In Men Without Women, Murakami delves into the psyche of male characters who are grappling with emotional isolation, heartbreak, or mysterious absences of women in their lives. Each story offers a different perspective on this central theme, with settings ranging from Tokyo jazz bars to hospital beds, and from quiet suburban apartments to surreal psychological spaces.

 Featured Stories:

1. “Drive My Car” – An actor hires a young woman to drive him around and slowly reveals the unresolved grief of his late wife’s infidelity.

2. “Yesterday” – A nostalgic tale about friendship and miscommunication, set in 1980s Tokyo.

3. “An Independent Organ” – A successful plastic surgeon falls in love for the first time and cannot cope with rejection.

4. “Scheherazade” – A housebound man hears strange, dreamlike stories from his female caretaker.

5. “Kino” – A man opens a bar after his divorce, only to be haunted by mysterious forces.

6. “Samsa in Love” – A surreal reimagining of Kafka’s “Metamorphosis,” with a reversed transformation and romantic undertones.

7. “Men Without Women” – The title story explores the deep, existential ache of losing a woman to death or disappearance.

These stories are emotionally resonant and restrained, marked by Murakami’s signature style: enigmatic dialogue, jazz references, solitude, and the surreal bleeding into the ordinary.