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After the Quake: Stories Audiobook
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(3.93) - 60 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In 1995, the physical and social landscape of Japan was transformed by two events: the Kobe earthquake, in January, which destroyed thousands of lives, and the poison-gas attacks in the Tokyo subways in March, during the morning rush hour. Following these twin disasters, Haruki Murakami abandoned his life abroad and returned home to confront his country’s grief. The subway attack led to his recent Underground. And out of the quake come these six stories, set in the months between natural catastrophe and man-made terrorism. His characters find their resolutely normal everyday lives undone by events even more surreal (yet somehow believable) than we have come to expect in his fiction. An electronics salesman, abruptly deserted by his wife, is entrusted to deliver a mysterious package but gets more than he bargained for at the receiving end; a Thai chauffeur takes his troubled charge to a seer, who penetrates her deepest sorrow; and, in the unforgettable title story, a boy acknowledges a shattering secret about his past that will change his life forever. But the most compelling character of all is the earthquake itself—slipping into and out of view almost imperceptibly, but nonetheless reaching deep into the lives of these forlorn citizens of the apocalypse. The terrible damage visible all around is, in fact, less extreme than the inconsolable howl of a nation indelibly scarred—an experience in which Murakami discovers many truths about compassion, courage, and the nature of human suffering.
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"Always enjoy Murakami, particularly his short stories and the six here are full of lovely observations, supressed emotions and enigmatic characters, against a backdrop of the Kobe earthquake. A lot of the characters have a link to family or friends there but largely remain as aloof from the earthquake as to these friends. "Honey Pie" is the best short story I've read in a while, even though it is a bit more sugary than is usually my taste (d'you see what I've done there?)."
— Paul (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Ushers the reader into a hallucinatory world where the real and surreal merge and overlap, where dreams and real-life nightmares are impossible to tell apart.”
— New York Times -
“Both mysterious and somehow quite familiar.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“Haruki Murakami remains one of the most accessible Japanese writers for Western readers.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Trim, beautiful, diamond sharp, and profoundly layered in…mystical symbolism and daily absurdities. Murakami’s evocations of grace and possible redemption are startling, dangerous, and moving.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine -
“In these stories…Murakami proves himself to be almost as fantastic—and as heroic—as his creations.”
— Elle -
“One of the great Japanese exports.”
— Details -
“His characters are so persuasive, and the storytelling so spacious…Murakami’s crisp, accomplished stories in After the Quake have great immediacy.”
— Seattle Times -
“Murakami has written a series of deeply evocative stories.”
— Tulsa Today -
“The stories here are well-crafted and lyrical…They are sometimes absurd, sometimes quite funny, but they all have real epiphanies and real moments of feeling.”
— Rocky Mountain News -
“Murakami has created a series of small masterpieces.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Spare yet richly mysterious and emotionally prismatic, these unpredictable tales explore the subtle ways the earthquake affected those who live far from its epicenter yet who are nonetheless shaken to their very core…Haunting.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“It really is a wonderment to see how Murakami develops bizarre, ‘impossible’ premises into emotionally and thematically satisfying explorations of genuine human longing, extremity, epiphany, and growth. This writer goes from strength to strength. Magnificent.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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One of the 2002 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Fiction
After the Quake Listener Reviews
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" No real reason why I liked this one, I just did. The stories don't resolve themselves the way they do in some of Murakami's other collections but I just enjoyed spending a little time in this book. I liked Honey Pie the best because it reminded me of Norwegian Wood, but something about Thailand really grabbed me too. Super-Frog Saves Tokyo made me feel nostalgic for Kafka. "
— Jennie, 2/16/2014 -
" This is what I know: I love Murakami, but I think some time will pass until I again pick up one of his books. I kind of cannot stand him right now. This is really not a fair review, but, just to say, I am frowning. So, that makes sense. "
— Jana, 2/13/2014 -
" Several short stories somewhat connected to the Kobe earthquake. I liked them. Dec 07 "
— Richard, 2/9/2014 -
" Impulse buy at the author suggestion of a friend. Finished it in 2 days. "
— Danny, 1/18/2014 -
" Really enjoyed a couple of the stories, particularly the surreal 'Superfrog Saves Tokyo'. Others left me feeling a bit 'meh' - see 'UFO in Kushiro'. Overall, not bad, but doesn't leave a lasting impression. "
— Keir, 12/25/2013 -
" Very sweet short stories here. Super Frog Saves Tokyo is now one of my favorite short stories. A quick read that's definitely worth taking a look at. "
— Bob, 12/13/2013 -
" worst dialogue i've encountered in 2k8 + plus pointlessly quirky anti-endings and incidents = i will not be reading any more haruki murakami. i'll stick to ryu, thanks. "
— M., 12/13/2013 -
" Very interesting book in great Murakami style. Its a book of several philosophic novels. Guess it shows that crisis in country can totally change our basic understanding of the world, of what we love even though it didn't effect us personally. "
— Gleb, 12/6/2013 -
" I don't even like short stories, but this collection rocked. "
— Roanne, 8/7/2013 -
" Absolutley worth it if you enjoy Murakami's matter-of-fact magic realism; funny, sad and gripping. "
— Danielroffle, 6/16/2013 -
" Forgot how much I loved to read Murakami...it has been too long. Remembering the JETAA-NYC Bookclub with my first book of 2013. "
— Amanda, 3/5/2013 -
" Several short stories about after the earthquake, and a couple that I can't remember. Not all of his short stories are easy to decipher at all, but there are some awesome images that will stay with you for a long time. "
— Maggie, 3/1/2013 -
" I'm not usually a fan of short stories, but this was fantastic. I'm slowly working my way through all of Murakami's works. They are gems well worth the time. "
— Andi, 11/2/2012 -
" Writing about how characters were affected from afar by an earthquake is an interesting premise. I expected this idea to be the collection's primary focus, but I don't think Murakami delved far enough in its exploration. Still, I found most of the stories to be touching, if not too abstract. "
— Han, 10/25/2012 -
" Pulled this one off the shelf this morning to re-read the story about Frog. "
— Crystal, 7/1/2012 -
" My first Murakami book, and after finishing it, I was genuinely spooked for a while. This does not happen to me often. Not bad, not bad at all. Really quite remarkable. "
— Kerstin, 4/1/2012 -
" Some really wonderful stories in this collection. A giant six foot frog, a woman that can predict your dreams and a family of bears that listen to the radio. As always dream like Murakami. "
— Joe, 3/16/2012 -
" Enigmatic. But compelling. Interpreting murakami is always a challenge but these stories at least have a common starting point, a devastating earthquake. "
— Carol, 2/12/2012 -
" Well worth the read. All God's Children Can Dance, Thailand & Honey Pie are some of Murakami's best short stories in my opinion... Honey Pie is especially good. "
— Akeem, 6/23/2011 -
" A great collection of stories. The endcap, "Honey Pie", is absolutely the best thing I've read by him so far. "
— Tony, 5/15/2011 -
" Absolutley worth it if you enjoy Murakami's matter-of-fact magic realism; funny, sad and gripping. "
— Danielroffle, 5/13/2011 -
" A very small collection of short stories inspired by the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Not his best, but not bad, and at least the translation is good (Rubin). "
— Koen, 5/11/2011 -
" Murakami is captivating to say the least. I particularly enjoyed the story "honey pie" as it was the most heartwarming and was about an emotionally-challenged writer with fits of obsessive work. I could identify a little bit. "
— Stolee, 4/24/2011 -
" 3.5 stars, really. A quick and easy read, first time reading Murakami for me. I liked the fantasy element in some of them, and will probably try this author again. <br/> "
— Janet, 4/19/2011 -
" Mr. Frog, I mean, Frog: you should totally come visit me. We will kick Worm's ass together with my awesome kung fu. "
— Cottageunderhill, 4/14/2011 -
" A generally enjoyable read, but some of the stories worked better, i think, than others, which seemed to lack emotional oomph. "
— Dan, 4/12/2011 -
" Murakami without his usual veneer of chill. Why yes, he does have a heart. "
— Joanna, 4/9/2011 -
" Very interesting book in great Murakami style. Its a book of several philosophic novels. Guess it shows that crisis in country can totally change our basic understanding of the world, of what we love even though it didn't effect us personally. "
— Gleb, 4/5/2011 -
" Impulse buy at the author suggestion of a friend. Finished it in 2 days. "
— Danny, 3/22/2011
About Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese author of fiction and nonfiction works. His books and stories have been bestsellers in Japan as well as internationally, with his novel Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage topping the New York Times bestsellers list in 2014. His work has been translated into more than fifty languages. Murakami is the recipient of numerous awards, including the World Fantasy Award, the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, the Franz Kafka Prize, and the Jerusalem Prize.
About the Narrators
Rupert Degas is an award-winning narrator and a 2022 recipient of the AudioFile Golden Voice Award. He has won numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards, has recorded the works of Peter Carey, Haruki Murakami, Andy McNab, Darren Shan, and Derek Landy, among others. He has also recorded over fifty radio productions including The Gemini Apes, The Glittering Prizes, This Sceptered Isle, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. He has appeared on film and television in Dead Romantic, EastEnders, Waiting for God, Passport to Murder, Over Here, Fatherland, The Cappuccino Years, Exorcist: The Beginning, Love Soup and Shoot the Messenger. He has also lent his voice to numerous animated films and series including Mr. Bean, Bob the Builder, Robotboy, and The Amazing World of Gumball. Along with several stints in Newsrevue at the Canal Café Theatre and in Edinburgh, he has appeared on the London stage in The Boys Next Door, Are We There Yet?, Becket, Stones in His Pockets, and Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of The 39 Steps. He lives in Sydney, Australia.
Teresa Gallagher has performed in many leading roles in both plays and musicals across the country, London’s West End, and Broadway. In addition, she is a well-known voice to listeners of BBC Radio Drama. Her work on film includes The Misadventures of Margaret and Mike Leigh’s Topsy Turvy. She has read numerous audiobooks throughout her career, including the Biography of Jane Austen by Elizabeth Jenkins and selections from The Decameron by Boccaccio, and has earned two AudioFile Earphones Awards.
Adam Sims, Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an actor who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His recordings for radio include Wenny Has Wings, The World According to Humphrey, and The Salamander Letter, all for the BBC. Film and theater credits include Band of Brothers on HBO; Lost in Space and The Madness of George III at the West Yorkshire Playhouse; Alice in Wonderland with the Royal Shakespeare Company; A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Regent’s Park; and Snake in Fridge at the Royal Exchange Theatre, for which he won the award for Best Actor at the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards.