After the Quake: Stories

From Strand Bookstore

The six stories in this mesmerizing collection are set at the time of the catastrophic 1995 Kobe earthquake, when Japan became brutally aware of its own fragile daily existence. 'As haunting as dreams, as potent as oracles.' 147 p.

From the Publisher

The six stories in Haruki Murakami’s mesmerizing collection are set at the time of the catastrophic 1995 Kobe earthquake, when Japan became brutally aware of the fragility of its daily existence. But the upheavals that afflict Murakami’s characters are even deeper and more mysterious, emanating from a place where the human meets the inhuman.

An electronics salesman who has been abruptly deserted by his wife agrees to deliver an enigmatic package—and is rewarded with a glimpse of his true nature. A man who has been raised to view himself as the son of God pursues a stranger who may or may not be his human father. A mild-mannered collection agent receives a visit from a giant talking frog who enlists his help in saving Tokyo from destruction. As haunting as dreams, as potent as oracles, the stories in After the Quake are further proof that Murakami is one of the most visionary writers at work today.

Review

James Morrison - Literary Review
"With its simple language and sparse but effective description, AFTER THE QUAKE is a supremely imaginative, often stirring collection, from the pen of a gifted storyteller. It is at once a meditation on the nature of emotional fulfillment and a reminder of a massive human tragedy."

Review

Kirkus
"Surrealism, fantasy,and powerfully restrained emotion are the distinctive features of six spectacularly original and gripping linked stories....This writer goes from strength to strength."

More about the book

Marukami structures these stories around the 1995 earthquake in Kobe, Japan. In them, ordinary citizens must confront the consequences of the harrowing disruptions of their lives. A New York Times Notable Book for 2002.