Customer Reviews

Vintage Murakami

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book in November so unlike the previous reviewer, I knew what was contained within. I would say that this is an excellent introduction to Haruki Murakami as well as a great anthology for any fan of Murakami's who is thinking of rereading his work or would just like to see something they already know in a new light (for example, Lt. Mamiya's Long Story I & II outside of the WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE). This book contains excerpts from two of his novels (NORWEGIAN WOOD and THE WIND-UP BIRD), as well as 3 short stories, and a piece from his non-fiction work UNDERGROUND about the poison gas attacks in the Tokyo subways.

The first novel I ever read by Murakami was THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE. After that, I was hooked and read every novel available in English (including HEAR THE WIND SING and PINBALL 1973). I attempted to read the short story collection, THE ELEPHANT VANISHES when I had run out of novels, but wasn't drawn into the stories the way I was the books. Writing wise, I had always felt that Murakami was more of a long distance runner than a sprinter (which I guess is ironic in light of the fact that he IS a runner). That was until I read "Barn Burning" and "The Ice Man", both in VINTAGE MURAKAMI. After that, I went and read every story in THE ELEPHANT VANISHES and now hope and pray that another collection of Murakami's short stories (most have been published in The New Yorker magazine) will see the light of day (are you listening VINTAGE?). After reading "Honey Pie", another short story in VINTAGE MURAKAMI, I went on to read the collection that that story came from, AFTER THE QUAKE, and wasn't disappointed. Now, I am rereading Murakami's THE WIND UP BIRD CHRONICLE after reading "Lt. Mamiya's Long Story Part I and II." Although this is a major part of THE WIND UP BIRD CHRONICLE, it also stands beautifully alone as a short story.

For those fans of Murakami who feel that they have been cheated by not seeing anything new in print here (keep in mind, this is the first time "The Ice Man" has appeared in book form), it should be noted that this book is a part of a series focusing on Vintage Publications writers (including Nabokov, V.S. Naipul, Oliver Sacks, and more) and each book is more or less an anthology of their respected works. Even though there is nothing really new here, VINTAGE MURAKAMI has given me even more appreciation for my favorite writer and is a welcome addition to my book shelf. This book opened me up to Murakami as a short story writer and to me, it's well worth the price (just $9.95!). I fully intend to give copies of this to my friends who are curious about Murakami but have yet to step into his world.

P.S. I too agree with the previous reviewer. As much as Murakami does not like either HEAR THE WIND SING and PINBALL 1973 (more for his own writing, not the translation), I would love to see it back in print. Both books are small enough and have the same characters, that they could easily be collected in one single volume.

For the last few months I have been waiting for this book to be released by the publisher. I searched the web for specific information about its contents, but found nothing official. I've read just about every short story and book by Murakami translated in English and had hoped that Vintage somehow had obtained the rights to publish some of Murakami's earlier novels, Pinball 1973 or Hear the Wind Sing, or maybe even some short stories that we have never seen in English. I was wrong. Finally having the book in my hand and going to the index what I found was baffling. The book basically consists of sample chapters of Murakami's previously published books and a short story or two, also previously published. The book should have been called "A Murakami Sampler" and only that. The only person who would be interested in this is a person who is new to the writer, not the seasoned Murakami fan. I wish Vintage would have spent their efforts bringing something new into English or something back into print. There is a hole in the Murakami list and the gap needs to be filled. Pinball 1973, is out of print and was published by Kodansha. The book goes for about $400 on the web. I know Murakami didn't like the translation, but the answer should be retranslate it. The book is about 75 pages. With a price being so high, one can see there still remains interest in the book. Hear the Wind Sing, also published by Kodansha is even smaller, but one can still find it in Japan. The book goes for around $50 on e-bay $50. So my point, fill the gaps Vintage, not rehash things...What would have been a beautiful addition, therefore would have been these first two Murakami novellas (actual vintage Murakami) and a handful of short stories. This all would have fit into a mid-sized paperback.

Honestly, if you buy this, you are wasting your time. In my opinion, the man is an absolute master; at the same time, clearly not for everybody. But why would you buy this sampler to find out? Go to the library and read some of his short stories - start with "The Elephant Vanishes." Or just pick up one of his novels. The excerpt of "Wind-Up" here is only slightly representative of the text as a whole.

If you buy this, you will either A) like his writing, buy some of his books, and never need this again, leaving it to mold on your shelf, or B) dislike his writing, and never need this again, leaving it to mold on your shelf.

And the "rarity" can easily be found online.

It gets two stars, instead of zero, because even a tiny amount of Murakami in your life is a good thing. But really - don't spend your money here.

When I heard about this anthology, I thought that it must have been extremely difficult to pick up some chapters from his long adventurous stories. I think it was true. But this anthology reminds me that my favorite story in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle even can hold as an independent story. I thought that Nomonhan story told by Lieutenant Mamiya was the heart of the chronicle. But when I read it again in this anthology, I understand that it was splendid in terms of story telling and description and you could feel anything in that story, like fear, wind in the field in central Asia, and even flash in the cold, dark, and deep well. It is worth to read even only this story and afterward you cannot help reading the rest of the story, the chronicle.

What a waste of time! You can find all these selections in other Murakami books. On top of that, Vintage decided NOT to opt for the long awaited English releases of 'Hear the Wind Sing' and 'Pinball, 1973'. Do not buy this if you are a Murakami virgin, go and buy 'Elephant Vanishes', or 'Norwegian Wood' or 'Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman'. This collection could have been great had Vintage made an effort to collect some of Murakami's unavailable work but what we have here is basically an exercise in regurgitation.

Amazon markets this book under the title of the book Pinball. While I realized the book was random chapters from various works by Murakami, I didn't know that there isn't a word of Pinball in the book. Amazon has either made a mistake or a misrepresentation. This book, although interesting, has nothing to do with the book Amazon says it is.

Affordable, shipping a little slow.
And the book was damaged when I got it, almost split in the middle for a flimsy envelope.