Men Without Women

If the familiar ways of Haruki Murakami are an enthusiasm, there is plenty here to divert the aficionado, but he also takes a turn into riskier territory that could well coax new readers into his distinctive world.

It's easy to forget what a masterful writer Haruki Murakami is . . . the stories are slow, subtle, and imbued with a sense of deep regret. While the book does have all the Murakami hits, they are so much more. The interplay of sadness and heartache with moments of humour and surrealness are what make him the writer he is.

In this collection of new stories, Murakami (1Q84) returns to familiar themes of youthful regrets, untenable romantic triangles, strange manifestations of sexual frustration, and inexplicable, often otherworldly happenings while dipping into the lives of seven middle-aged men, each caught up in the passions of a mysterious woman.

Murakami's ability to center the stories on sentimental but precise details creates a long-lasting resonance.

These ideas and ruminations on romantic solitude...require you to slow down and take the scenic route. Once you do, they unfold with a momentum all their own.

The mix of humour and melancholy in Murakami's writing is extraordinary. One never wrong-foots the other.

His spare, unadorned prose is always a delight to read . . . Murakami, always inventive, is one of the finest popular writers at work today.

This slim but beguilingly irresistible book. Like a lost lover, it holds on tight long after the affair is over.

A collection like Men Without Women comes along and all is forgiven, my faith restored in the recognition of how utterly perfect the medium can be - in the right hands. Haruki Murakami's are talented indeed, each of the seven stories here . . . a gem in and of its own right, but strung together they're a sparkling strand of precious stones, the light refracted from each equally brilliant but the tones varying subtly.

Murakami's supremely enjoyable, philosophical and pitch-perfect new collection of short stories.

An astonishing collection of stories by the Japanese master.

The dreamlike quality of the stories in Men Without Women is undoubtedly one of its chief attractions . . . Murakami's latest is a hypnotising study of male loneliness.

Seven gorgeously crafted stories . . . All are slow, subtle, and come with a sting in the tail. If you like Murakami . . . you will find much to enjoy, and much that surprises you, here.

These elegant stories are poignant and inventive.

Vintage Murakami: a little arch, a little tired, but always elegant

For those who haven't had the pleasure of stepping into the weird worlds painted by the author of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Norwegian Wood, these short stories are the perfect taster.

Marked by the same wry humour that has defined his work, in this collection Murakami has crafted another contemporary classic.

Rooted more in the everyday and less in the surreal than his previous works, each story nevertheless has the same familiar unfamiliarity Murakami does so well. Murakami still has something to say. And considering he is approaching his 70s, he captures youth with particular aplomb. A solid collection, this is a decent entry point to Murakami and should please fans.