Description
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:
-
“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.
-
“Yesterday” – A nostalgic tale about friendship and miscommunication, set in 1980s Tokyo.
-
“An Independent Organ” – A successful plastic surgeon falls in love for the first time and cannot cope with rejection.
-
“Scheherazade” – A housebound man hears strange, dreamlike stories from his female caretaker.
-
“Kino” – A man opens a bar after his divorce, only to be haunted by mysterious forces.
-
“Samsa in Love” – A surreal reimagining of Kafka’s “Metamorphosis,” with a reversed transformation and romantic undertones.
-
“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.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.