Customer Reviews

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman: 24 Stories

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Terribly poor choice of voice actors, please don't listen this as I strong believe it will negatively affect your opinion of Murikami's stories if you are not already well familiar with his work.

I've fallen in love with Murakami's works. I've read Kafka by the Shore and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles--now these short stories. Murakami's mind is wide open and unbelievable. I believe he's searching for the difference between reality and fantasy--if there is a difference. Things become what they weren't before. Impossible people and animals talk about and do things that noone else could imagine. I think you just have to jump into his brain and go where he leads you. You might not understand everything, but you'll love the mystery. His works are not to be confused with science fiction or fantasy genres, they are completely another cat.

Rather than any cohesive work, this is a collection of rambling essays and incomplete stories. Like a book published post-humously based on random notes and experimental scribblings of a famous writer. I am a Murakami fan (also known as a 'Harukisto'), but this is a waste of time reading.

The audio version is also cursed with two narrators who have horrendous pronounciation of Japanese place names, and a generally flat presentation. More experienced voice actors might have been able to make it a bit more interesting, but even the best presentation could only do so much. I am surprised that a writer of Mr. Murakamis' stature would allow this drivle to see the light of day.