The Elephant Vanishes
Ratings37
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings37
Average rating3.8
In the tales that make up The Elephant Vanishes, the imaginative genius that has made Haruki Murakami an international superstar is on full display. In these stories, a man sees his favorite elephant vanish into thin air; a newlywed couple suffers attacks of hunger that drive them to hold up a McDonald’s in the middle of the night; and a young woman discovers that she has become irresistible to a little green monster who burrows up through her backyard. By turns haunting and hilarious, in The Elephant Vanishes Murakami crosses the border between separate realities—and comes back bearing remarkable treasures. Includes the story "Barn Burning," which is the basis for the major motion picture Burning.
Reviews with the most likes.
It's hard giving a rating for the collection as each story made me feel differently.
I sort of hated the first few short stories but going on forth with the rest, I started feeling differently and quite enjoyed some of the tales. These stories are bizarre... more of psychological explorations, experiences and feelings that we can't really put to words but Murakami does just that. I'd say if you're to read this collection, go with a bit of an open approach, not expecting any plot or satisfactory endings. The characters aren't the most likable and there's some apathy, some undistinguished personality trait that seems to be shared by almost all of them. You can't attach yourself to the storyline or the characters, but you see the shades of human nature and at times it may even resonate with you. I wholly dislike his explicitness though and strongly believe the stories could do well without them.
Also, each of these tales seems to have some connection between them which was another point of interest for me personally.
This book was a suggestion to me. I can't honestly say it was something that I would have picked up on my own.
Of all the stories that are contained in this book, “Barn Burning” was by far my favorite. It was also one of the few that I grasped the full meaning of. (Or, the full implication.) The others seemed just strange or mundane.
It is a book of short stories, which is a little odd to read after my month's selections so far. I would highly suggest it to anyone interested in comparative literature.
