Book Reviews and Thoughts :: The world of Books and Literature

In 1995, earthquake shook Kobe, Japan. The disaster and resulting tragedy shook people who lived in the affected area, and those who did not. “after the quake” is a collection of six stories about people who did not live in Kobe. And, this is the beauty of the book.

Haruki Murakami writes about the stranded husband of a woman who is traumatized by the disaster that hit an area where none of her dear ones live. He writes about a teenage girl who befriends a middle aged man and discovers the shared fascination for bonfires; bonfires that represent life. Murakami writes about a middle aged business woman who is vacationing in Thailand, trying to heal the wounds inflicted by her childhood lover. He writes about a super frog who decides to save Tokyo from an approaching disaster, with the help of hardworking insurance agent. He also writes about a youth torn between the adversities of life, an ignorantly aphrodisiacal mother, and search for his father. And, he writes (my favorite piece) about a silent lover, who ends up as a caring and gentle friend to his love, and her daughter.

All these stories are loosely connected to the earthquake. It is there in the backdrop. It has affected all the characters and most of them do not realize this. The stories talk of loss, yearning, bizarre quests, loneliness, and love. The quake details are minimal…may be nonexistent. Murakami manages to seep in the vastness of the disaster by building full characters and describing their inappropriateness.

The words are simple, yet the stories are transfixing and mystical. Murakami gives a surreal touch to all events and leaves the interpretation up to the reader. The reader breezes through the pages but is intoxicated in the end. Once you finish reading the book, you begin thinking. You cannot escape this.

* Murakami wishes that his book’s title should be all lower case. I like his book. I respect his wish.