Who Would Like This Book:
If you love Murakami's signature blend of gentle surrealism and deeply introspective characters, this collection has your name on it. Each story quietly explores themes of loneliness, unrequited love, and nostalgia, all wrapped in his mesmerizing, minimalist prose. Fans of literary fiction, short stories, and anyone intrigued by the emotional worlds of everyday people - especially those who've ever felt a little disconnected - will find a lot to savor here. For Murakami newbies, it's an accessible entry point into his world of jazz bars, small mysteries, and moments hanging between reality and dreams.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Those seeking fast-paced plots, lots of action, or uplifting resolutions might walk away unsatisfied. Some readers found the stories a bit too similar, with repetitive narrators and lingering melancholy. There's also criticism about the portrayal of women and the male-centric perspectives; if you're hoping for nuanced female leads or stories that break gender stereotypes, this may not be your cup of tea. A few readers also found his focus on sexual longing and emotional stagnation to be off-putting or even misogynistic.
About:
'Men Without Women: Stories' by Haruki Murakami is a collection of short stories that delve into the lives of urban men who are missing something in their lives, particularly female companionship. The stories explore themes of loneliness, longing, and relationships, portraying characters who are single, divorced, or widowed, and have shaped their lives around being alone. Murakami's writing style is described as dreamlike, with beautiful prose and compelling narratives that blur the line between dreams and reality. The stories range from everyday situations to moments of magical realism, all centered around the common theme of men without women.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for the collection include themes of suicide, male perspectives on relationships, and potentially misogynistic portrayals that some readers may find challenging.
From The Publisher:
"Haruki Murakami's Men Without Women examines what happens to characters without important women in their lives; it'll move you and confuse you and sometimes leave you with more questions than answers." -Barack Obama
Across seven tales, Haruki Murakami brings his powers of observation to bear on the lives of men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone. Here are lovesick doctors, students, ex-boyfriends, actors, bartenders, and even Kafka's Gregor Samsa, brought together to tell stories that speak to us all. In Men Without Women Murakami has crafted another contemporary classic, marked by the same wry humor and pathos that have defined his entire body of work.
Ratings (29)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (9) | |
Liked It (14) | |
It Was OK (5) |
Reader Stats (61):
Read It (32) | |
Want To Read (24) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (4) |
2 comment(s)
**** 3.5****
Murakami is famous for his wonderfully weird imagination.
Collection of six stories, all revolve around lost love, tortured love affairs and wounded men who can’t seem to hold on to the women they love!!
My favorites are "Drive my car","Kino" and "Scheherazade".
I didn't like the rest of the stories much. But written amazingly as always!
Happy Reading!!!!
Much different from typical short stories. Many stories have strange character development. But all in all they capture volatility of life from men point of view. Most of the stories have sad ending. But they do make you think about the things. Overall enjoyed reading it.
What can you read after
Men Without Women: Stories?
About the Author:
HARUKI MURAKAMI was born in Kyoto in 1949 and now lives near Tokyo. His work has been translated into more than fifty languages, and the most recent of his many international honors is the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award in…
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