща са толкова близо до нас, че дори не ги забелязваме. "

9) Малкото зелено чудовище   - 3 звезди

10) Семейни дела   - 5 звезди--разказът е свързан с Птицата с пружина.

11) Прозорец   - 3 звезди

"...реалността не е нещо, което предаваш на хората, а нещо, което създаваш. Така се ражда смисълът. "

12) TV хора   - 5 звезди

13) Бавен кораб до Китай   - 5 звезди

" Всеки има различна памет. С различен капацитет, с различна ориентация. Понякога паметта ти помага да мислиш, друг път ти пречи. Което не я прави добра или лоша, а вероятно означава само, че не е толкова важна."

14) Танцуващото джудже   - 5 звезди. Този разказ ми е сред фаворитите.

" Никой не може да променя неща, които вече са решени. "

15) Последната морава следобед   - 5 звезди

16) Мълчанието   - 5 звезди

" Ако стигнеш до дъното на дълбочината, загубата няма значение- нищо не може да те засегне."

" Хората, преживели нещо толкова мъчително, се променят, независимо дали го искат- променят се към по- добро или към по- лошо."

17) Изчезването на слона   -5 звезди. Хубав завършек на сборникът с разкази. Има някаква връзка към книгата" Хроника на птицата с пружина" , както и с идеята в разказа " TV  хората".


Харесвам Мураками, най- вече заради усещанията, които провокира в мен. Имам чувството, че с начина, по който пише, сякаш отключва всичките ми сетива.