Haruki Murakami is widely acclaimed for his English translated novels and short story collections, dealing with the themes of magic, realism and the absurd - the weird and whimsical. His more commercially popular novels, 'Kafka On The Shore' and 'Norwegian Wood' are well deserving of praise. However, a lesser-known fact is that Murakami enjoys writing short stories more. If you're just starting with his literature and aren't sure what will ease you into his work, we've got your back! Here are our top picks of his greatest short stories:
Nausea 1979 (Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman)
There's a man who loves jazz. He also loves sleeping with his friends' wives. One night, he gets a mysterious phone call and cannot stop vomiting afterwards. He continues to vomit for 40 days and nights and continues getting these mysterious phone calls too. Who's calling him? Is his illness connected to these strange phone calls? The theme of guilt is portrayed beautifully and intrinsically throughout the story and the reader is left asking, are the phone calls even real or are they conjured by the man's guilty conscience?
The Strange Library
Not a short story, but a novella and a brilliant one. A boy visits his local library, looking for tax collection in the Ottoman Empire and the man in the basement in Room 107 goes to fetch three large volumes. The boy is then entangled in a mysterious maze and time begins to warp. He encounters other strange characters throughout the story that continue bewildering him. This novella will not only perplex but enthral the reader and leave them in a state of awe. We recommend reading the hardcover edition since it features life-like illustrations to go with the text.
Tony Takitani (Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman)
A simple story about a man and his wife with one small detail that alters the ending of the story. The reader is taken through the life of Tony Takitani, wherein his loneliness and insecurities are made apparent. He finds a woman, who he falls in love with and eventually marries. He finally starts to feel secure, but she has one con — a shopping addiction. The reader will be taken through a simple yet absurd journey through their marriage and how they cope. The short story was also adapted into a film in 2004.
The Second Bakery Attack (The Elephant Vanishes, Desire)
A newly married couple wake up at 2 in the morning and find themselves insatiably starving. Nothing they find at home is enough. They decide to rob a local bakery. They believe that only by robbing the bakery will their hunger be satiated. But what happened that fateful night? Another strange ominously fascinating, pocket-sized story delivered with expertise by the one and only.
Birthday Girl (Stand-alone book, Birthday Stories, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman)
A waitress has to work on her twentieth birthday last minute, as her friend had to call in sick. The owner of the restaurant is incredibly reclusive and is served the same dinner every night in his room upstairs by a particular staff member. The waitress must fill in that night and goes upstairs to bring the owner his dinner. Surprised to see someone else serving him, he calls her inside and asks for five minutes of her time. She explains the situation and says that it's her birthday, so he grants her one whim. The rest...you must read to find out.
Barn Burning (The Elephant Vanishes)
The 30-year-old narrator befriends a 20-year-old girl, and they have lots in common to talk about. Soon, she leaves for North Africa to work and comes back with an Algerian man of her age, three months later. The narrator believes that he is her current boyfriend and interestingly, the two men become acquaintances soon. One day, the girl and her boyfriend come over to the narrator's house where they talk, drink and smoke. It is perhaps the high that makes the mysterious Algerian man mention his strange hobby- barn burning. How does the narrator assume this and what happens to the girl? You must read this bewildering tale and discover!
Samsa In Love (Men Without Women, Desire)
Gregor Samsa (yes, named after the character in Kafka's Metamorphosis) woke up one day in a house that he fails to recognise. His body is different and he moves slowly to get accustomed to his new body. The doorbell rings and appears in front of him, a young female hunchback who is a locksmith and had come to fix a lock. The story grows increasingly peculiar and if we were to disclose any further, it would spoil the story. One can find many subtle similarities with Kafka's short story as well.
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