After the Quake : Book review


Book Review

Title: After the Quake
Author: Haruki Murakami
Genre: Fiction/Short Stories

After the Quake is a mesmerizing collection of six short stories that are loosely connected to the 1995 earthquake in Kobe. While all the characters in these stories do not directly experience the earthquake, they are aware of it either through news or television. 

UFO in Koshiro tells the story of a man whose wife suddenly leaves him with no explanation. Landscape with Flatiron explores the platonic relationship of a woman with a much older man. All God’s children can dance is a disturbing story of a boy with a subtle hint at incest combined with religion and sexuality. Thailand is the story of a middle aged doctor woman’s realization about something while holidaying in Bangkok. Super Frog saves Tokyo is the story of an agent collector who finds a giant frog at his doorstep. Honey pie is a story about a writers life and his frustrations. 

All the stories are all narrated in third person with well developed characters. It is clearly showcased that the earthquake leaves them feeling unsettled. In a way, the author draws parallels of the earthquake to the disruption that occurs in the characters’ lives in the form of loss, illness  and divorce. The writing is simple but evocative, capturing many themes and the elements of magical realism. He also makes references to several other works of literature and jazz music in some of his stories. 

The one that stood out to me was Superfrog saves Tokyo for its metaphorical representation of the characters conscience and a strong theme of how virtue eventually brings rewards.  After the Quake is interesting, unsettling and magical at the same time.

-- 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Heidi: Movie review

Image
I had read this classic by Johanna Spyri as a little girl. I won it as a prize along with my merit card when I was graduating from Primary to Middle School.  When I stumbled upon this on Amazon Prime, I was delighted. It always feels good to watch your favorite fictional characters on screen. Its often slated that the book is always better as it captures a lot more depth with regards to the plot and characters. However a couple of adaptations that I had seen in the recent past made a good watch. A couple of them ended up being a visual treat. One was The Call of the Wild which showcased the beauty of the Alaskan Wilderness. Another one was Heidi which exhibited the splendor of the snow clad Alps.  Heidi is the story of a young orphaned girl who is sent to live in the mountains with her rather eccentric grandfather-who is known as Alm Uncle by the villagers. Heidi manages to melt his heart as he develops an affection for her. She spends her carefree days in t...
Read more

100 meters : Movie Review

Image
Watched this inspiring Spanish film over the weekend on Netflix!  100 meters is a based on a true story of a man named Ramon who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is told that he will be able to even walk 100 meters in the next one year. Determined to prove this wrong, he takes up the challenge of doing the grueling Ironman race which involves 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.  With the help of his father in law with whom he initially shares a shaky relationship with, he begins to train relentlessly. Ramon faces challenges on the way and is almost pushed to the brink of being bed ridden. He overcomes every hurdle with grit and a positive frame of mind. It remains to be seen if he actually finishes the race.  This movie struck a chord in many ways. A triathlon is not just a race-its a humbling journey which alters your life forever. The training period is especially a challenging one as it demands a lot out of you. The film showcases the i...
Read more

My friend Ganesha: Friendship with God

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=b7ab149a-5f35-4861-8859-6a890ddb71fe Loneliness often propels one to longingly seek a friend. Times like these often push us into a solitary stance or we find our solace in the road to spirituality striking an unspoken friendship with God. My friend Ganesha is one such film which depicts this divine friendship between a child and the elephant faced God and takes you down the mythological lane. The movie revolves around a family consisting of Ashu, his parents, aunt and the maid Gangubhai who places her sincere devotion in Lord Ganapathy. Ashu is a lonely child devoid of any friends and to top it all he is bullied by his counterparts at every given opportunity. To make matters worse, his parents who are caught up with the corporate lifestyles hardly spend time with him. One day he ends up saving a little mouse from the harsh rains. On sharing this with the maid, leaves her enthralled enough to tell him of being the...
Read more