Cover of After the Quake

After the Quake

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 inAfter the Quakeare further proof that Murakami is one of the most visionary writers at work today.

Genre
magical realismliterary fictionfantasy
Themes
nature
Setting
20th centuryjapanasia
Mood
thought provokingintrigueemotional
Audience
adult
Length
short · 147 pages
Form
short stories

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Liked After the Quake? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked After the Quake. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

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  4. Birthday Stories Shares short stories, murakami, fiction

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