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After the Quake

haruki murakami jay rubin

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1995年1月、地震はすべてを一瞬のうちに壊滅させた。そして2月、流木が燃える冬の海岸で、あるいは、小箱を携えた男が向かった釧路で、かえるくんが地底でみみずくんと闘う東京で、世界はしずかに共振をはじめる……。大地は裂けた。神は、いないのかもしれない。でも、おそらく、あの震災のずっと前から、ぼくたちは内なる廃墟を抱えていた――。深い闇の中に光を放つ6つの黙示録。

147 pages, Paperback

First published February 25,2000

This edition

Format
147 pages, Paperback
Published
May 13, 2003 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
ISBN
ASIN
0375713271
Language
English

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About the author

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haruki murakami

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Haruki Murakami ( 村上春樹) is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been best-sellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Gunzo Prize for New Writers, the World Fantasy Award, the Tanizaki Prize, Yomiuri Prize for Literature, the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, the Noma Literary Prize, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Kiriyama Prize for Fiction, the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction, the Jerusalem Prize, and the Princess of Asturias Awards.
Growing up in Ashiya, near Kobe before moving to Tokyo to attend Waseda University, he published his first novel Hear the Wind Sing (1979) after working as the owner of a small jazz bar for seven years. His notable works include the novels Norwegian Wood (1987), The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994–95), Kafka on the Shore (2002) and 1Q84 (2009–10); the last was ranked as the best work of Japan's Heisei era (1989–2019) by the national newspaper Asahi Shimbun's survey of literary experts. His work spans genres including science fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction, and has become known for his use of magical realist elements. His official website cites Raymond Chandler, Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Brautigan as key inspirations to his work, while Murakami himself has named Kazuo Ishiguro, Cormac McCarthy and Dag Solstad as his favourite currently active writers. Murakami has also published five short story collections, including First Person Singular (2020), and non-fiction works including Underground (1997), an oral history of the Tokyo subway sarin attack, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2007), a memoir about his experience as a long distance runner.
His fiction has polarized literary critics and the reading public. He has sometimes been criticised by Japan's literary establishment as un-Japanese, leading to Murakami's recalling that he was a "black sheep in the Japanese literary world". Meanwhile, Murakami has been described by Gary Fisketjon, the editor of Murakami's collection The Elephant Vanishes (1993), as a "truly extraordinary writer", while Steven Poole of The Guardian praised Murakami as "among the world's greatest living novelists" for his oeuvre.

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Community Reviews

Rating(4 / 5.0, 99 votes)
5 stars
37(37%)
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27(27%)
3 stars
35(35%)
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99 reviews All reviews
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Mashadaar
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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There are a series of short stories by Murakami that have a more delicious taste.

These are the ones that carry the characteristics and signatures of this writer, who is the master of his stories, and inject an unrequited love for the fruit into his life.

This is exactly what I am looking for when I read Murakami or perhaps when I read anything.

The doubling of the power of my favorite writer by using the space in which he flourishes.

There is a story in this book called "Honey Pie".

This story is about a young man who is unable to express his love to a girl who is also his university mate, because he thinks that he has never done anything himself, but it is these other people who have done and are doing and should do things for him. This character has not directly met this girl, but a mutual friend has brought them together. The main character takes so long that their mutual friend asks the girl for marriage.

That's just how simple it is. That's just how detailed it is. That's just how Murakami-like it is. The story progresses and Murakami's truths and his symbolic story-telling are shaped by the characters.

If I were very emotional, I would demand five stars for this single story, but since two of his stories had a bad ending, it's four stars.
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Blackjohn91
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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January opened and closed with Murakami. Recently, I picked up my first book by Murakami, and this is the third one I've read. Whether we're talking about an 800-page novel or a book composed of short stories like this one, I declare myself charmed. I read "After the Quake" literally in one sitting (as they say in my village too), and I found some of the stories more interesting and others less so. My favorites are Thailand and the apple pie.

Murakami's words have a unique allure. They draw you in and make you lose yourself in his fictional worlds. His writing style is both dreamy and profound, allowing you to explore the depths of human emotions and experiences.

As I turned the pages of his books, I felt as if I was on a journey, encountering different characters and their stories. Each story has its own charm and message, leaving a lasting impression on me.

I can't wait to read more of Murakami's works and continue this literary adventure. His books have become a source of inspiration and entertainment for me, and I'm sure they will be for many others as well.
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weezer_wam
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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A collection of short stories for different people, but one event unites them all, which is an earthquake that hit Japan, unexpectedly changing the lives of the heroes in the stories.

These stories might explore the various ways in which the characters are affected. Some might lose their homes and have to start anew, facing countless challenges along the way. Others might discover hidden strengths within themselves as they struggle to survive and help those around them.

The earthquake serves as a catalyst, bringing out the best and worst in people. It tests their relationships, their values, and their ability to adapt to change. Through these stories, we can gain a deeper understanding of the human spirit and how it can either break or shine in the face of adversity.

Each story offers a unique perspective on the impact of the earthquake, painting a vivid picture of the chaos and destruction that followed, as well as the glimmers of hope and resilience that emerged.
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ashewyn
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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The Kobe earthquake occurred in an area of southern Japan early one morning in January 1995.

It was a devastating event that claimed over 4000 lives and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless.

In this compilation of six short stories, the connection of the narrative to the earthquake itself varies.

Sometimes it is clear, while at other times it is more obscure.

However, they all have one thing in common: the events in each story take place one month after the earthquake.

The stories often lack a traditional ending.

They simply mirror the thoughts and actions of different individuals within a short period of time.

These are snippets of lives.

In the typical style of Murakami, some stories incorporate the surreal, while others center on people whose lives seem empty, at least at that particular moment.

Some are outsiders, and some appear a bit lost.

The overall tone is understandably melancholy.

It is all exquisitely crafted.

My favorite story features a man who encounters a huge talking frog.

Sounds strange?

Well, for me, it is actually the most poignant of all the tales.

Another outstanding collection of stories from this writer who always manages to surprise and make me reflect on my own position in the world and the way I choose to live my life.

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Ryuukou
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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As the first work that I have read from a popular author whom almost all book lovers know, it was not very appealing to me.

I had high expectations before picking up this book, thinking that it would be a captivating and engaging read. However, as I delved into the story, I found myself rather disappointed.

The plot seemed to lack depth and originality, and the characters were not developed enough to make me truly care about them. The writing style was also not to my taste, as it felt a bit平淡 and uninteresting.

Despite its popularity, this book failed to leave a lasting impression on me. Maybe it's just a matter of personal preference, but I couldn't help but feel that there were other books out there that could offer a more fulfilling reading experience.
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-Yukami-
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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After reading Haruki Murakami's sole non-fiction work, "Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche," which details the Tokyo subway nerve-gas attack on March 20, 1995, I was then drawn to this collection of fictional short stories set in the aftermath of the Kobe earthquake on January 17, 1995, just two months before the gas attack. However, the Kobe earthquake serves merely as a somber backdrop for the stories. The characters have only a loose connection to Kobe, and it seems that Murakami intended to showcase the Japanese psyche, with the earthquake acting as a metaphor for the characters' state of mind. Indeed, it feels as if one is wading through the rubble of their minds, witnessing the ruptures and tremors of their emotional lives.


Not unlike the interviews with several members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult (responsible for the gas attack) in "Underground," we are presented with the emptiness, darkness, and existential despair that Murakami's characters experience in their lives. Personal tragedy and the sense that something is lacking in our lives can truly lead us, as spiritual beings, to mediums, religions, and cults like Aum. So, perhaps we should view "After the Quake" as an exploration of the psychic preconditions for the attack.


“And then it struck him what lay buried far down under the earth on which his feet were so firmly planted: the ominous rumbling of the deepest darkness, secret rivers that transported desire, slimy creatures writhing, the lair of earthquakes ready to transform whole cities into mounds of rubble. These, too, were helping to create the rhythm of the earth.”
“The whole terrible fight occurred in the area of imagination. That is the precise location of our battlefield. It’s there that we experience our victories and our defeats. Each and every one of us is a being of limited duration: all of us eventually go down to defeat.”
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TIPTY_TOPPS
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Well, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't a masterpiece translation nor an extraordinary piece of writing.

There is a feeling that Murakami, like Somerset Maugham, like Maxim Gorky or Bernard Shaw, is to a great extent forgotten.

The greater the distancing than the susceptibility in the relationship of the audience with the works of these individuals plays a role. When the distance is broken, the difference between Sholokhov, Wolfe, and Kafka and the Murakamis is found.
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Zergneedsfood
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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2/5stars

I just don't vibe with short stories mannnn. Short stories seem to lack the depth and complexity that I crave in a literary work. They often feel rushed, as if the author is trying to cram too much into a limited space. I prefer novels that allow me to fully immerse myself in the characters and their world. With a short story, I never really get a chance to form a connection with the characters or understand their motives. It's like trying to get to know someone in a matter of minutes. I know that some people love short stories for their brevity and ability to convey a powerful message in a short amount of time, but it's just not for me. Maybe I'll give them another try someday, but for now, I'll stick to my novels.

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