Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

Haruki Murakami, 2007

(translated into English by Philip Gabriel and Jay Rubin)

This is a compilation of 26 short stories originally written in Japanese by Haruki Murakami, a well-known Japanese Writer.

My friend, Akiko, lent me this book and this is my first reading of Murakami. Although I 've heard about him (as he is indeed a very well known writer in Japan) a long time ago, I did not have the….how can I put it….the Japanese word would be 縁がなかった…so in English would be….”didn’t have the chance to read?”..( prefer express my feeling by the word 縁、though)

Anyway, after finished 2, 3 first short stories, I was a bit confused. Like….”oh, the ending is just like that?”… or....”Does he wants us (the readers) to conclude the stories ourselves? using our own interpretation?”..

Most of the stories leave me in a mystery world…but gradually managed to get used to that mystery world…and soon I found out myself addicted to them….（ちょっと大げさ？（笑））…till the last story.

I guess that is the Murakami Haruki's style…and I kind of like the “mysterious world of Murakami Haruki”. Hopefully  I could find his other short stories compilations or novels..and would really love to read those in original (Japanese) version.

★★★★

My 15^th book, 2010.