Overall Rating: 3.5 stars.

•UFO in Kushiro ‣ 2.5 stars. This one requires a reread as it didn't quite hit the mark on the first go.

•Landscape with Flatiron ‣ 5 stars. A truly remarkable piece that left a lasting impression.

•All God's Children Can Dance ‣ 2.5 stars. It had its moments but didn't fully engage.

•Thailand ‣ 5 stars. A captivating and enchanting work that took the reader on a wonderful journey.

•Super-Frog Saves Tokyo ‣ 2.5 stars. Another one that needed a second look to fully appreciate.

•Honeypie ‣ 4 stars. A solid piece with an interesting storyline and engaging characters.

Each of these works has its own unique charm and drawbacks, but overall, they make for an interesting collection.

When yesterday Ulil received a parcel bomb wrapped as a book parcel, then yesterday I also started reading Haruki Murakami's book about a package whose contents are not clear.

The title of the first short story in this book is "UFO IN KUSHINO".

Why would someone want to write a story about Japan after the 1995 Kobe earthquake but instead talk about UFOs?

This is the story of a man whose wife left him after the earthquake in Kobe.

After the earthquake, the wife seemed to lose herself. Her daily job was just watching TV, switching channels with empty eyes. Although their lives were normal, then the wife chose to return to her parents' house, leaving a letter for her husband who was left dumbfounded when he came home from work.

"There is nothing left in you," she wrote in her short letter.

This not-so-pretty wife [short, her speech is not good, etc.] left her husband at home with the remaining things. Almost all the important things were taken away by the wife when she went home. The husband was left in a house that was almost "empty".

When he got an offer of a holiday opportunity to a cold region in Hokkaido in February by his boss, the boss entrusted a package of goods that had to be delivered to his younger brother in Hokkaido there. He took that thing and flew there.

In the cold Hokkaido in February, he met a "brave" girl friend with whom he spent his holiday time. From their intimate relationship, we [the readers] can guess what the role of the UFO is here.

After the terrible earthquake in Kobe in 1995, many Japanese families lost everything. Their houses were empty and their hearts were also empty. The emptiness in the wife's heart, who returned to her hometown by emptying her own house. The emptiness in the husband's heart, who spent his holiday time while carrying "something unknown" that until the end of the story was also not opened to see what was inside, we can imagine how terrible the earthquake was... It also emptied the hearts of the people!

So, this is a story or a record of the birth and development of "emptiness" in the hearts of the earthquake victims. The earthquake not only took away things, but also made an important part in human beings disappear...

This is not a story of events in the form of a description of human actions, but a story about the emergence and development of an idea, a concept, a "notion" about what "emptiness" is.

UFO, an unidentified flying object, in my opinion, should indeed be the title of this short story. It is chosen to represent all this emptiness...

Cool... [that's just the first short story! Hehe... for the following short story "Superfrog Saves Tokyo" please click this link]

Haruki Murakami, with an economy of words that almost harks back to Hemingway, masterfully weaves together a delectable collection of 6 tales.

The only possible gripe about this collection is that it's simply too short! One can't help but wish it had included a few more such brilliant stories.

Set in the aftermath of the Kobe earthquake, the stories don't directly tackle the disaster. Instead, it lurks in the background. The events set in motion by the earthquake have a slow yet certain impact on the characters' lives.

Personally, my favorite story in the collection is 'Honey Pie'. It has layer upon layer. The earthquake symbolizes the need to jolt the past and move away from all that has been destroyed. It represents the necessity to rebuild the life of the main character, Junpei. The Earthquake Man, on the other hand, is an evil creature who desires to do precisely the opposite.

'Superfrog saves Tokyo', the penultimate story, didn't initially have as strong an effect on me. However, upon later reflection, its impact was much more profound. What is real? What isn't? How does our imagination seep into the real world, and how much of the real world is actually just our imagination?

There are great questions, some answers, and lovely writing throughout. I most definitely need to read more of Mr. Murakami's works.

A series of short stories where Murakami shows his essence and deals with the themes that are often recurrent in his works, such as love, loneliness, or death.

Each time I become more certain that personally I enjoy this author's novels more than this type of compilations. In general, I have ended up a bit disappointed because out of the six stories that make up the book, the first one seemed the best to me, and after that, I had the feeling that the book was going downhill.

Nevertheless, the last one has left me with a good taste in my mouth and it is a light, enjoyable, and at the same time reflective reading that well may deserve a chance.

"A UFO Lands in Kushiro" ★★★★

"Landscape with an Iron" ★★★

"All God's Children Can Dance" ★★

"Thailand" ★★

"Frog Saves Tokyo" ★

"The Honey Pie" ★★★

This collection of short stories offers a diverse range of Murakami's writing. While some stories shine brighter than others, the overall collection provides an interesting exploration of his recurring themes. The first story, "A UFO Lands in Kushiro," stands out for its engaging plot and unique setting. However, as the book progresses, some of the other stories may not have the same impact.

Despite this, the final story, "The Honey Pie," manages to leave a positive impression. It is a light and enjoyable read that also makes the reader reflect. Overall, this collection is worth considering for fans of Murakami or those interested in exploring his short story writing.

I had read "Seeing the Girl of One's Dreams and a Year of Spaghetti" before, and they were very good.

However, I didn't understand anything from this one

3.5⭐

I consider my first encounter with Murakami to be successful. Some of the stories were okay, while the rest made an impression. I think the story about the frog will stay in my memory for a long time.

Murakami's writing style is unique and engaging. His stories often have a touch of the supernatural or the unexpected, which keeps the reader hooked. The story about the frog, in particular, was quite captivating. It had a strange and almost dreamlike quality to it.

Overall, I was impressed with my first introduction to Murakami's work. I look forward to reading more of his stories and seeing what other strange and wonderful worlds he will take me to.

This had to be the seventh Murakami book I've read since I was seventeen.

Back then, there were only two authors whose works I faithfully consumed. One was Murakami-sensei, the other was Chuck Palahnuik. Both have exceptional writing styles that stay with you and often haunt your days and nights if you allow them.

I remember reading a Murakami anthology (The Elephant Vanishes), but since it was only a borrowed copy from the library, I never got to finish (I plan on re-reading that next year).

This is the second anthology I was graced with, and it was composed of six measly short fictions that are, in the truest Murakami sense, irresistibly consuming.

The theme for this collection deals with the catastrophic 1995 Kobe earthquake and the lives of his characters who have to cope in its wake.

Each of the stories had protagonists who are already so immersed in wanton longing and abandonment. It was only after a disaster took place that they became even more uncomfortably acquainted with their mortality, as well as their ultimate irrelevance in the grander scheme of the cosmos.

But there's hope of course. Losing themselves to oblivion has to occur only so they regain stability and purpose once more as soon as the dust settled and changed the course of their destinies forever.

Passages of existential crisis for me have always been Murakami's strongest quality in writing after all.

The following stories that are comprised of After the Quake are UFO in Kushiro, Landscape with flatiron, All God's Children can Dance, Thailand, Super-frog Saves Tokyo, and Honey Pie.

Three out of the six stories struck me as very memorable and meaningful.

First is UFO in Kushiro that told the story of a man named Komura whose wife had ran away because she accused him of being an empty vessel. In her own words: "Living with you was like living with a chunk of air." Trying to adjust to this abrupt abandonment and now feeling even emptier than usual, he goes to deliver a package to his sister, a box whose contents he was curious to find out but never got to.

The second story that I thoroughly enjoyed was Thailand. A young doctor named Satsuki travels to a foreign place, accompanied by an insightful cab driver who introduced her to a fortune-teller during her stay. Satsuki's symbolic dreams reveal the suffering she has carried with her, a weight that makes it unable for her to escape her doom, no matter how much she traveled because there is simply no way one can get away from oneself.

Murakami's prose for both stories explored a human being's tendency to erase themselves or become less than what they are in fear of never becoming whole again.

Both Komura and Satsuki gain a newfound perspective about who they are once they were able to free themselves from the torment and distraught that their respective spouses have inflicted on them. Komura learns he is important regardless what his wife had said, while Satsuki is finally able to put to rest her vengeful thoughts about her husband.

The symbolic use of the earthquake as a catastrophe that transforms lives was fully realized in the third story that is the most surreal of the six.

Super-Frog Saves Tokyo was about Katagiri, an ordinary man whose assistance was required by a six-foot frog who claimed that they are the only ones who can stop an attack underground permeated by a large worm who apparently has just woken up and was about to throw a tantrum fit which will destroy the city. Katagiri agrees in spite of hesitation and the battle between the two creatures was definitely something worth reading that I won't spoil here in the review.

The other three stories of the collection were just as unique and contemplative and I think out of those least three favorites, I can recommend All of God's Children Can Dance most of all. It simply reads like an amusing coming-of-age story due to its awkward and unassuming young protagonist Yoshiya, who is dealing with his strenuous pseudo-Oedipal relationship with his beautiful mother who claims he was the second coming of Christ, but later on he also comes to terms with the real identity of his estranged father, and how to talk to him and make him understand. Before he could make that choice, he witnesses an earthquake happening from a distance where he stood in shock.

In a nutshell, After the Quake is a worthwhile read filled with retrospective tales and the lonely characters that inhabit them. I don't consider it as one of Murakami-sensei's strongest works, but the three stories that became my favorites are at least worth checking out for yourself.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

DO READ MY REVIEWS AT

Murakami never fails me.

His works always have a unique charm that deeply attracts me.

I just loved this short story collection a lot!

Each story is like a small world, full of strange and wonderful plots and characters.

Murakami's writing style is also very distinctive, with a kind of poetic and dreamy feeling.

He can describe the most ordinary things in a very vivid and interesting way, making people feel as if they are in the scene.

This short story collection is no exception.

It contains a variety of stories, some are touching, some are humorous, and some are thought-provoking.

Every time I read a story, I will be deeply immersed in it and feel the emotions and thoughts of the characters.

I really like Murakami's works and look forward to reading more of his excellent works in the future.

I didn't realise this book was a series of short stories until I opened it and started reading.

Murakami presents another weird and wonderful view into his world, but this time focusing on the way that a group of fictional characters were affected by the Kobe earthquake.

All of these stories have their own merits. For example, in "Super-Frog saves Tokyo", the plot is both imaginative and engaging. However, I have to say that this was not my favourite book by him as these short stories don't really give him much of a chance to stretch his literary legs.

My favourite book thus far is "Kafka on the Shore", which features the creepiest character in fiction - Johnny Walker. His presence adds an element of mystery and unease to the story.

On a weirder personal note, I received this book on the day of the earthquake in Japan (11.03.2011) as a birthday gift. It was a strange coincidence that made me think about the power of literature and how it can sometimes intersect with our lives in unexpected ways.

Overall, while this book may not be Murakami's best, it still offers an interesting and thought-provoking look at the human experience in the face of disaster.

I really wanted to enjoy it more. But unfortunately, it didn't happen

I completely forgot about this to rate it not because it's bad - far from it - but because I can barely register the collection of short stories after reading it, partly due to my antipathy towards the form, partly due to... my antipathy towards the form. However, some of them here I still remember, and I highly recommend it to all Murakami lovers.

This collection of short stories by Murakami has its own unique charm. Each story is like a small world, filled with strange and wonderful elements. Although I have some antipathy towards the short story form, I have to admit that Murakami's writing skills are very superb. He can use simple language to create a profound atmosphere and touch people's hearts.

Among these short stories, there are some that left a deep impression on me. Their plots are曲折离奇, and the characters are vivid and real. Through these stories, I can feel Murakami's unique perspective on life and his deep thinking about human nature.

Overall, although this collection of short stories may not be suitable for everyone, for Murakami lovers, it is definitely a must-read. I believe that after reading it, you will also be deeply attracted by Murakami's world.

The development of each story is very good, and as always happens to me with Murakami, the endings don't convince me.

This book is worth it because of the story of "Frog" which I thought was fantastic.

Murakami's writing style is unique, with his vivid descriptions and imaginative plots. Each story in this book takes the reader on a different journey, filled with mystery and wonder.

The story of "Frog" stands out in particular. It has a captivating beginning that draws the reader in and keeps them engaged until the end. The character of Frog is well-developed, and his actions and decisions add depth to the story.

Overall, although I may not be completely satisfied with the endings, the quality of the stories themselves makes this book a worthwhile read. It is a great addition to any Murakami fan's collection.