Men Without Women

Stories

By: Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel - translator, Ted Goossen - translator

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Including the story "Drive My Car” - now an Academy Award-nominated film - this collection from the internationally acclaimed author "examines what happens to characters without important women in their lives; it'll move you and confuse you and sometimes leave you with more questions than answers" (Barack Obama).

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 lovesick doctors, students, ex-boyfriends, actors, bartenders, and even Kafka’s Gregor Samsa, brought together to tell stories that speak to us all. In Men Without Women, Murakami has crafted another contemporary classic, marked by the same wry humor and pathos that have defined his entire body of work.

©2017 Haruki Murakami (P)2017 Random House Audio

Don't Edit Your Own Soul ...F Kafka

Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami exceeded my expectations. I had read an interview with the author and he was quoted as saying that in between novels, he writes short stories. This collection of short stories contains many references and motifs that fans of the author will really enjoy and appreciate. That said, the collection also stands very well on its own, drawing out the most intricate and extraordinary emotions from the most mundane situations and settings.

This collection focuses on a subject that is rarely discussed or detailed. I would recommend this to any reader who is interested in exploring the work of Haruki Murakami and to anyone who is already familiar with his writing. The narration performance by Kirby Heyborne is outstanding and greatly enhances the impact of the material. It is very easy to identify who is speaking when throughout the entire book and more importantly what each character is thinking and feeling at any given moment. The translations are well done because the finished product is beautiful, tight, and makes sense on so many levels.

A Dot being Expanded

When Haruki Murakami starts to write, he always expand a dot into a masterpiece. "Men Without Women" is a set of seven short stories that is a classic Murakami. More metaphors for any reader to concur and digest of what they have read. I'm never disappointed of Haruki Murakami. His thought process is almost nearly impossible from any other authors to match or beat.

Refreshing shorter format while retaining HM style

Fan of his past works. especially enjoyed the shorter format. no critical comments. Typical MK style that we love.

Even Normal, Murakami Astounds

Get the book for the story alone and it will be worth it. Murakami is often described as Magical Realism and he is a master at it. These stories are much more grounded, more "Of daily life" but still connect deeply with the reader.

Kirby Heyborne is perfect for the collection, his naration infuses the text with a sadness and sense of wonder that elevate the prose.

common Kirby Heyborne W

dude is so good at setting the right tone for Murakami, this collection being a great example

Great Reader

The reader's tone was absolutely perfect. Second only to the reader of Kafka on the Shore.

past love

Beautiful collection of heartfelt stories of past relationships, confirming better to love rather than not.

Interesting

At times gripping, deeply fascinating; at other moments eye rollingly indulgent, I'm sure it will take time to finish digesting the complex offering Murakami provides here. I enjoyed it and though it didn't go places I was expecting I'm glad I selected this.

I had to stop playback several times because I was so distracted by the cringe worthy mispronounciation of certain Japanese words. Aiko, yakuza, Shinjuku, and for chrissake the author's name and the original title of the book ...I am dumbfounded that those are so difficult to get right. Otherwise the narration was neutral and inoffensive. On the bland side, with limited range for interpreting female characters.

While I am a big fan of Haruki Murakami - - - - -

To me, stories have a beginning, middle, and an ending. I don't care if they are lengthy stories or short stories. To Mr. Murakami it seems a short story is simply a beginning, or maybe include a small amount of middle. His stories don't have an ending. Some of these were boring, others very intriguing, but none of them finished. I've tried a couple short story collections of his. Can't say I should continue to make that same mistake over and over.

Middling Murakami -- but that's not a bad thing

Is there anything you would change about this book?
Compared to, say, "The Elephant Vanishes", the quality of the stories here are more variable. Some of them are fascinatingly odd, some are just minor studies of eccentric characters. To me, even the latter are worthwhile, and I think Murakami fans will agree.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
I enjoyed it. Just wished there were more of the top-notch stories.

What about Kirby Heyborne’s performance did you like?
Heyborne clearly "gets" Murakami's narrative voice and the cadence of his prose. I felt like I was listening to Murakami himself.

Was Men Without Women worth the listening time?
Yes, for this Murakami fan.

Any additional comments?
Not the best introduction to Murakami for neophytes, but most devotees of the author will want to hear this collection.