A dazzling new collection of short stories—the first major new work of fiction from the beloved, internationally acclaimed, Haruki Murakami since his #1 best-selling Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage.
Across seven tales, Haruki Murakami brings his powers of observation to bear on the lives of men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone. Here are vanishing cats and smoky bars, lonely hearts and mysterious women, baseball and the Beatles, woven together to tell stories that speak to us all.
Marked by the same wry humor that has defined his entire body of work, in this collection Murakami has crafted another contemporary classic.
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“There is a precision and care in Kirby Heyborne’s narration of this audiobook that is well suited to the collection…Heyborne skillfully manages to make each story part of the cohesive themed group and a unique snapshot of humanity. The spare, clean quality of his performance makes this collection inherently listenable for all types of audiences. His voice spans the divide between coolly aloof and warmly compassionate. The stories are deep enough to appeal to lovers of novels, but the recording will appeal to those looking for a light listen, too.”
— AudioFile
[A] beguilingly irresistible book…Part allegory, part myth, part magic realism, part Philip Marlowe, private eye.”
— New York Times Book ReviewMesmerizing tales of profound alienation. . . . Murakami is a master of the open-ended mystery.
— The Washington Post“Time and again in these seven stories, Murakami displays his singular genius…The stories in this collection find their power within the confines of common but momentous disturbances that linger on in memory.”
— Los Angeles TimesBeautifully rendered. . . . Murakami at his whimsical, romantic best. . . . [He] writes of complex things with his usual beguiling simplicity—the same seeming naivety found in the Beatles songs that are so often his reference points. The stories read like dirges for ‘all the lonely people’ but they are strangely invigorating to read.
— Financial TimesClassic Murakami. . . . [His] voice—cool, poised, witty, characterized by a peculiar blend of whimsy and poignancy, wit and profundity—hasn’t lost its power to unsettle even as it amuses.
— The Boston GlobeA whimsical delight. . . . The seven stories in his fourth story collection present another captivating treasure hunt of familiar Murakami motifs—including cats, jazz, whiskey, certain cigarettes, the moon, baseball, never-named characters, and—of course—the many men without women. . . . Murakami always manages to entertain, surprise, and satisfy. . . . Sanity might be overrated, but Murakami is surely not.
— Christian Science MonitorWise stories. . . . Moody and melancholic as [they] can be, some of them offer comparable hope that these men without women might emerge from their long and isolating loneliness, acknowledging the hurt, pain and even rage they feel rather than folding in on themselves and ceasing to fully live.
— Milwaukee Journal SentinelMen Without Women has the familiar signposts and well-worn barstools that will reconnect with longtime readers of Murakami: magical realism, Beatles tracks and glasses of whiskey. Yet, except for a few tales, the magic is watered down and it’s reality that is now poured stiff. . . . This collection is a sober, clear-eyed attempt to observe the evasion and confrontation of suffering and loss, and to hope for something better.
— New York Daily NewsIt’s been a few years since we’ve gotten something new from Japan’s master of magical realism, but this new seven-story collection draws us right back into his signature realm—one of lonely men with wandering imaginations, mysterious cats, and subtle-yet-surreal narratives that reveal the supernatural layer operating beneath our everyday lives.
— W MagazineVintage Murakami. . . . Compellingly odd. . . . A glimpse into the strange worlds people invent by the always inventive [author]. . . . Elegant.
— Kirkus ReviewsThought-provoking.
— Pittsburgh Post-GazetteSuperb.
— SF WeeklyA new Haruki Murakami book is always cause for celebration. . . . These stories are filled with all of the luminous, magical elements that make Murakami's writing so fascinating.
— BustleFunny and surreal.
— io9A funny, lovely, unmistakably Murakami collection.
— BuzzFeedBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
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.
Kirby Heyborne is a musician, actor, and professional narrator. Noted for his work in teen and juvenile audio, he has garnered over twenty Earphones Awards. His audiobook credits include Jesse Kellerman’s The Genius, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and George R. R. Martin’s Selections from Dreamsongs.