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hanzy's review against another edition
3.0
It’s hard giving a rating for the collection as each story made me feel differently.
I sort of hated the first few short stories but going on forth with the rest, I started feeling differently and quite enjoyed some of the tales. These stories are bizarre… more of psychological explorations, experiences and feelings that we can’t really put to words but Murakami does just that. I’d say if you’re to read this collection, go with a bit of an open approach, not expecting any plot or satisfactory endings. The characters aren’t the most likable and there’s some apathy, some undistinguished personality trait that seems to be shared by almost all of them. You can’t attach yourself to the storyline or the characters, but you see the shades of human nature and at times it may even resonate with you. I wholly dislike his explicitness though and strongly believe the stories could do well without them.
Also, each of these tales seems to have some connection between them which was another point of interest for me personally.
I sort of hated the first few short stories but going on forth with the rest, I started feeling differently and quite enjoyed some of the tales. These stories are bizarre… more of psychological explorations, experiences and feelings that we can’t really put to words but Murakami does just that. I’d say if you’re to read this collection, go with a bit of an open approach, not expecting any plot or satisfactory endings. The characters aren’t the most likable and there’s some apathy, some undistinguished personality trait that seems to be shared by almost all of them. You can’t attach yourself to the storyline or the characters, but you see the shades of human nature and at times it may even resonate with you. I wholly dislike his explicitness though and strongly believe the stories could do well without them.
Also, each of these tales seems to have some connection between them which was another point of interest for me personally.
savaging's review against another edition
3.0
Bits of something sublime mixed in the morass of boredom boredom boredom -- typically the boredom of blank-faced men who are somehow pursued by interesting women. There's something spectacular here, but I'm not certain I can sit still long enough for it.
irxren's review against another edition
3.0
The Elephant Vanishes is this quirky compilation of 17 short stories that took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I couldn't help but notice how the book shines a light on the themes of loneliness and the struggle to break free from the chains of conformity in modern Japanese culture. Some stories resonated with me, while others left me scratching my head, but all in all, it was a pretty enjoyable ride.
Picking a favorite story was like trying to choose a favorite flavor of ice cream—impossible! The writing was solid across the board, leaving me with that lingering aftertaste that makes you pause and ponder. And speaking of nuances, oh boy, Murakami throws in these strange details that practically beg you to read between the lines.
It's a peculiar book indeed.
Picking a favorite story was like trying to choose a favorite flavor of ice cream—impossible! The writing was solid across the board, leaving me with that lingering aftertaste that makes you pause and ponder. And speaking of nuances, oh boy, Murakami throws in these strange details that practically beg you to read between the lines.
It's a peculiar book indeed.
tristan_lince's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
honnari_hannya's review against another edition
2.0
I always find myself conflicted when rating a short story collection, especially for someone like Murakami, whose works tend to be super hit or miss with me.
It was the same for this collection. I found that I disliked most of the stories in The Elephant Vanishes, however the stories I did like were SUPERB. I don't think short stories do Murakami's writing much justice, because while they are characteristically bizarre, meandering, and thoughtful, they are not given space to work through their internal logic in the same way a full novel would be — especially given that one of the most prevalent themes in these stories seems to be the permeability of the world and the human mind.
Thinking in particular of the excerpt of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle that was included in this collection. Wind-Up Bird is one of my favorite Murakami novels, and this section in particular is one of my favorites from the book. But it probably would not be had I just read it isolated from the context of the whole book. The movement through various spaces, histories, realities that was so vital in Wind-Up Bird kind of loses some of the impact when you zoom into just a single instance of that transition.
The most successful of these stories is probably "The Second Bakery Attack," which was my favorite of the whole collection, and "Sleep," both of which explore altered/liminal states of being.
"The Second Bakery Attack" opens with a recently married couple, who wake up one night feeling incredibly hungry. They search through their refrigerator but can find nothing to eat, except for condiments and a pack of beer — which they decide will have to do. However, nothing can satiate their hunger. After some time, the husband recalls the only other time he's ever felt a hunger this profound and tells the story to his wife.
"Sleep" follows a middle-aged woman who finds that she cannot sleep — and, more surprisingly, that she doesn't seem to need it.
It was the same for this collection. I found that I disliked most of the stories in The Elephant Vanishes, however the stories I did like were SUPERB. I don't think short stories do Murakami's writing much justice, because while they are characteristically bizarre, meandering, and thoughtful, they are not given space to work through their internal logic in the same way a full novel would be — especially given that one of the most prevalent themes in these stories seems to be the permeability of the world and the human mind.
Thinking in particular of the excerpt of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle that was included in this collection. Wind-Up Bird is one of my favorite Murakami novels, and this section in particular is one of my favorites from the book. But it probably would not be had I just read it isolated from the context of the whole book. The movement through various spaces, histories, realities that was so vital in Wind-Up Bird kind of loses some of the impact when you zoom into just a single instance of that transition.
The most successful of these stories is probably "The Second Bakery Attack," which was my favorite of the whole collection, and "Sleep," both of which explore altered/liminal states of being.
"The Second Bakery Attack" opens with a recently married couple, who wake up one night feeling incredibly hungry. They search through their refrigerator but can find nothing to eat, except for condiments and a pack of beer — which they decide will have to do. However, nothing can satiate their hunger. After some time, the husband recalls the only other time he's ever felt a hunger this profound and tells the story to his wife.
"Sleep" follows a middle-aged woman who finds that she cannot sleep — and, more surprisingly, that she doesn't seem to need it.
coreys_catalog's review
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Some of the stories were great, but some of them didn’t really do anything for me.
I think that the “must-reads” would be Barn Burning, Sleep, and The Second Bakery Attack.
I think that the “must-reads” would be Barn Burning, Sleep, and The Second Bakery Attack.
blemishedhearth's review
reflective
slow-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? No
4.0
kimgutt82's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ifollowedthatrabbit's review against another edition
3.0
This book contains 17 short stories. The first one is called "The Wind-Up Bird and Tuesday's Women", which is a bit different from the fisrt chapter of the book "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle", which I read years ago and really liked. Sadly, I can't say the same about the next stories. I didn't like them. I never thought I wouldn't like a story by Murakami, but here I am. Then, I started to enjoy the story called "Sleep", but I felt kind of disappointed by the ending.
Nevertheless, I really liked "A Slow Boat To China", "The Dancing Dwarf", and "The Elephant Vanishes".
Nevertheless, I really liked "A Slow Boat To China", "The Dancing Dwarf", and "The Elephant Vanishes".
corneliabull's review against another edition
koste meg veldig! Likte selvfølgelig noen fortellinger bedre enn andre, men alt i alt veldig fornøyd:) elsker også bøker med short stories<3