After The Quake: Stories
(Haruki Murakami)
In the weeks following a massive earthquake in Kobe, Japan, the stories in After the Quake
take place. The stories are simple with a touch of the supernatural, or
perhaps ?mystic? would be a better description. A young man tries to
answer the questions of his origins by following a man with a missing
earlobe, wanting to know if he really is the Son of God as his mother
claims. Another man makes up a story about a clever bear for his
friends? daughter, a story that bears unintended resemblance to his
relationship with those friends. An aging woman takes a weeks vacation
and slowly comes to terms with how she should die. In these stories and
more there runs through both news of the quake?s disaster and spiritual
elements which accentuate the stories as well as help bring about their
conclusions. This runs from the quietly enlightened feeling that
watching a driftwood bonfire brings out in a young woman to the
blatantly bizarre giant Frog that needs a loan collection officer to
root for it so that it can defeat Worm and prevent an earthquake from
striking Tokyo.
Each of the six stories (translated from the
Japanese by Jay Rubin) has Murakami?s simple, concise style that lends
itself well to telling the most mundane as well as the most surreal
tales. These tales are distinctly Murakami. For readers who are
familiar with hiss work, it is a welcome return to the voice he wields
so well. For those unfamiliar, it is an excellent place to begin,
offering short displays of his unique style and range that has gained
him popularity in both Japan and abroad. As an added benefit, the
stories also add an insight into daily Japanese life that is not
necessarily accessible to the average reader. As with all of Murakami?s
work, After the Quake is a truly enjoyable experience.
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