Ending the year with Haruki Murakami. Before some of you get excited, it’s not Kafka on the Shore. It’s a collection of short stories. 

The closest I’ve ever come to Murakami is buying Birthday Girl for my close friend. He also seemed like an author everyone keeps saying you MUST read. Like Ayn Rand. But if you tell me I must do something, chances are I really won’t. Also, I always thought people who read Murakami were pretentious. 

But I discovered Blossoms in Bangalore (heaven in the form of a bookstore) and realized quickly that this was where my bank account was going to die, so why not begin the process with a MUST read. I know I’m making this sound like some sort of ordeal but I mean well and my humor can sometimes be quite dry. 

But it was actually quite good. It did take me about a month and a half to complete 4 short stories but not because it was boring. I’ve just had the busiest month and a half. Work has been interesting but packed and I was prepping for the Winter Showcase at my dance school. Both my professional and personal life coming together like this pushed me to a lot of limits. I’m really proud though of how hard I’ve worked. 

Anyway back to the man of the hour, Haruki Murakami is actually quite a remarkable storyteller. Every story has been translated from Japanese and set in Japan which is my all-time favorite country. So as he mentions some of the different parts of Tokyo I was immediately taken back to my days in Tokyo and Osaka where I have more than once maxed out my credit card.

Every story starts somewhere only to end somewhere else! A completely different tangent. For example, in The Second Bakery Attack, the protagonist finds himself in a dull and lifeless marriage but the story ends with him robbing a McDonalds with his now extremely intriguing wife! See a whole other tangent!

Murakami is not only for the pretentious (we all know that type) I was quick to judge (sorry to all Murakami fans) he suits self-proclaimed laypeople like me too. Stories of ordinary people finding themselves in extraordinary circumstances. 

So if you’ve always wanted to indulge in a Murakami then start with the short stories and then maybe join me in Kafka on the Shore.

Until then you can find me in the latest John Grisham novel that my secret Santa was kind enough to get me!

Happy holidays everyone!